'87 16v startup issue

[brian at vegabok.com (Brian Turner)]

Sometimes my '87 16v will do some odd things when trying to start it 
which include, idling funny while the tach says it's pegged at 8000rpm, 
pop and die, idle and run but have a severe loss of power like the 
timing is off, and sometimes it will run alright, but you can tell it's 
a tad off.....it seems to go away if I shut it off, then restart the 
engine, and sometimes I have to do it three or four times. Once the car 
is started, it will run great and stay that way, it just does this 
almost everytime I have to start it. Also, whether the engine is hot or 
cold doesn't seem to matter. Any advice?