[Jim/GA]

Wow! What a great "first drive story"! You will remember that one and be telling it for the rest of your life!

Clutch chatter can be from oil on the clutch disk, problem with the flywheel, broken springs on the pressure plate... the list goes on. The only way to know for sure is to open it up and see what you find.

The front end shaking (a.k.a. the death wobble) is usually caused by worn parts, but could just need a good alignment. There was a really good article in a recent edition of The Restorer -- the national magazine of MAFCA -- about this (causes and cures). That's a good place to start.

Rear tire/wheel would wobble because a) it is bent; b) lug nuts are not tight; c) bent axle; or d) drum not on axle properly.

Yes, a severe vacuum leak will cause the engine to run really lean and that will cause it to overheat. However, I suspect your radiator is plugged up or otherwise not cooling properly. Not having the timing advanced enough will also cause it to over heat. Where did you guys drive with the spark lever at? Did you check the timing before driving?

Everything you have experienced is quite fixable, so have fun with it and report back what you find. Most of all, have fun!
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