Be sure all the basics are good. Plugs, cap, rotor, throttle body clean, fuel filter, air filter?

Another culprit can be the fuel pump check valve. However it really shouldn't make that much difference in waiting. My 87 starts 90% of the time when you breathe on the key- honestly couldn't even crank 1 full turn before it's running. The other times, it starts immediately on the second crank of the key. These 85-88 cars are some of the best starting and running cars I've seen. They're very well behaved when things are right.

The check valve is a part of the fuel pump but is available separately. It may cost $8 to $10. It screws into the outlet side of the pump. It definitely helps if you're having a cold-start fuel delivery issue. You could have a fuel pressure test done to verify it- but unfortunately this costs more than installing the part...
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: 87 244DL, 88 245DL, 90 745GL, 84 242DL project, 89 244 parts, 88 244DL to replace the 87