Engine charcoal and spark plug bonks

Wow, that's pretty gunked up!
Thanks for sharing the image though.
I suspect if #7 electrode is getting hit, it is probably hitting something harder than carbon. Thinking your about to have catastrophic failure in #7 from an extremely worn crank of rod bearing.
Do 273 pistons tend to he down in the hole, zero, or above deck?
Anyway, watching to see further teardown and to see which way you proceed with the building.
The 2 barrel engines are just below deck. The 4 barrel engines have domes above the deck. No pics so we don't know which engine he has.

He might as well pull the heads from here. Or just pull the engine. It's going to need a good cleaning and gone through or a replacement.