hard starting
 

Just bought a nice 87 convertible, absolutely stock, except the previous owner of some 10 years had the seats redone in cloth. I have noticed a slight gas smell after shutting the engine off. I can't see any leaks at all. Also the car doesn't start immediately. It will crank for 5-6 seconds before it "stumble" starts. Only does this in the mornings. Once the engine is warn it starts immediately. I have never had a vette with this type on injection on it, so I can't draw from past experience.
Any suggestions? I hate to take it to my local dealer.
TIA

RE: hard starting
 

before taking it to the dealership, i would check around for a vette specific performance shop...i know that we had one near me when i lived in PA. i would imagine that it is the stock starter and such. my nonner is a 2002, and while it has 51k on it and i changed the oil every 1000 mile for the first 45k, it always is a bit slower to start in the morning. im not sure, but i think that your motor has a fuel return line, and when sitting for a long time, the fuel is returning to the tank, so you have a pockey of air in the lines before it starts. also, have you ever driven it on a cool day? one of my older cars hen shut off in hot weather, would cook the fuel in the lines,a nd when i woudl go to start it, it would be hard to start, then sputter a bit because the pockets of evaporated fuel...

that would be my guess