First of all, thanks to all responders. I started the car for the first time after getting the head back from the machine shop twice on March 25 and the 8 year old Die Hard died. I left the dome light and glove compartment light on too many times and you can only recharge these batteries so many times. I called the owner of the machine shop that did the work and though he didn't personally do the work he was adamant that the work was done to exact industry standards. He said that the valve stem heights are correct and that the tips were grinded. He said that my problem was retarded timing and to try advancing the timing. I finally got a new battery on April 3 and started the car after advancing the timing. Same exact results with 10" of vacuum, no power, and smoke coming off the engine. I removed the head and placed a long straight edge against the tips of the valves and only two tips touched the straight edge. The other tips had maybe a 30 thousandts gap. I spoke to another machine shop owner and he suspects the valves are not seating correctly. I told him that I thought that the valves were not closing when the spark arrives at TDC of the piston stroke and the problem could be incorrect valve heights. He responded that the engine shouldn't smoke if that was the problem. I also noticed that when I removed the rocker assembly with cylinder one at TDC the exhaust valve was depressed quite a bit. However, every exhaust valve was blackened with fine soot except for number 1. I also see rust around the newly machined surface of the head and suspect that water is getting on the head surface. Could the problem be water getting into the cylinders? I also checked every pushrod against the glass of my pinball machine and they are all perfectly straight.
I am bringing the head to the shop owner who suspects incorrect valve seating. He is going to perform a vacuum test on the valves and go from there. I thought it was going to be a simple matter of removing the head, having the head machined, reinstall the head, and drive away. Another machinist told me that this is exactly what should have happened.