TxGoat wrote:
"Vacuum is nice and steady, that is, needle does not flutter."

That's good news. That indicates that your valves are sealing and holding compression, at least at idle.

Valve noise is normally a clearance issue or a lifter issue, and may not affect valve sealing.

Valves can somtimes work well at low speeds, even if some noise is present, but fail work well at higher speeds due to sticking issues or weak springs or both.
Driving the car at moderate speeds for a few hundred miles can resolve sticking issues. Weak springs need replaced. Rust pitted springs need repalced. If an old engine has one or more weak springs, it's usually best to replace all of them.