I think I really scewed up during initial start up...

you don't need a 4 pin to run a 2 prong ballast, thats a coil related issue in the 1st place and has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE 4/5 pin BOX!
ballast supplys power to the coil, while the box that connecxts to the - side of the coil tells it when to spark.

Do you have your chassis and engine to fire wall grounds hooked up?
cause it sounds as if it's grounding through the run circuit when you let the off the key from start position. Check the starter switch on the drivers fender too and make sure it's grounded good to the fender.

Advance the timing [counter clockwise] till the starter wants to kick back.
Then back it off a lil so it'll turn over and start, then with timing light hooked up...set it at 32* while at 2500rpm [for now] that will let it run in with out detonating or over heating from retarded timing.