Having made a more thorough search of related postings, it seems the areas to focus on are as follows: ignition coil, distributor cap/rotor, overvoltage relay, new plugs, spark wires, fuel distributor (?), and vacuum lines. Once I am up and running, it is quite smooth. I thought it might have been some bad gas but have replaced and still have same problem. Feels as though not all the pistons are sparking together.
Hope to have some additional input from the experts. Please.