I have an '83 Camaro Cross-Fire F/I with a 305. I started it up and went to rev it and it wouldn't go past 2500 RPM's. So I just decided to drive it and it wouldn't shift into second Gear (It's an automatic) Luckily there were no cars behind me becuase it basically felt like I was wound out at 20 MPH! haha. So I came up to a red light and It was Idling low and off the light I just punched it because I needed all 3 gears or 4 W/e it is, idk. But I was going on a high way well I got into second but it wouldn't go past 25 MPH, not anything more that that, I had to pull over and get 'er towed home. Does anybody have any Idea what it could be? I replaced the fuel filter and the fuel pump seems good. Could it be a spark advance? And also since I bought the car it always would be hard to start. It's not anything major but it would take 3-4 seconds to crank over when it's cold, do you know what that could be? i realy appreciate the help

wrong place to post this needs to get moved

Yeah I know. My bad sorry bout that. I just gotta figure out how to delet the thread. I'm kinda new here

welcome then but hey no worries the mods will fix it

Well it seems as though there are two separate problems here, the first being that your car won't rev past 2500 RPM. The second being that it won't shift out of first gear.

Explain the circumstances in which it won't rev past 2500 RPM, are you flooring it and there seems to be no relation of your pedal position to load applied?

Check the throttle linkage, TPS voltage, and the fuel pressure. I've heard that the crossfire injection system can be very problematic so there could be a specific problem that applies to this induction system.

Is any backfiring or misfiring occuring?

As for the transmission problem, I'm unsure of that, I don't know much about auto tranny's, check the TV cable maybe, a properly functioning Throttle Valve cable should induce a downshift when enough load is applied.

When my fuel pump went bad I had similar issues. Check your fuel pressure, that is where I would start since it has been hard to start. Is the computer throwing any codes (does an 83 have codes) aka is the check engine light on?.

how does the engine sound at idle/under load?

I know ther is an OBD2 adapter. I don't have a working check engine light. Accually today when the car was cold I went to start it up and it fired right up. Then It would fire right up after that, but i pulled off the distributor cap and broke a piece on the rotor......... so I had to put the old rotor on and Its hard starting now. But today was the first time it started right up anyways, i had the new rotor on for a week and it was still hard to start. How do I drop the tank to do a fuel pump? I appreciate the help. Thank you

It has to be related to a spark advance problem. It first started when a buddy of myne came over and revved the car and put it in drive and did a burnout pretty much. It was on dirt and he didn't do it too much, It made a little rut, then after that I went to start it and it was idling rough so I revved it and noticed it wouldn't go past 2500. It was low on fuel. Maybe the screen on the fuel pump is jammed. I replaced the Fuel filter and it still did the same thing.

I wouldn't replace the pump until you put a pressure meter on it to see if its working. There is two things that turn on the fuel pump atleast on my 89. The ecm will kick it on for 3 sec when the key is turned to prime the system. The oil pressure switch will turn on the fuel pump if there is a certain oil pressure. The ecm will not turn on the pump if it detects a problem with it (this was one of my problems, I had put a switch on the pump and gotten another year out of it but it wasn't smart and when it got the very end of life is when the car would barly run). If the oil is cold it will build pressure up quicker under the starter and the pump will come one inspite of the ecm.

It could be the timing, it could be a number of things. You will need to test on this one if you just replace parts it is going to get expensive since it could be any number of things.

Do you have a timming light? Do you have any mechanic friends you can borrow test equip from? The 83 will not have odb2 but will have a early version of odb1, so you can do the pin connect key (or paper clip) and see if it flashes out any codes.

sounds like a typical clogged cat..

very doubtful on an obd1 car unless someone converted it..

That is definitely a TV cable or transmission governor sticking, SAME thing with me, revved it one day, did a quick burnout in the driveway, then I couldn't even get it into gear.