I was lucky enough to buy my dream car, a beat up 245 wagon for $300. It ran perfectly for a week. While going up a hill, there was a noise and a loss of power. The car recovered and was fine for a few days.

Then suddenly, it stopped taking gas from the accelerator altogether. I idled it to a friend's shop and changed the sparkplugs and the fuel filter (151,000 miles on the original filter...it was full of mud). No dice.

A mechanic tested the fuel pressure and said both pumps needed to be replaced. We changed both pumps, checked all the vacuum hoses, played with the timing. The car now runs fine as long as you ease on the accelerator (there is a certain point where it will die if you give it too much) and don't try to go over 20mph uphill.

We need the car to run in 2 weeks when my fiance's parents fly over from New Zealand. Any ideas?

I suspect your running rich, as long as you give the car time to get accustomed to the gas you are giving it, it will accelerate. Too quick of an acceleration, way too much gas, and it just can't take it. So...since "uphill" seems to be a problem, when load and the need to accelerate is greater, you are probably forcing too much fuel down it's thrat. Also, and I hope I'm wrong, you could have the original wiring harness. If so, on an incline, I'd hazard a guess that a wire is touching somewhere it shouldn't, and that your main problem is the wiring harness. Other than that, look to the air mass meter and coolant temp sensor to be your problem.

"It ran perfectly for a week. While going up a hill, there was a noise and a loss of power. ""The car now runs fine as long as you ease on the accelerator (there is a certain point where it will die if you give it too much) and don't try to go over 20mph uphill."
Sounds like a timing problem. When you accelerate the "vaccuum advance" advances the timing a few degrees. In your case you may be entering pre-ignition territory. Does the engine rattle when going uphill?
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans

It doesn't rattle when going uphill, but there is no power to go over 20 mph up a relatively steep hill.

If you haven't solved the problem yet, check the timing to see if it is within specs to exclude it as a cause.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb and M46 trans

It's the first bulge in the exhaust system under the car. Remove
it, and see if the innards are crumbled and melted, blocking the
flow of exhaust.


Other culprits for your problem can be a slipped timing belt (remove
the timing cover, and see if the crankshaft is at 0 deg. when the
marks on the cam pulley and engine line up) or a damaged air
mass meter (your car might have backfires, frying the thing).


-b.

Could very well be catalytic converter plugged. Test it.

Testing the catalytic converter was easy. There wasn't one. I guess that narrows it down if nothing else.

Where is the catalytic converter located? What does it look like? And how do I test it?