[DanEC]

What kind of Accell distributor is it - old CD unit or a points type unit? Dying right after it starts could be a bad ballast resistor (if you have points). Doesn't explain why it would not restart immediately or why it sometimes runs after the key is released for a couple minutes. If a CD unit possibly the control box is failing or has a loose terminal connection. I used to run an old Accell CD box in a Corvette and it had screw type wire terminals.

A bad coil usually cuts out after it operates a while and gets really hot. Then it cools off and will work again for a little bit. A bad condensor just plain makes the car run rough.

If it's a points distributor - it's kind of rare, but in distributors with a lot of use, occassionally the points wire gets yanked around and flexed a lot during maintenance and will break near the points but still make intermittent contact.

The fact that your battery went down is also sort of puzzling on top of the engine dying. Possibly you do have a bad ground or connection somewhere.