ROSEY RUNS!!!!!!! (sort of)

well, just for the heck of it, I went back out to the garage, hooked up the old battery, pumped the carb once, turned the key on, leaned over the jump the starter and there she went.....running. Shut the front door!!!!!!!!!! What????
so, I immediately opened the choke a little to get her to keep running, and grabbed my timing light. She was running dead on at 5 deg and sounded great. let her warm up, reattached the vacuum hose to the carb. caused her to advance a little time so I readjusted her and she sounded great for several minutes. then started to sputter. looked at the top of the carb and fuel was coming out of the economizer. I wiped it off, tightened down the screws on the economizer and she slowed the oozing of gas a little. but she kept oozing - I'm guessing the whole float issue or the needle seat. About that time my wife comes out in the garage and asks what the terrible smell is and then I see this whitish grey smoke coming off the exhaust mani. Well, the epoxy steele crap I bought that they say is for exhaust mani's is burning away like melting rubber. scrapped it off with the flick of my finger....so much for that crap! I turned her off (the car not my wife) and then tried to restart her and she just cranked over and over. FLOODED! well then thick white smoke came out of the carb while she was sitting there cooling off.
I did the dollar bill trick at the exhaust pipe and no sucking in, just pushing out. so, I've got to figure out now if I want to get a new carb or just try to get this one to work. thinking to get another one ready to bolt on and rebuilt and run. another 40.00 for another rebuild kit....or 25.00 worth of new screws and gaskets...or just get another carb. Im guessing other than running the fuel line and the vacuum lines, it pretty much mounts the same. The only other issue I'm having is that the throttle seems to have no effect what so ever on the choke opening or closing. it's like something is missing in that part or not connected right. I'll try to post a pic or to over the weekend. new gas tank and sending unit coming at the end of the month. i'll run new hard lines and then I'm on to the brakes AGAIN.