just got an 88 samurai.  cranks, idles fine, falls on its face when taking off, dies completely going up a hill.  Seems to run better at higher rpm.  previous owner said, get a weber carb.  There is an old carb in the floorboard which makes me think he has traded out carbs before and cant figure it out.  vacuum hoses are plugged with screws etc everywhere-its nuts.  Should I rerun new vacuum hoses and try that or get a new carb?  All I want to do is drive this to/from work.  Have searched the forums and read alot on carbs, but they seem to start over my head.  Which carb should I buy?

Where should I start?

Thanks a ton guys, cant wait to get going.

There has to be plenty of info on carb swapping for Sammy's here. Some guys prefer to swap the whole intake for a "Myside" system from ZOR, which replaces the trouble prone stocker, and / or Weber carb with a new intake manifold that utilizes a CV carb commonly sourced from a late model Harley Davidson motorcycle. Great reports of driveability and power increases with the appropriate exhaust. Might want to look into that.
I know there are sammy Guru's here, (Skyhighranger where are you?) who can probably set you up with a replacement carb too, but you'll still need to figure out the vacuume lines, the electrical hookups, etc. Could also be coupled with a fuel pressure ( pump) problem.  For that may I suggest getting a GOOD manual, preferably a Suzuki Factory Service manual, which can be found on ebay or other sites,  or searching ACK's facs. I'm sure the diagrams are probably here in the archives, or posts too. Good luck, welcome aboard!

Sounds like the vacuum advance to the distributor is not hooked up.