Start 1992 VW Cabriolet that has not been run in two years

Hi. I just bought a 1992 VW Cabriolet 120K miles. Car has not been started in 18 months. So far I have put in a new battery and changed the oil. What other steps should I take before I try to start it? Should I drain gas? Should I pull plugs and squirt some oil into the cylinders?. Thanks for your input.

congrats on your purchase. I just started one of my '89 engines that has not been run in over10 years. I don't think I did anything special except for changing the oil and spinning the intermediate shaft to get some oil pressure up before starting it up. I installed this '89 engine into a '92 Cabriolet also and it runs sweet.

I would probably worry more about the gas and fuel injection system than the engine. ;-) A little thin oil in the plug holes shouldn't hurt it along with hand cranking it over a couple of revolutions. Be gentle with it when you break the engine in again.

Thanks for the quick reply. Any ideas on the safest way to drain the gas. It has 3 1/2 gallons according to the gas guage.

My experience with Fox that sat for a year with a quarter tank. Pull the tank and replace it. It will save you alot of grief. Change all fuel associated filters. The engine can usually deal with the remaining gasoline in the lines after those items for a short time. Assuming the fuel pump is not blobbed up with rotting gasoline gel. Check the injectors before and after starting.