ALT AND SPEED DEVIATION IN ADVANCED COCKPIT ACFT OPERATING WITH SEVERAL INOPERATIVE SYSTEMS.

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DEPARTED EWR ON PORT JERVIS 9 DEP. RECEIVED CLRNC TO 3000'; THEN A LEFT TURN TO (I THINK) 300 DEGS AND A CLB TO 4000'. WE HAD CLB THRUST SET. I WAS COMPLETING THE TURN WHEN MY F/O CALLED 'ALT.' WE WERE CLBING RAPIDLY THROUGH 4500'. I IMMEDIATELY REDUCED THRUST AND NOSED OVER TO DESCENDED TO 4000'. DEP CAUGHT THE BUST AND GAVE US CLRNC TO 6000'. BY THIS TIME WE WERE ALMOST LEVEL AT 4000'; BUT WE ADDED CLB PWR. BY NOW; THE CTLR COULD READ OUR ALT AND HE CANCELLED THE CLB CLRNC. NOW WE WERE ON HDG; ON ALL BUT OUR SPD WAS INCREASING THROUGH 280 KTS. I REDUCED PWR AND USED SPD BRAKES TO SLOW TO 250 KTS AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. THE WHOLE SEQUENCE WAS PLT ERROR. I WAS WAY BEHIND THE AIRPLANE; BUT WHY? SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS COULD BE: I'M NEW ON THE AIRPLANE AFTER 8 YRS ON THE LGT. DURING THE LESS THAN 90 DAYS I'VE BEEN FLYING THIS AIRPLANE I HAVE HAD 2 VACATIONS (1 INVOLUNTARY) AND WAS JUST COMING OFF THE SECOND. THE AIRPLANE WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT AND HAS A VERY HIGH THRUST TO WT RATIO FOR A TRANSPORT. IT HAS A GLASS COCKPIT AND STATE OF THE ART ELECTRONICS; BUT SOME OF THE MAGIC STUFF WASN'T WORKING; EG; AUTOTHROTTLES INOP; EPR GAUGE INOP (SET THRUST BY MATCHING N1'S); VERT NAVIGATION MODE INOP; ELECTRONIC ENG CTL INOP. I WAS COMPLACENT BECAUSE THE AIRPLANE IS NORMALLY VERY EASY TO FLY. THE AUTOTHROTTLES AND VERT NAVIGATION MODE; HAD THEY BEEN WORKING; WOULD HAVE ALMOST ASSUREDLY PREVENTED THE BUST OR AT LEAST MINIMIZED IT; EVEN IF I WAS HAND FLYING. I FEEL THAT IF THE AUTOMATED SYSTEMS DESIRABLE FOR A 2-M CREW FAIL OR ARE NOT AVAILABLE; THE WORK LOAD DOES NOT REVERT TO WHAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH A CONVENTIONAL COCKPIT; BUT FAR EXCEEDS IT. I THINK MORE TRAINERS IN OPERATING THESE SOPHISTICATED AIRPLANES WHEN YOU SUDDENLY FIND YOURSELF OPERATING WITH 'NEEDLE BALL AIRSPD' (OR IT SEEMS THAT BAD) IS IN ORDER.