Hard-starting GTV6

[Art Dudley <listener@otsego.net>]

Hi. I'm hoping someone may have some insight into a problem with my '85
GTV6...

Just recently, it began misbehaving in a couple of ways. It became
difficult to start (difficult but not impossible; you had to crank it for
several seconds and, ultimately, nudge the accelerator a bit), and once
started, it ran rough--often to the point of stalling. The smell of
gasoline--more than usual, from the driver's seat--has accompanied all
this.

The onset of these troubles was fairly sudden; until all this, it started
really quickly--usually within a second of starting to crank the
starter--and ran quite well, except that it has seemed to put out a little
more in the way of white exhaust fumes than seems normal.

I tried new plugs, if only because I had bought them already and had
intended to install them anyway. Oddly, the car now runs better (not quite
as well as it had, but almost). But it remains almost as hard to start. And
the stronger than usual gas aroma persists.

The reason I think the improved performance from new plugs is odd is simply
because the onset of the problem was sudden and severe enough that I
assumed there was a single cause behind it; this partial success was not
what I expected. One more (good) reason I'm not a professional mechanic, I
suppose.

Thanks to all in advance; this is my first posting (I'm an Alfa newcomer),
and I hope that asking for this kind of advice isn't inappropriate here.

--Art