Classic/Antique Car Repair: need some advice on 72 el camino, compression testers, plug holes

Question
QUESTION: i've become an owner of a 72 el camino with 307 2bbl quad jet carb.engine turns over and catches at times but will not run.starter was tested n good.new battery,spark plugs. gets fuel to carb(fuel squirts into carb)fuel filter is brass.new fuel in gas tank.even put some heet for any water in tank. spark plugs gets spark. what am i missing? do i need to turn the distributor (timing)?

ANSWER: How about a little history here. Was the car running when you got it? If so was it running one day and then refused to start the next? Did it die when running? If you never had it running can you ask the previous owner the above questions and what work he did to the engine? Let me know and we can go from there. But off the top I would guess that perhaps the timing chain has jumped providing some one has not messed with the ignition system and got it miss timed or miss wired.
Brad

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QUESTION: sorry...ok some history on the car.. it did run(rough) at the time the previous owner(a good friend) had bought it,it was a project car for him but it sat for some time probably 8 months in the back yard. and didn't do any work to the engine. when i got it.. battery was dead/replaced bat/bat cables,turned key, engine turned over but wouldn't run. still gets a little smoke out of exhaust after while of trying to start it.i'm not all that car savvy only know basic car knowledge. check/changed oil,drained/flushed old fuel (had a tarnish smell)filled up with new gas, checked for spark/changed spark plugs.checked distibutor cap/plug wires r good.start tested and now i'm here..

Answer
Ok, there is no easy one step magic bullet on this one. The first thing that I would do on that car is to do a compression check. Compression testers are not very much money at most auto parts stores. You want one with a flex hose to connect to the spark plug holes. Auto Zones price is $21.00. To check compression insert the gauge and crank the engine over though 5 compression strokes. Write down the reading and continue with the other cylinders. A note here take all the spark plugs out before starting the test. The reading should be around 125 PSI and all cylinders within 25 pounds of the highest one. Any lower it is a weak cylinder with either a burned valve or bad piston rings. If all cylinders are low but equal it indicates that the timing chain is jumped. Get that done and let me know what happens and we will go to the next step which is check timing and spark plug firing order.