Vehicle thats sat for 15 years

Found a vehicle that I really like granted only seen in pictures as its almost 600 miles away. I did speak with the owner on the phone. It was his father in laws vehicle thats been parked in a heated garage for the last 15 years. Yes I know the heated part sounds out there but seller claims its true. Anyways the vehicle has about 90k orginal miles and is rust free, undercarriage included, and is in really nice condition. Factory paint still shines and looks great in the pics. Only thing that concerns me is that it sat for so long. Seller recommends swapping out all normal wear items (belts, tires, etc) and perform fluid flushes on all fluids before driving.

Is there something I'm not thinking about in the big picture here due to the fact this has sat for so long? I do like this vehicle alot based on what I've seen so far and it would be a great summer only family cruiser and the price is reasonable.

I should note that this vehecle is a 1975 model year and is all stock so there are no computers, etc to worry about.

Does it run? Just a shot in the dark, but that could be a problem.

Flat spots on tires, seized suspension components, seized engine come to mind, but these are easy to check.

1975 was the first year for catalytic converters in the US, and there were also a bunch of other rudimentary emissions controls that may need attention - mainly, there's probably a mile of vacuum lines that are cracked and leaking.

In addition to what has been suggested, I'd plan on replacing everything brake fluid or fuel touched, short of hardlines. If it doesn't need a carb rebuild and a master, more power to you, but everything is suspect until proven otherwise in something that sat around since Clinton was prez.

It may also be helpful if we had some idea what car we're talking about.

depending on the car.. even a 75 might not have a cat. Fiat did not put cats in all their cars until about 78 or 79... until then only the california cars got them/

I would definatly prepare to replace ALL the rubber. Might always want to consider the interior might have dryrotted threads holding the seats together. Brakes will also be suspect if not useless and seized

Worst case scenerio.. rodents got into the car and it's wiring

I got a Bronco that had been sitting for ten years inside a garage. I learned that testing the heater without a dust mask and your eyes closed was bad. I also learned that there was a reason why the guy had an air fresher as the car stank from sitting. I replaced every bit of rubber I could see as well as fluids. Still it seemed like awaking an old man from a sleep. Once he was up and has his coffee the weird behavior seem to level out.

you're going to have collapsed lifters on the valves that the cam has been trying to hold open for 15 years (i'm assuming it hasn't run in that entire time), the carburetor is going to have a tar-like residue from what used to be gasoline, the fuel pump diaphragm will be rotten, the wheel cylinders will be full of rust and/or dissimilar metal corrosion from the aluminum pistons in the cast iron bores. the fuel tank will have the same E36 M3 in it that the carb does. perhaps the brushes in the starter and alternator will be corroded to the point that neither of those things will work. or perhaps not.

even if the fuel system isn't berkeleyered, you're going to need to change the oil and then spin the oil pump before trying to turn the engine over. before you start fooling with that, though, pull all the spark plugs and squirt a bunch of marvel mystery oil into all the cylinders and just let it soak for a couple days before doing anything else. and before turning the key, put a wrench on the balancer bolt and rock the engine back and forth by hand. maybe one full turn of the crank, which will at least let you know that the rings aren't rusted to the cylinders and it will also relax the valvesprings and lifters that have been compressed for the last 15 years. when i resurrect an engine that's been sitting that long, i turn the engine by hand while having a helper spin the oil pump.

these things are not insurmountable, you just have to be prepared to deal with them.

what kind of car? got pix?

I should have said that yes it does run according to the seller:

I know most here aren't into fullsize vans but my parents had one just like this when I was a kid.

Here is the ad:

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/3516105423.html

Fyi I did revive an old 305 sbc in an old I/O Glastron. That sat for 5 years and I did most of the aforementioned things before I fired it. It actually ran good and I got two summers of boating out of it until I sold it

drainoil wrote: I know most here aren't into fullsize vans....

You must be new here, there are plenty of us that like vans.

Edit: damn typos

Anti-stance wrote:

drainoil wrote: I know most here aren't into fullsize vans....

You must be new here, there are plenty of use that like vans.

Yes indeed new here. Glad to hear there's van love lol.

Even if it's been inside all this time, entropy will be everywhere. If it does start and run, there's half the battle. Be ready to immediately replace the fuel pump, rebuild the carburetor, replac devery rubber fuel line in the whole system because you do NOT want a 15 y/o hose springing a big leak and starting a fire! For an extreme example of this, google 'Kee Bird'.

After that, replace every piece of rubber in the brake system, put new tires on it and yes drain/refill all the fluids. At this point you should have a running and driving vehicle which is reasonably reliable.

Electrical odds and ends are going to go weird, I suggest spend a Saturday afternoon with some brass brushes and dielectric grease, disassemble and clean every bulb socket and connector you can get your hands on. That's a big help in reducing electrical gremlins.

ah, that's not nearly as bad as i had envisioned. if it floats your boat and you've got the cash, i say buy it.

I've brought back several motorcycles that have sat for that long. If someone else has gotten it started, your primary concerns are going to be the rubber parts, but I'd certainly disassemble, clean and lube the brakes. Of course, that's the first thing I do to every car that I buy.

Also: I like the van. I'm not sure I'd drop two grand on it, but it looks good and with a few, uh, cosmetic deletions, it would make a pretty cool ride.

Since it's a van, the remarks I made earlier about a catalytic converter and emissions controls don't apply.

It sounds like the owner has run it recently, so that's a plus.

Thanks all for the advice. It would be a summer only family hauler for car shows, short boating trips,etc. Its the Chateau model which may have been one of the top trim packages of the day. It does have 3 removable bench seats in back and also working front and rear air. And yeah my offer will likely be south of the asking price. I forgot to ask but I think it should have the 9 inch rear and maybe posi. Apparently the original owner was in the Fire Department brass and he was meticulous about all his vehicles.

Buying a used vehicle from a firefighter is usually a safe move. No lie: I once watched a guy that I work with wax a rental car.

Click on my garage, read the Javelin thread. That car sat since 1986. You will have to replace between 50 and 100% of the stuff I did. It took me a year and a half just to get it to move on it's own again.

If you turn on all the lights does it look the mothership scene from E.T.?

Btw - I love it! What a great family hauler. My Dad had one and we drove two families from VA to FLA in it. Stopped...maybe twice the whole way.