Hi,

I’m guessing here as well since it’s a 1983. I have a 1984 LH so the guess is you have a very early LH.

These early ones went through some experimental designs with the fuel pressure regulator and with in that the diaphragms leaked more frequently.

With that notion, out in the air👃🏻 be suspicious of the FPR.
It happens that the gasoline weeping lays in the intake manifold filling up every void of the incoming breathing pipes and the air cleaner.

The line maybe fairly full but not pressurized.
When it gets worse, the longer it will take to crank the car to replace fuel.
This usually causes the hard or long cranking issue and running rough for a few seconds.
Check the vacuum line for a heavy gasoline smell as it use that path to dump through.

The smell varies after the engine gets hot so the starting it cold lends itself to be more pronounced around any still air and then, the engine fan will whisk it about.
The tailpipe shouldn’t be smelling of incomplete burning or fumes after all the intake manifold gets mixed with incoming air.
What you might be getting back there is from the engine bay routing it under the car.

Have you noticed any lack acceleration or stumbling at low revolutions before dropping a gear.
If I’m right it will the last move for the FPR will be able to show off its “talents” in not working correctly.
It is subtle and down right sneaky but that’s the different nature of its failure rate.


Phil