[mcgarrett]

Does it start easily when you first crank it up to go for a drive?
Does it run good, pull hills, etc. until you have to stop or slow down for traffic?

As eagle said...check the point gap for sure and while you're at it, check the timing and maybe have your mechanic friend check the timing gear to see if it might have jumped time. It's possible that the coil might be faulty, so replace it with a known good one. Condensers are a common failure item - cheap and easy to replace. Buy a good one like one of the "no burnout types" from Bratton's, Snyder's, etc.