Luke, when were the distributor cap, distributor rotor and spark plugs changed last? Spark plugs should be changed every 30,000 miles, and the cap & rotor at least inspected, if not replaced. If the ignition wires are original there's a good chance they need replacing also.

The stubborn starts are likely caused by the fuel injectors not holding pressure when the engine sits for a few hours or overnight ... not a show stopper.

I would suspect the ignition system parts as the root cause of your poor gas mileage.

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Fred Hoelzle