thanks for the reply, Dhj. I did make sure the wires were in the correct order- #1 at 1oclock etc.

im pretty limited on diagnosis tools where i am, ive got an ohmmeter, a comp tester, and basic hand tools.

I actually swapped out the coil with a new bosch unit to see if that helped, still no change.

i havent checked for vacuum leaks, nor have i checked the airflow sensor. how do you go about checking that?

I was told that the car ran fine until it just quit.
I really didnt put much stock into his evaluation.

My impression of the guy was it could have been sputtering for 6 months and it would be "running fine" as long as it ran.