Sitting too long? What should I be looking at?

[vonVeezelsnider]

As you may have read in my thread in the lounge, I'm looking at purchasing a 1994 Fleetwood which has been sitting for about a year and a half without being driven. I'm concerned that despite a proper inspection and whatnot that this could bite me on the behind later so I'd just like to be sure of what I'd be looking at replacing. I know the tires would be replaced by me sooner rather than later with a new set of Hankook Mileage Plus II whitewalls but for all I know they could be dry rotted now. The thing will be inspected and compression tested before I buy it, and it runs and drives fine now according to the seller. Haven't had a chance to drive it yet. Obviously the fluids will all need to be changed at the same time and I should be looking out for rotted hoses and belts. Is there anything else I should be looking for or that might give me pause?

[SAmadei]

As you may have read in my thread in the lounge, I'm looking at purchasing a 1994 Fleetwood which has been sitting for about a year and a half without being driven. I'm concerned that despite a proper inspection and whatnot that this could bite me on the behind later so I'd just like to be sure of what I'd be looking at replacing. I know the tires would be replaced by me sooner rather than later with a new set of Hankook Mileage Plus II whitewalls but for all I know they could be dry rotted now. The thing will be inspected and compression tested before I buy it, and it runs and drives fine now according to the seller. Haven't had a chance to drive it yet. Obviously the fluids will all need to be changed at the same time and I should be looking out for rotted hoses and belts. Is there anything else I should be looking for or that might give me pause?

I'm not sure I'd get too overconcerned about it. When dealing with cars 15 years and older, its likely that most of them have spent at least one long period unused in that time.

The worst part of a 1.5 year vacation is the dry start. Unfortunately, they already restarted it (as I understand... the photos show a spinning alternator), so the damage is done. Its minimal, but you never know if its the final straw. And virtually nobody is interested in attempting to prelube a distributorless Chevy engine, even if they know how to.

Obviously, if you buy it, I would see that all the main fluids and filters are replaced. For the uberparanoid, include the serpentine belt... I would run the old belt a bit, however, to have it buff the rust off the pulleys, rather than have your new one do that. A good inspection of the brakes, suspension, electrical, ignition and exhaust would be a good idea, to ensure your not sitting by the side of the road. I'd replace the wipers, as I never seem to get more than a year out of them anyway.

Tires could still be fine after 1.5 years... I'd only decide that after close inspection. I've had tires 10 years old be fine... and then there are some that dried out after less than three years. You can determine the build date on tires made since ~1999 by looking for a 4 digit stamp in the sidewall... first two digits are the week of manufacture, second two are the year. Your expected use of the car will come into play with how quickly you need to replace these.

Then drive it. Probably the worst unknown about a car that has been sitting it that small amounts of corrosion/hardened plastic seem to play havoc with parts that were likely on the way out anyway. A few window switches might get slow, a few bulbs blink out, some new squeaks and groans. Some of these problems will go away on their own, as the vibrations of motion wear the corrosion/hardened plastic off... some won't.

Overall, I don't think 1.5 years of sitting is that bad... considering in classic-auto-land many park jobs are considerably longer. Plus these are very robust cars.

I've been considering pressing the '86 Buick wagon back into duty... and even though its been sitting longer, its not going to get half of this treatment, as its a disaster, I only expect it to get from A to B in a grumpy mood. ;-)

[daves87rs]

I'd pretty much agree with everything above. Not a bunch you can do about stufff going, though I'd break it in slowly (Start around the block, then go farther/faster)

When my cav sat for a good long time when I was hurt, I broke it in this way, aand it still runs and drives great.....

[Camino LS6]

An immediate fuel filter replacement, and maybe another after a tank or two of fuel.

Everything else may be ok, but the fuel is bad no matter what.

[balthazar]

Would agree with the above- check the obvious but I wouldn't worry.

I have a 'photonumericgraphic' memory; I remember numbers easily. I looked at a Pontiac for sale, odometer said 69244 (I still remember this). 2 years later I went back to check it out, it hadn't rolled 1 mile. Car was 27 years old then. I daily drove it for 2 years- the trans ended up needing a rebuild, but that I attributed to age, not to merely sitting, otherwise the car worked out great (this was a real Pontiac tho, not a 'marketing brand Chevy'- prolly had the most to do with it).

[Intrepidation]

Pretty much everything that needs to be has been. Check all of the above but don't worry too much.