If you spray the gasket while engine running, and it smooths out momentarily, you have found the leak.

It could be at the carburetor-to-intake gasket, and the head-to-manifold gasket, leaking from a vacuum hose or from a diaphragm. See Carburettor Diagnosis

i'm thinking of going efi, but it's quite expensive around here, and i'd rather get an a15 and get it sorted, the other problem is that the ute is a daily and can't really go without it at this stage

sounds to me also like its leaking air some where, try spraying carbcleaner around the baceplate and on the carb itself if it tends to die when spraying it means its leaking there. if striped and theres nothing sticking out, you can sand it with fine waterpaper on a mirror to get it strait

Why not go EFI?

The carburetor has an air leak.

I took off my carb yesterday to do service, only to find that the carb runs on almost full choke all the time, i cleaned it and refit everything, but for some reason the choke needs to be nearly closed before it runs, if the choke is left open and you try to rev it up, it just stutters and dies, but with the choke almost fully closed, it drives fine but is quite heavy on petrol. anyone have an idea what the problem might be? the engine, plugs, plug wires, points gap is all in good condition and set correctly, as is the timing