1985 Golf warm hard starting problem

[bugly]

Hello all,
I have also done a search but was hoping someone would have a response to a problem I am having with a 1985 Golf. The car has 84000 and has been kept in very good shape. My son bought it 6 months ago and it has run well since now. The car starts hard when warm. It will start but then spit, sputter and backfire badly for about 1/2 minute before it will smooth out. It will then run fine. If the car is shut off then started quickly it will run fine. If it sits for several minutes or more it will spit, sputter, and backfire badly until it smooths out. Then runs fine. I saw that a spark plug wire was ragged and it bit me when I touched it so I did a tune up including new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor. No improvement. I swapped out a good thermo-time sensor. No improvement. I took the cold start valve out but it is clean as could be. I didnt test it so I know it still could be bad. I somewhat know my way around VW's but this has me frustrated. It is a 1985 Golf with a CIS-E injection engine. One note on the tune up. I put NGK plugs in it and set the gap at .032 which my manual and the guy at the parts store said it called for, but the Champions I took out were gapped much wider...at about .046. What gives there? I looked for the sticker in my engine compartment for the proper gap size but it is missing so I went with what the Haynes manual said. Im stumped and bummed. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Kevin