WBX unhappy starting

[dsmith1974]

This may be the norm for an old WBX but here's what I get..

(a) turns over for 5 to 7s
(b) tries to start, coughs splutters and dies
(c) starts second time but struggles (low noises, vibrations) to keep going..
(d) runs fine after 30-60s

If you try and give it any gas during (c) it'll conk out.
I've tried using the fast idle (accel. to the floor and release before starting) but AFAICT that doesn't make any difference at all to anything.

It's recently had new plugs.

I've just replaced the coil, cap, arm and ht leads and now (a) has gone, it immediately goes to step (b).

Could it just be a worn engine, or is there anything else I could try (cleaning carb, checking timing, rich/lean mix etc)?
The old plugs looked fine (some grey, some tan, no black deposits)

[Jawin89]

I would start by checking that the choke is working correctly. Also check that the vacuum pipes from the carb are not split. May also be worth running a test on the manifold pre heater. Plenty of info on the forums about this.

Good luck.