Classic/Antique Car Repair: carb.., combustion chambers, compression check

Question
brad, i have a 1973 corvette (350) with 38,000 original miles..and yes it sat- stored alot... i,ve had problems with the plugs fowling out... i put new ones in and after awile they;ll get black and wet..not to mention run crapie..to the point of not starting..i've asked around and people have said its probably the float in the carb..if it is can you tell me a good place to look up the numbers and get a good rebuild kit? or any tips... thanks richard

Answer
There are a lot of reason for plugs fouling beside just attack the carburetor. I would suggest that the first step would be a compression check just to make sure the innards of the engine is sound. Then check the thermostat and make sure that the engine is coming up to temperature. A cold running engine will prevent the choke from fully opening and making the mixture rich. It will also prevent the combustion chambers from coming up to temperature and can cause plug fouling. Check the timing and make sure that the external carburetor adjustments are correct. then worry about overhauling the carburetor. Good luck.
Brad