sluggish at take off
 

ok, I have an 84 gsl 12A with 83,000 miles on it. It idles rock steady at 750 rpms. Heres the problem: say I'm at a stoplight, the light turns green, i stomp on the gas pedal, and the engine sounds as if it is racing as the rpms SLOWLY go up until it reaches about 1500rpm at which point the car will then SLOWLY begin to move. Also while driving if I shift from say, 2nd to third, blip the throttle and give it gas, the same thing happens the only difference is it picks up speed quicker. Doesn't seem or appear to be a slipping clutch (tried the test in the Haynes manual) This problem seemed to start with the sudden appearance of white smoke out of the exhaust on every start up until operating temp is reached. I realize this could be coolant o ring problem, and for awhile there was water dripping out of the exhaust, but not any more. Aside from clutch, coolant problem what else could be causing the sluggishness?

well you can look into your fuel filter as being a problem. it could be clogged. its always best to change it if it hasnt been done in awhile. check your plug wires for any breaks or any arching. check the condition of the plugs. one bad spark plug can cause the problem your having. a pitted spark plug can be a bad thing and cause all sorts of crazy problems. start there and post back. this should give you a good starting point.