Ghia Update

I've been at a standstill with my Ghia since I got it started in January. I can get it to run, but the only way I can get it to stay running is if I close the choke all the way. As soon as I open it even a fraction, the RPM's start to drop and eventually the car stalls. I tried everything I could think of - timing, valves, points, fuel mixture - but still I couldn't figure it out. It's really frustrating when something that simple can still stump you.
The one thing I hadn't tested was something that occurred to me early on in the debug process, but it was difficult to test when I couldn't keep the car running. Consequently, it slipped my mind as I tried to track down other gremlins. I was reminded of it last week, and finally tracked down the demon that was keeping the car from running (I hope). It was an air leak where the manifold bolts to the cylinder head. It turns out that the gaskets that I used don't have the best results. I've purchased some new gaskets, and the next time I get the chance I'll install them. The sad part is that I have to pretty much tear the engine compartment down to replace them.