My car is a 84Z with a 305, T-5, + Qjet. The choke works fine... I usually let it run choked for about a minute before I get going (I then rev it and the idle drops to 750). When I let the clutch out in 1st the car almost stalls and then picks up. Once the engine starts warming up (needle on temp gauge goes up) it runs fine. What gives?

 

It takes more fuel to run a cold engine than it does to run a warm one.Until it warms up your engine is running lean thats why you have the stumble.

 

Yeah, thats just the way it goes with a carbed car. The best you could do is tighten the choke a little more, sometimes that helps.
The problem is, fuel doesn't stay in suspension in an ice cold intake very well, and thus you will have a miss until it gets over it.
...ed

 

Two things: make sure your exhaust heat riser valve is working. I believe it's on the driver's side exhaust manifold. If it doesn't shut and force exhaust into the intake manifold crossover, the engine will run lousy until the block can transfer enough heat to the intake. That takes a long time and it never gets as hot as it needs to be for good street driving.

Also, be sure your hot air intake is working. There's a door on the air cleaner snorkel that's supposed to close when the air is cold. Hot air helps the engine run better when it's warming up. Either the valve bellows is leaking, the vacuum hose is leaking, or the thermostat in the air cleaner housing is no good.