The car is an 81 with rebuilt motor (20K on new motor) New nikki carb, everything stock, new plugs and wires, vacuum lines, fuel filter. The car runs great and idles at 750 rpm but when I am in 3rd and punch it at about 5500 to 6000 rpm it seems to lose power like it is starving for fuel. What can I check?

 

You said the magic word: Fuel

 

Do a Fuel Volumn and Pressure Test as Per Haynes or FSM Manual Specs.
I think it's Fuel Pump issue and the above test at least will give you a direction to start at.
sgieldon
steve

 

what pump are you running and how old is it?

 

When you stated "New Nikki". Did you mean that it is a brand new carb or it was just rebuilt?

 

CHECK THE FLOATS IN THE NIKKI!!! When my friend was rebuilding mine he had set the floats incorrectly the first time and the car felt EXACTLY how yo uare describing....When he went back to correct the setting the car ran amazinG!

 

I dont know what type of fuel pump, came with the car. The Nikki is brand new, New old stock and foalts are where they should be (matched numbers off of the carb and they are stock for an 81 and definatley new). Could it happen to be the cold weather? How do you check the fuel pump to see if it is up to spec? Thanks for the help.

 

Cold weather in Shreveport, Louisiana ? Uh.... no.