1972 Fiat 850 Spider No Longer Running Like Crap

The replacement manifold came and it spent a day in a carb cleaner back. So did the plunger, which also needed polishing with 1200 grit sand paper. I installed the thing after plugging up all (I mean ALL) the holes, reinstalled the carb, and it made no difference. I still needed starting fluid to get the thing going, it still idled like hell, and it wouldn't run without choke.

My buddy and I pulled the carb and took the top off, where I discovered I had verdigris/oxidation more than halfway up the float. I removed that with a vinegar soak and checked the float level - the damned thing needed to be adjusted in both positions. Both measurements were WAY off.

I pulled off the idle and main jets to discover both were plugged at the tip (I previously checked this and looked only at the holes halfway up the jet), as was the throttle accelerator pump nozzle. I pulled all three from a spare/junk carb I have, verified nothing plugged, and put them on the "best" carb.

"Best," by the way, denotes the one where the bushings were replaced by Pierce Manifolds.

We pulled the rest of the carb apart, looking for other signs of oxidation, cleaned everything anyway, reassembled and reinstalled the carb. I also emptied the tank using my electric pump and replaced the gas with a jerry can of fresh stuff. After letting the gasket sealant dry for 24 hours, the car started like a charm and now idles at 1500 or so without complaint.

I'm at a loss for words on the oxidized and improperly set float ...