[78PontiacB]

I have owned a factory stock one owner 1978 Pontiac Parisienne for the last 35 years, purchased from the original owner, body and paint remain excellent! It has been my wifes daily driver for the last 20 years....we run it through the summer and extreme winters of central Alberta...

Engine has been weak in performance for the last couple decades (rated at 150HP new..), but it always fires up and runs smoothly, decent gas mileage as well.

It was -32C this morning. It was plugged in and fired up as normal, let it warm and drove my wife to work, about 11kms each way.....ran as normal going, but coming home it began to loose power intermittently, like it was backfiring on itself at very little throttle load....

So I opened the hood and the engine she is a rockin more that normal....and i can hear a low banging/clanking....not a rod noise - more subdued....I held the engine at a high idle in neutral, seems no fuel or spark issues.....so I took it to check our mail, about 7 kms away....and well....barely got it home...can hear popping coming back through the carb....then it looses all power, then catches and runs for 10-15 seconds, repeat....

Plugs and coil and wires replaced a short time ago. Have never experienced this nature of hesitation/power interrupts on the highway with this car ever...

Please can some experienced Pontiac 350 gents comment and offer some advice? Is there any way to determine beyond a doubt if it is indeed a badly worn camshaft? Engine has 245,000kms on it, always changed the oil, never overheated or had the bag run off of it....

Thanks all - my wife loves this car....hate to take if off the road...!!