The black box under the scuttle is the control module for the electrinic ignition.
dubslug, is it using a pierburg 2e2 carb or have you put a webber on it? If its a pierburg it sounds like you have a vac leak somewhere, possibly the 3/4 pint unit is catching the throttle before the engine stalls? (The big round thing on the left side with a plunger sticking out)