Another one out of mothballs.....

[Argabarga]

Well, since Winter is a no-show up here in the Mid-Atlantic, that means the project I had lined up for this spring to recommission a few old hulls in the reserve fleet is going to get started NOW.

Of the three dead-in-the-water project cars I have, I figured it's put up or shut up time, no more letting them rot in the yard. Fix em, sell em, or scrap em. Decided I'd start with the cheapest to fix one first as to not get discouraged.

First up.

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...3d&oe=57442F55

I think this car REALLY wants to be driven again, after 3 years of not touching it (and it ran when parked) I thought "no way it doesn't need a new everything" Had it towed into work and it needs

A battery, and new exhaust

That's it

No, really, that's it, that and it passes state inspection.

Really?

Wow

I shoulda done this sooner.


Vehicle is a 78' Pontiac Grand Prix LJ Factory T-tops rule!

[Ironclad Alibi]

That is one sweet looking car.

[Arcus]

I'm glad to see a car like that saved from the crusher. Way too many of them were called worthless and crushed.

[RealUnimportant]

Nice! I wonder what the shipping costs would be...

[Nunavut Pants]

... it needs

A battery, and new exhaust

That's it...

Please change all of the fluids! The brake fluid has absorbed water by now, and will contribute to rust inside the brake system--which won't make you happy. Oil, transmission fluid, and coolant also have finite lifetimes, even when not being used. And you probably don't know when they were changed before, so it's generally a good idea to just do it now and "reset the clock" on maintenance.

[wolfie]

Also, check the date codes on the tires - if they're over 10 years old, regardless of mileage, they need replacement. Be ready to replace belts and hoses too.

That car almost certainly has a pushrod V-8, so it would have a timing chain rather than a belt. That's fortunate, since it means that a belt failure would be inconvenient rather than catastrophic.

[Argabarga]

Well, because it never goes QUITE as smooth as you expected..... car developed a vicious misfire. Did plugs/cap/rotor, persisted. Did plug WIRES, went away.

Then it started running too rich, blowing black clouds like a school bus. Carb was cleaned out and de-gunked, stopped doing that.

Then it dropped #1 cylinder, popped off valve cover, rocker arm worked loose, wouldn't open valve anymore, tightened it up, #1 came back.

Oil/filter/battery replaced to be safe.

And bam, good until 2017

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...81040068_o.jpg

Still need a full week of shakedown before I'll say with confidence I'm done, but I'm getting there.