shifting shuts my car off

Definitely check your initial ignition timing advance, my 318 Duster barely ran when I first got it. After bumping up the initial to 10* BTDC, it runs much better. After that I'd also recommend rebuilding the carb, and inspecting your distributor cap/rotor and spark plugs/wires for damage and possibly just replacing them all with new. Also check to make sure you have no vacuum leaks, as in there are no places under the carb or intake that are sucking in air and leaning out the air/fuel mixture.