Well, today was an important day in my "revival" of this car. It finally started!
Took some luvin' with ATF and starter fluid, and kicked out more smoke that a burning Iraqi oil well (white, not black, I should specify) but it is running.

Now for all the problems I'm having:
-Car backfires on every shift unless I let off the gas and put in the clutch quite slowly
-Engine sounds pretty smooth, but exhaust sounds rough like it's missing or something
-CHOKE IS STUCK CLOSED wouldn't open no matter how long the car ran
-Apparent exhaust leak at the flange between the precat and the header
-Smoking from engine bay behind rat's nest (only starts when sits idling for a couple of minute)
-Pop-pop-pop from exhaust when engine braking down a hill
-Passenger side window (power) went down, won't go back up and can't pull it up
-steering feels loose and car wanders a bit
-squeaking from passenger side (haven't greased any bearings yet)
-rough ride at 40mph+ (tires flat spotted I think)
-other numerous little things

As stated in my first thread this car sat unused for about two years out in the weather until given to me two weeks ago. I've cleared the first hurdle (starting), but there are many more to go, obviously.
I suspect a new exhaust system is almost going to be a need certainly. Any performance ones that are CA smog legal?

Any input on these issues would be greatly appreciated.

 

new plugs, and I'd suggest going for a high-flow cat if you can get one to pass emissions. New exhuast/intake gaskets (likely cause of the smoking). The power window motor is going to need a lot of lube to get happy again - WD-40 and the like are your daddy there. Choke could be age-related. Hate to suggest rebuilding a carb, but you might want to consider it. But first, go ahead and get a lot of carb cleaner and try and make it unstick.

Congrats on getting it going!

 

Good job man! Youre one up on me, I couldnt even get mine to turn over after it sat .

PB blaster works wonders on those stuck window regulators. That stuff is insane!

~T.J.

 

Got the window up with WD-40 once I got the door panel off. Good suggestion. Both windows move slow but at least go up/down under their own power.

Plugs are new, but I'd probably better take them out and clean them up.

I'll try liberally blasting the carb with carb cleaner and see if that helps the choke out at all. It is supposed to pull in automatically once the car warms up, right?

Looks like I'd better start researching exhaust systems, too.

By intake gasket do you mean like an intake manifold gasket?

 

new cap and rotor couldent hurt.

 

Already done, as well and new plug wires and fuel filter, too.

 

Yeah, they tend to go bad over time (as most things). Get yourself two new rubber O rings for the manifold too. They seal the coolant passages through the manifold to the block (coolant circulates through the manifold, if you didnt already know ).

Also, with the choke, there is a temp sensor with a two wire plug coming off of it on the back of the water pump housing kinda under the alternator. That is the sensor to turn the choke off. So, if the wires are broken from corrosion (ccommon) or otherwise messed up, it wouldnt turn off because it cant send the signal. The choke has to be moving freely for it to work first anyway though. You should be able to move it fairly easily by hand whenever you want (running or not, on or off). They make a cable lubricator that I got for like $4. It allows you to spray whateverlubricant you want into the cable housing easily without making a mess. I used PB Blaster and my cables move like theyre new .

~T.J.

 

Rough ride after 40... get those wheels balanced that should clear up that problem.

 

What does "PB" mean?