Cold start issue

[OldFoggey]

Recently purchased Backdraft build # 889 and I've had an issue starting it from the time I got it home. The car is in excellent shape with only 1400 miles on it. When I went to look at the car I noticed every time the seller started it there was a black puff of smoke for an instant and the exhaust had a heavy fuel smell for a minute or so. The seller said he did have an issue with a small piece of trash in the front float needle but he removed it and everything was good after that. I figured that the float was just set a little high and was causing the issue at start up. After I got the car home I checked the float levels and the front was a little high. I adjusted it to specs but that seemed to fix the initial rich mixture and also smoothed out the idle after I adjusted it. I guess the problem is that it's been too long since owning a vehicle with a carb because most of the time I flood it when trying to get it started. I then get disgusted, throw the cover back over it and walk away. I read that the Edelbrock Victor Jr manifold has a low vacuum at idle so I thought maybe a different carb with idle adjustments at all four corners would help. I replaced the Holley with a 750cmf Quick Fuel Hot Rod model. I fought the thing for a couple days and it finally fired up. I adjusted the float levels which were almost spot on from the factory and adjusted all 4 mixture screws using a vacuum gauge to achieve 16 - 17 lbs vacuum. The car idles beautifully and no fuel smell to the exhaust. But still same issue if the car sits for a couple days. I have tried not pumping the gas, pumping it once, pumping it 1/2 pump all to no avail. After a minute or so of it turning over there's a strong small of gas. I put in a new set of spark plugs, used a spark checker and the MSD 6 ignition passes all the tests shown on their web site. Once when I did have it running I checked the spark advance and it's set right at 12 initial and 32 full. The engine is the 351W punched to 392ci from Ford Racing. I retired from the military after 22 years back in 1987 and was planning on fully retiring in the near future. This was the car of my dreams and my old age crisis toy but it's got to the point I'm ready to unload it. I've found posts on hot starting issues but not when cold. Oh, by the way, when I replaced the carb and it didn't start right away I made a one second spray of starting fluid over the carb barrels, not in the carb, just to make sure there wasn't a spark issue that I missed and it fired right up. Anyone have any ideas to toss my way?