weird running problem...

[smithma7 at yahoo.com (Mike Smith)]

Monday night, I'm driving home from work.  I get off the freeway, as I enter the next road (still in 5th and doing fine), I start to slow down even though I'm giving it gas.  I downshift and it's still slowing.  That's when I notice that the engine has died.  I try to pop the clutch.  No dice.  I drift to the side of the road and stop.  I try to restart with key.  No dice.  I thought I might be out of gas, but it says I have a quarter tank left.  I let it sit for a bit and try again.  Still won't start.  I eventually call a tow and have it towed to local garage.  While waiting an hour for the truck to arrive, I try many more times to start the car.  It never starts.  The whole time, it's turning over, but not starting.  It's seems to be turning over at normal speed.  Battery's fine.  Electrical seems fine.  I had the engine rebuilt at start of year, so shouldn't be the timing belt and I haven't had any problems with timing anyway.
 
Yesterday, the guy at the garage said first thing they did was try to start it.  It started right up.  They let it run for a while and it never died again.  Same thing today.  They started it right up and it ran just fine.  They drove it around.  Still no problems.
 
I've never had it do this to me before.  It sometimes will stall while in idle, it gets a little rough sometimes, but I've never had it stall and not been able to start it right back up, whether by popping clutch or using key.  Bentley's first choice:  Timing or Ignition.  What about fuel filter?  Clogged?  If that was the case, would it just "fix itself" over night?
 
Any ideas?

Mike
'86 red 16v


word (wûrd) 
interj. Slang. Used to express approval or an affirmative response to something. Sometimes used with up. Source

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