I need help - badly.

There is a white plastic linkage that connects the choke to the choke rod, is it still intact? If not, that is probably your problem.
If it is, set the choke cap to 3 rich, there should be a notch on the black choke cap. If you see the notch, line it up with the third notch on the housing(side towards fire wall). The choke plate opening adjustment is located on the white plastic linkage I was talking about earlier. If the linkage is there and the tension is set, set the choke opening to about 5/64 or so, you can use a drill bit for this as a gauge.
Also, check the choke pull down on the back of the carb plate, it looks like this
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductD...75&ptset=A
If the loop is broke, replace it.
This carb is the easiest that I have found to work on and the adjustments are super easy.
When I first got my '73 Montego, I had this same problems(pull down and linkage) and it was a B*%$H to strart. I got a carb from the junkyard, harvested parts, and rebuilt and had no problem starting.
Hope you figure it out, Chris.
[addsig]

Oh yeah, if your car has a throttle kicker on the drivers side of the carb and if it works, use that to set the curb idle instead of the screw on the drivers side back. You may start having a problem with run-on(dieseling) if you don't.
Set the fast idle with the screw on the passenger side back beneath the choke housing.
Hope this helps, Chris.
[addsig]

Having just rebuilt your carburetor, I would say turn both mixture screws all the way in, then back them out 1.5 turns each. I'm no carb guru, but this seems to be a fairly stnadars procedure, and it has work perfect for me for a little over a year now since I rebuilt mine. I haven't touch the mixutre screws once since then. Haven't needed to. Although I have had an interesting time too adjusting the choke. I did like mentioned above and turned it to 3 rich. Unfortunately for me, that was too closed. The damn thing started flooding on the fly in the winter. I've just kind've gone by eye and ear as to where the choke should be. Basically, what looks and sounds right during cold idle.