<VV> please help!

[Arthur Landis]

What next?  Just when I thought things were finally going well...Here's the
story:

A week ago, I finally got my '63 monza, pg running after 7 months of ownership
and headed out for the body shop.  On every incline the car would stall and
die.  I'd push it over the hill and she would start (this happened 3 times).
I finally got the car to the body shop.  I left her there so they could start
on some initial body repair work.  They never got to work on the car because
they couldn't get her started.  Never bothered to call me either, but don't
get me started.  Anyway, yesterday I go there to "show" them how to start the
car (you gotta pump the gas when cranking) that was running fine (as long as
it was on level ground).  I get the car started but now the engine sounds like
a thrashing machine.  An obnoxious loud knocking at low RPM (idle) that wasn't
happening when I left the car is now going on.  At hi RPM, when I rev the gas,
the harsh knocking subsides but resumes as soon as I let off the gas.  The
belt came off and ripped (second time this has happened) while I was trying to
figure what the source of the loud knocking is.

Does a bad harmonic balancer make a loud racket?  I'm told by the guy that
sold me the car in April that this engine was rebuilt a year ago (they never
drove it after the rebuild 'cause of the body damage) but the sound reminds me
of a bad wrist pin or busted rod.  The engine fires right up and other than
the noise, she seems to be running strong and smooth.

I know it's impossible to diagnose sounds without hearing them but since I'm
new to vairs I have hope that maybe this might seem familiar to someone.

Thanks in advance,

Art in  Missouri