UPDATE

The new plugs (NGK-BP5ES) are in and the first thing i noticed was how much nicer it idled. so i thought i fixed it until i took it for a drive....
same problem again.

anyway back to the plugs, the old ones i took out were black as a kelpies ar$e and so i fugured they may have been like that when i got the engine.

so after a quick drive (a dissapointing one too) i took the new plugs out and they were back too... like black black!

so i figure now that it is burning oil from somewhere. most likely to be piston rings.
testing the pressure this weekend when my uncle comes over to have a look at it. hopefully it doesnt need rebuilding...

Zane i'll send you a pm with the pressure figures after ive tested all the cylinders. hopefully its not bad news.

but if the rings arent stuffed then why are the plugs black?

A/F ratios?

keep the ideas coming guys...

deffinately not burning the fuel, either too rich or not enuff spark..

When I took my car to the dyno, it made black smoke when getting into the high revs.
The plugs was only slightly black.
Since then I got the carbs re-tuned. It pulls much better now.

What happens when it idles in neutral and you rev it. Does it go higher in revs than when driving? What does the exhaust gasses look like. Black or no smoke.

exhaust gasses are a bit smokey/black.

when in neutral and i rev it it doesnt make much difference at all. might even go a bit more in gear than in neutral, but im not sure (no tacho)

shouldn't have to get the carbs retuned. but then i shouldnt have to replace the rings either...

in the end this engine should be running fine and it isn't, which is giving me the $hit$

I just had a problem with mine, I ajusted the ignition timing from 10 degrees to 14 degrees and left the plugs in, the revs straight away went from 4000rpm tops to 5800rpm just by changing the ignition timing alone.
I definately think it is spark related and would be looking at borrowing a timing light to check ignition timing mate

Pardon for butting in, but what is the ignition timing like. It sounds as if you are running around with a retarded *lol* setting .

Try advancing the timing with one degree at a time,followed by a test run after every setting untill it starts pinging on hard acceleration in the upper gears - then back it down a little 'till the ping dissapears.
Thats the only way(apart from a dyno session) of setting up a modded motor,as all the factory timing specs become irrelevant when the CR and cam specs are changed anyway

is there a regulator on the fuel system?
weber's don't like too much fuel pressure,
I've heard they need to be about 3psi...

Mines set just under 2psi. What pump is it running?

it has a regulator and is running a facet blue pump. fuel pressure is at about 2psi...

Zane if it was timng then why are the plugs becoming fouled so quickly?

i initially thought it was timing too, the second mechanic said he'd check it, but i doubt he did. even if he did i doubt he would have set it at 14dbtdc.
so it still might be as simple as timing. ill check it this weekend when my uncle comes over...

the reason the plugs are fouling so quickly is because the engine can't rev enough yet so basically the plugs look sooty because the carbs are suppliying enough fuel but the spark isn't burning at the right time which is making the problem worse because the plugs need to fire at the right time for a clean burn