Update: Engine falters in 1st gear

[ejfluhr@wc101.residence.gatech.edu]

First, thanks to Steve, Chris, and Rob for the advice on places to look.
I think I have a lead on the problem (not a cheap one, either).
Also, I forgot to mention my engine: 2226cc CIS-E on an '85 GT.

So, this morning I checked all of the connections to the coil and
distributor cap.  Whoa....the connection from the coil to the
distributor wasn't fully snapped on.  So, I snapped it down thinking
that was the problem all along!! (Problem happened twice after my father
and I set the timing over Christmas, then went away until 2 weeks ago.)
So I drive to work...no problems.  I go in pretty excited that I got away
without shelling out any bucks (hah, my Audi must have been please, it
sure had me going).
So, I get out of work and drive back to campus...uh, oh, it was having
problems again.  So I investigate with the engine idling.  No vacuum leaks,
even getting suction at the distrubutor vacuum advance, so it seems fine.
So I decide to turn the car off, and start pulling the spark plug wires 
and check the fuses (finally, a nice day that I can work on it without
freezing).
Well, as I walk back to turn the car off, I hear a funny noise.  At first,
I thought it was the radiator fan, as that had come on at the same time.
But no, it seems like it is coming from the muffler, maybe the back of the
car...oh NO!  It is the fuel pump!  It is making the normal, humming, but
then every so often it makes an unpleasant sound.  Thinking back to when
my father's '82 Coupe had a dying fuel pump, the symptoms are similar.
I guess that in first gear under moderately heavy throttle, the engine is
consuming more than the fuel pump can supply, as it revs up.
I'm not 100% sure that this is the cause, but it is my prime suspect under
investigation right now.  IPC prices fuel pumps at $166; ouch.
Anyway, I checked all the fuses, and also checked the connections on the
bottom of the fuse block for looseness.  They all seemed fine, although
they could be corroded (I had that problem 2 years ago, and pulled the
block and cleaned all the reachable contacts).
Here is something I found funny.  I pulled all of the ignition wires and
checked them (6 on dist., one on coil):  5 were kind of corroded, but the
two on the dist. for cylinders 1 and 3 looked absolutely brand new.  I
couldn't believe how clean they were.  Actually, now that I think of it,
they attach onto the distributor on longer mounts than the other 3.  I wonder
why that is causing them to be so clean, while all the others look worn after 
115k+ miles?  Any explanations?  

I'll keep you all updated, as I find out what happens.
Later,
Eric