Thank you all so much for your input. First off I will clarify the 283/327 issue. Yes, the car originally came with a 283, but our mechanic had a rebuilt 327 that he practically begged us to put in the Imp. We were very happy with the results. This was all in 1977, and she had 39K miles on her when we got her.
I made a list of things that have been repaired over the years. The carb rebuild was 2001. Fuel pump and heat riser replaced in 2004. In 2010 the carb was adjusted and the mechanic said that it would eventually need work or replacement. Plugs, points, condenser replaced in 2013, and the accelerator pump was replaced shortly after that. The last time I took it in, that I remember, was late 2013. They did work on the drive train, replaced the vacuum modulator and resealed the speedometer.
After that I just didn’t drive her a lot, except for a couple of summer road trips. The stalling isn’t as much of an issue once the engine warms up so I’d drive to a hiking venue, like the Appalachian Trail, and back, and that would be it. I think she has about 95K miles on her now.
I say “I think” because she’s in a garage in Milwaukee and I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan now so can’t check. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind since 2016. Retired, moved from Milwaukee to the lower peninsula, then built a house in Da UP and moved last fall. I don’t have anwhere to store her up here yet.
But that’s another story. Anyway, thanks again for all the input. I made a list for the next lucky mechanic who gets to work on Peggy Sue. I still have to find one tho, so if anyone knows anyone, dot dot dot. She’ll probably get repaired in the Milwaukee area. Not that there aren’t good mechanics in Da UP. Just that mechanics, like people, are a lot fewer and further between up here.
I’ll post the results this summer, hopefully! I sure miss driving her. She’s overdue for a road trip.
PS A friend added another possibility to the list. He had an older vehicle with the same problem in which the gas tank was rusting out. At low speeds particles would get caught in the system, but then flush out at higher speeds. He said once he replaced the tank the stalling went away. We’ll see. Hope springs eternal!
