So...

I started the plane today. I was shocked that it actually ran so well. I let it idle through half a tank of gas and throttled up a few times and back down. The plane never stalled and I could not tell if it was running rich or dry, I turned the needle but did not notice an effect. The nose cone and nut came lose while trying to start it which was concerning. I brought it to a parking lot and taxied through a tank of fuel and got a feel for the plane, as much as can without flying.

Issues I noticed that I should take care of before I fly are:

The gas tank shuffled around a bit and also was soaked with fuel on the outside of it. The stopper on the tank is incredibly cracked so I'm guessing thats is the issue with a wet tank. I need to lock down the tank some how and velcro will not do the trick in this case.
The plane would not taxi straight, even though the rudder was straight, I'll figure something out.

I just felt like sharing...most people have probably lost interest in the topic.