todays update:
i put on the new water pump ($30) and belt ($25), then fired it up, and went for a ride around my complex. it ran rough, stalled if i wasn't on the throttle and heated up quickley, but it only has a high temp light ( need to fix this if i can get it to run good) the radiator and hoses were hot to the touch, but it cooled quickly. after it cooled and i picked up a new battery and lunch. i took out the thermostat to find a rush of green antifreeze, i had only put water in the radiator and the stuff in the radiator was still crystal clear. i took the thermostat out completely and resealed it up w/ rtv ( big mistake), i also installed my new battery ($35), the old one was stone dead and i had to use my jump box to start it. started it again, it still ran rough so i pulled a few plugs, they were fuel fowled bosh platnums and they were gapped at about 1/4 mile. i cleaned them up a little and closed the gap a little, refired; still rough. took off the dizzy cap to find the metal on the rotor was broken in half and laying on the bottom. so i ran to the parts store, got the cap and rotor, ($18, i thought that was pricey) completely forgot about the thermostat gasket. came home, put the cap and rotor on, fired it, ran rough, reved it, it smoothed out, came back to idle and ran rough again. I don't feel like running out again today, so tomorrow i'll go get the gasket, spark plugs and a gapper (don't have one in my tool kit, must have lost it in the move). maybe tomorrow evening i can get this thing running.
question: i'm sure this can be answered by a search, do i have to remove the a/c compressot to get to the forward most spark plug?
thanks for following along!!!!