Starting car that has sat for YEARS

I have done this to three different cars. One sat for 6 years, another for 8 years, another for 12 years.

What is important here is what was done to the car before it was put away. Hopefully they used gas stabilizer, for example, before storing the car.

Here are some tips and things to keep in mind.

Pull all the spark plugs out and squirt oil into all the cylinders. Replace the plugs.

Check all the fluids to make sure you have enough oil, coolant, transmission fluid, and brake fluid.

Get a new battery, make sure the choke closes on the carburetor. It may be stuck and you may need WD-40 or something like that to loosen it up.

It may help to use starting fluid down the throat of the carb. Just make sure the choke is closed again when you go to start it.

See if it starts. It will take a few tries for gas to get pumped from the tank and to fill the carburetor fuel bowl.

Let it run a few minutes and see how it is. Make sure the car does not overheat due to a stuck thermostat or loose water pump belt.

Look for things like radiator hoses that leak or a radiator cap that leaks as the car warms up. You may need to replace them.

The car will likely not run well until all of the old gas is burned out of the tank. That is, unless someone used fuel stabilizer before storage. If the tank is near full, you may want to siphon the old gas out of the tank and put fresh gas in.

Within a very short time, you're probably going to have to do a number of things to the car. You'll probably want to do a full tume up: points, condenser, distributor cap, rotor, spark plugs, plug wires. You're probably going to want to rebuild the carburetor. But it is possible you may not need to do any of this. You'll have to see how the car runs the first couple of times you use it.

You should check for worn out radiator hoses and belts. Belts may be OK but may be loose and may need tightening.

You should re-check the transmission fluid level with the car warmed up and running in "Park".

You will want to change the oil and filter very soon after getting the car running.

And MAKE SURE you check the brakes- especially the hydraulics. Is there enough fluid in the master cylinder? Are the wheel cylinders leaking? How about the brake hoses?

On a 1964 model car, they only had single reservoir master cylinders. That means if one brake line has a problem you have NO BRAKES so make sure they work or you can be seriously hurt if you have an accident. Those cars also did not have things like shoulder belts or collapsible steering columns. All of this came about by about 1967 or 1968 which made cars built since that time much safer.

After you've done all of this, you still will probably want to replace your tires since they probably have flat spots after sitting so long.

Check the brake shoes. You may want to replace the shock absorbers. But this can be done late on if you want.

Hope this helps.

try to turn the engine over by hand. IF it moves freely that is good. IF not fill the cylinders with penetrating oil and leave sit then try again. Once you can turn the engine over by hand, change the oil. If there is any way you can pressurize the oiling system without starting the engine do so (on a SBC or Studebaker, for instance, you can turn the oil pump with a screwdriver shank in a drill) plan on performing a minor tuneup (points, condenser, plugs at minimum) before it will even think about running. Once you've run some oil through it, run a hose from a gas can to the fuel pump, you don't want to run it on whatever's in the tank, unless you've siphoned it dry and refilled with fresh gas. Go ahead and try to start it, but make sure there is water in the radiator and fluid in the transmission. You will probably have to pour some gas down the carb to get it to start as the accel pump will be shot. If it runs OK then you can proceed on with getting it driveable. Plan on rebuilding the carb, maybe even fuel pump, change ALL fluids, rebuild all the brake hydraulics, replace brake hoses, rad hoses, any other hoses that look suspect. Keep an eye on anything that rotates (alternator, water pump, etc.) for failing bearings - sometimes if they've been let sit too long their lube will harden and they will fail shortly after having been put back in service.

good luck,

nate

Good points, all. The above will certainly assist you in turning the engine and running it. I just want to add that once running, I am sure it will be driven. It's been sitting awhile, as we understand.

Remember to look at your exhaust, and I expect it is rusted, but you'll find out about that once the engine runs, :) .

Check the suspension lube points, tie-rod and steering ball joints. Might want to shoot some lube into them. Look them over while doing that, and the rods and knuckle.

Get some lube-spray. It may come in useful for hinges, latches, etc.

Take a look at the brakes. If it runs, and moves, it will need to stop.:wink:

Wish you well with the car, let us know how it goes.

View this thread:

Hey Guys, Thank you for the advice. The owner did NO prep for storage. Just backed it into his carport and that was it. Attempted to start it 10 years ago and had a fuel leak and shut it down. Seems the trans was rebuilt before parked as well for paint that went bad due to feather finish primer that created spider web cracking in the laquer paint. He also stated the power steering pump is bad. He tried to rebuild it..I plan to replace it. He has owned this car for 25 years. I get this fine ride next weekend and appreciate ALL the responses. If there any additionals please do post!

Dano

Aside from the good suggestions about what's under the hood, anything stored outdoors may have other issues - like my 67 Kaiser Jeepster Commando did.

I bought it from a guy who had a lot of work done on it about 11 years before I bought it, but someone smashed the windshield in his carport and since it was a 'recreational' driver, he never fixed it and didn't drive it after that. Sat under cover, but outdoors in San Francisco for

11 years - weather there is pretty gentle compared to lots of other areas your car might have been parked in. He got it running about a week before I bought it and I took it for a short test drive. Paid cash and made the happy trip home with my really sweet new find.

Over the next 6 months, virtually every piece of rubber in the chassis & steering failed. Dry rot hits rubber pretty bad and the strain of chassis use can bust all kinds of bushings that look OK now, but no longer have any real flexibility from exposure. Even if it's not cracking, it'll shrink and not really fit in it's place very well when it gets old. Cars made in the 1960s didn't have urathane bushings in the chassis or steering - almost all plain black rubber or lower-grade plastics that don't get better with age.

Even with the tranny rebuilt before storage (like mine was) the seals can leak like a seive (like mine) requiring another rebuild just to keep fluid in it. It only leaks under pressure so it seems fine sitting & running in the driveway. Take it out on the road, and it's slipping in

10 minutes.

I'm also about to replace the entire wiring harness as well. Lots of not-so-flexible' parts in that with new cracks developing every day. Last thing I want is to restore something like this only to have it burn to the ground. Your harness might be just fine, but it still warrants a good once-over inspection just to be sure.

YMMV.

Cheers, - JJ

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Indeed, well put.