Z24 720 engine swap has some hiccups

[zookeeper]

So this is my partners 720. I'm going to try and explain the history of what has happened so far. She got it and it worked fine for a week then It would have problems starting once and a while and had very low power. One day the throttle got jammed and was going faster than we could stop. She jumped out the window. I was in the passenger seat and turned the key off and yanked on the emergency brake just in time to stop before a busy intersection. It was a close one. During the ordeal we heard some loud pops. We pushed the truck back home just a few blocks away. That's when I found that the spring on the carburetor spindle was all tangled on the bolt that holds it on. also it seemed to be missing parts. Springs and tabs were just bent up not being used. I cleaned it and put it back the way I could best do based on online tutorials and common sense. The truck started and drove after that and we were off to test it out. As soon as we got to around 40 mph a loud pop happened and the thing never started again. I took it home and inspected all I could. It had almost no compression and nothing I could do would get it starting. All it would do is sporadically backfire through the intake. I brought the motor to a Japanese  auto place and they said the whole engine was scrap metal. It had over bored cylinders, cracked cylinder head, and areas with sloppy welding inside. We decided to get a rebuilt engine. The new engine went in with no problems. Put all the cables and hoses up the way they had been and the thing looked very promising. Went to start it and it would turn over but never actually start. it was getting fuel, spark and the timing was all done perfectly to the manual I have. I noticed the spark from the old spark plugs were orange so I got new spark plugs. The spark was still orange. A few attempts to start after the new spark plugs and then the engine control fuse blew out. the fuse blows out every time I try to start it now. I am at frustration point because pretty much everything looks correct except a few little things that were not different when the truck was running and instead all I managed to do is acquire a new issue. I am looking for any suggestions as to how to approach problem solving. I think I'm going to need a multi-meter at this point. I love the general supportive community attitude of this site. I wish to learn and give info when I can. My experience is more in a fabrication, powder coating and fiberglass arena.  I need an air filter for the carb and some hose plugs. Also the electric is obviously cobbled together. I can take more pictures! I have nothing but this project to do until its running well.