Finally got my 88 16v on the road!!

[amalventano1 at tds.net (Allyn)]

> 1.  When I first start the car up it runs really rough and 
> idles very low until the temp needle moves a little bit then 
> the idle smooths out.  I assume this issue is because the 
> warm air deflector and all associated parts running into the 
> airbox are missing.

I'd suggest more of a tuning issue, or perhaps a faulty temperature sender (not the instrumentation sender, the other one).  I've
never observed starts becoming rougher by removal of that tubing.

> 2.  The car seems to have no get up and go in first gear.  
> Put it in second gear and it is very very lowgy almost 
> stalling in out in some cases.  I at this point am 
> attributing majority of that problem to the fairly large leak 
> I have in the flex pipe.

Yup.  I'd venture to guess it's also causing #1.

> 3.  Finally the fuel pump seems to stay on for a while after 
> I shut the car off.  I wanna say somewhere in the realm of 
> 30-45 seconds.  For this issue I dont know if it is normal or 
> not so I have no possible cause.

Are you sure it's the fuel pump?  With the ignition off and engine stopped, the fuel pump not only receives no ignition pulses to
stay closed, it should not be getting coil power alltogether.  I'd suggest that someone might have done some 'rigging', or perhaps
you have a failed relay.

> PS.  If anyone has the warm air deflector and all associated 
> peices I would be interested in hearing from you.  I have 
> entered the car in its first auto-x on sept 17th and would 
> like to have the car completed for the most part before then.

That warm air crap is completely useless unless you are driving the thing in Syberia.  Cold, dense air is GOOD.

HTH
Al