Well, today I prepared to conduct some more tests, and see if I could get good evidence one way or another on the fuel pump. Unfortunately, when I cranked the engine, nothing happened - it just clicked and was silent. Have I gotten the engine stopped at mid-stroke or something, which is causing the starter to have poor leverage? Battery's fine, and no other obvious indication that something had gone wrong. I've been careful as I can not to overcrank or tire out the starter motor, so I hope it's not that.
Great advice on paint from both Larry and Sirrotica, I'll move in that direction. The factory paint color is White Mist. I actually decoded the Fisher Body plate awhile ago, and was saving it up for a day in which I didn't get much else done (Huzzah! That's today!), so observe below: As best I understand from the information on Larry's website, that the car is the 4-door Custom sedan, with the body built in the South Gate, CA plant – and quite early in the lineup, too, 35k of these were built. The car’s interior was originally ‘Light Blue Pattern and Dark Blue Sharkskin Cloth with Dark Blue Leather Facings,’ (for which I don't have a visual reference) and the exterior was single-color White Mist (hub covers so as well). On the website it is recorded that paint code 40 is not well documented and has an unknown wheel color, so I hope this proves useful for your records. The tag is still on the passenger side.
Today's two questions:
1. Assuming I haven't bricked the starter, how do I fix the issue? Do I have to manually advance the engine a cylinder, and if so, how?
2. Any additional insights that you have from the Fisher Body plate?