383' shuts off' issues, I tried praying, no luck

A timing light will tell you if the spark quits without taking anything apart or buying extra stuff.
Heck, a tach will tell you the same thing if you know what to watch for, but a timing light is more obvious to tell.

OH!, and check the plug for your distributor and make sure it clean and tight.
I have had intermittent starting and shutting off issues with two different cars because of those damn plugs.
They were getting warm and expanding causing them to loose the connection and shut the engine down.