I've been searching high and low with no real luck, and honestly I'm hoping to find a quick and easy answer to this hard starting problem.

Backstory.
I found this DLX along my postal route and swung a nice deal on it. It had been sitting five or so years and the owner wanted the money more than the lawn art it had become. So I had it towed home and got to work replacing the following:

Battery
Distributor (screws had broken/stripped when trying to remove the cap)
Cap and rotor
Ignition coil
Ignitor
Fuel pump
Fuel filter
A few beat looking vacuum lines
Radio (hey, gotta have tunes when working)

So the situation is this:
It cranks fine, and eventually starts. When it does it runs real well. I've had it out for a few test runs with no issues such as hesitation or backfiring or what have you. I've even had it sitting and running for 45 minutes plus. I've started it, shut it off and tried again. It is almost always hard to start. It'll crank and try to fire but even when warmed up it does this then eventually goes. It's almost like it's building up to it, like the old wind-up cars that went faster the more you wound.

Is this familiar to anyone, or does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

If your fuel pump is marginal, it may take a while to build enough pressure to start.
1) Jumper FP to B+ in the diagnostic connector (this forces the fuel pump to run with key-on). Key to "on," wait 30 seconds (you can probably hear the fuel at the fuel pressure regulator; wait until the sound stabilizes). Key to "STArt." If it starts then, I would suspect first the fuel filter, then the pump sock, then the pump.

2) Replace the fuel return line at the FPR with 6mm (1/4") clear vinyl to a suitable container. Run the fuel pump as described above (don't try to start). You should get fuel flow out of the return line immediately, and at about 1/2 liter/min. If not, same suspects.