Project Bike

The project bike is coming along slower than I would like, I have managed to get it looking like a standard bike again by replacing the parts discarded by the previous owner in his quest to make it a touring bike.
My biggest headache has been the carbs as they were filthy inside with rust, corrosion, dirt and gravel and a healthy dose of stinking stale gasoline residue.
I attempted to clean them myself and ordered carb parts to do the job but I failed in keeping the carbs from leaking like a sieve and gave up on the original carbs as I have had them on and off the bike and apart at least ten times in order to make them stop leaking and work adequately.
I bought a set of complete carbs off E-bay thinking I could just bolt them on and I would be away. When I received the carbs a quick check in the bowls seemed to indicate that they were in good shape and should work. They were in far better shape than the originals that I had taken off the bike, but alas they proved to have the same faults as the originals.
After some doubts, deliberations and anxious thoughts of cheapness, I have decided to take them to a mechanic to see if he can rebuild and get the bike running properly.
I have to make sure the bike will run properly before preceding with the next steps of new brakes, new tires, new mufflers and maybe a new paint job.
I got into this project cheap but I won't be getting out cheap as this thing is a money pit like most of these bright ideas. At first I thought if I couldn't make the bike viable I could just part it out and make my money back or a small profit, but I am way beyond that now.