First of all, I love my Elkie to death. However, lately it's been starting pretty horribly... you know, two pumps to the floor, and keep it down when starting. Keep it at about 1500 RPM's for about a minute and then feel free to move. But I've found I have to keep my foot on the gas to keep the RPM's up instead if idling (it idles at about 600 RPM's and occasionally stalls)

The spark plugs and wires aren't new at all, so what kind of wires and plugs am I looking for? Would this help my situation? Would it make starting easier? I'm pretty much a newbie but am learning all the time.

Could you find me some at jegs.com ? ;)

Sounds like a tune up is definitly in store for your elky. You didn't list what motor/trans combination you have, or if it is stock or modified. Type of plugs and wires would depend on what kind of driving you do also. City driving requires different heat range then highway driving, etc.
Hope this helped some.

Stock 305 with stock 3 speed auto.

Do almost entirely city driving, but maybe about 10% on the highway tops.

then you'll want a spark plug with a hotter heat range, to keep the plugs from fouling too quick as compared to a colder heat range for mostly highway driving, a good set of plug wires might help too, no need for some high performance wires with your stock set up, just some good stock type. maybe squirt some carb cleaner through the carb to clean it up, then set it or get it set properly, set the ignition timing, and maybe a new air filter if it needs it, also check the dist. cap and rotor for any fouling, replace if neccessary. this is all pretty cheap and should help with running and starting. just a good basic tune up, really
if that don't work come on back and someone will get it figured out. but i'll bet that's probably all you really need

Yep, a tune-up might do the trick. However, I think the choke on the carb. is not set properly or has failed altogether. When you first start the engine, it should idle at a fast clip and idle slower as the engine warms up. Having to keep it revved up with the accelerator when the engine is cold makes me think the choke pull off is malfunctioning.

With an overnight cold engine, remove the air cleaner so you can see the choke butterfly right in the top front of the carb. A vacuum tube runs from the air cleaner housing to a small vacuum port on the front of the carb. Plug the vacuum port as long as the air cleaner housing is off the engine. Next, move the accelerator linkage by hand while observing the choke butterfly. It should smartly SNAP all the way to a fully closed position. Start the engine. The choke butterfly should immediately move toward the open position by about 1/8 inch. You should be able to see it move. If it does not, the choke pulloff is not working. That will cause you to have to keep the engine revved until warm (you said about one minute). If the pull off is not working, check for a broken vacuum hose, binding linkage or even a faulty vacuum pull off solenoid.

Good lucj.

It does not matter the brand of plugs & wires to much. Whatever you get make sure you get spiral core wires.

well your car will take R45TS spark plugs for aroun 2.50 a plug or you could go with the platinum plug 41-905 for 7.04 a plug. as for wires it shows a 12073928 which is a kit of all 8 wires for 62.96. those are Ac Delco and GM numbers.

The brand of spark plug does matter. During my years of back yard messing with cars I've owned Fords, Plymouths and Gen. Motors products. And yes brand does matter in the starting and performance of a stock engine. GM's run better on Delco's, Ford on Autolites and Mopar on Champion's. I speak from over 100'000 miles on each brand, and 8-10 years behind the wheel of each car. :D

I do agree with you. All though I was pleased with a Accel plugs I have run in my 350.

Hey Tommy, I thought you were running Autolite platinum plugs in your 350.

No, I have always run Delco or Accels. I always run regular plugs because I was told that Platinum can not handle the voltage of my super coil & MSD-6a.