Help! Inherited an '81 that's been sitting for 15 years.

[KOPBET]

Looking for some guidance here, this poor neglected Vette is not in good shape. Its #5103337 in the registry. I don't know where to start. The brakes?, fuel system?, engine leaks oil, battery dead, AT who knows, tires are flat, interior needs 3 wishes from a genie in a bottle. I've got to get it out of the darkness and into the sunlight for more evaluation. I know my '73 really well, I'm guessing the '81s are quite similar in many respects? I know anything can be brought back from the dead, but at what cost? Anyone know TAPS?

 

[bill81vette]

I guess it depends on how much $$ you want to invest...
sounds like everything is mechanical...can all be repaired.
hows the body and the paint?wash and wax bring it back to life????
how bad do you want to keep it and how much time and $$ you want to spend..

 

[vett boy]

Money pit

 

[KOPBET]

Money pit

100% correct.

 

[KOPBET]

How the hell do you safely start an engine that's been sitting for this long? I can only imagine what the fuel system must be like.

 

[Tuna]

You've got a lot to think about here.

I inherited a car that had been sitting for only 5 years once and that was a pain.
All fluids, belts and hoses will need to be replaced. Clean out the fuel system, old gas leaves a coating on the fuel lines and carbs.
Rebuild the brakes.
As for the engine, probably needs a complete rebuild. Once you get fuel to the carb, you might try starting it to see how bad it is.
Pull the spark plugs and check for water in the cylinders first though.
Transmission? rebuild it also.

The interior could be a lot of work also.

I read somewhere that the best place to start on restoring a car like that is to start stacking 100-dollar bills inside. When the car is full, you can start working on it.

 

[KOPBET]

There must be some value here somewhere. I hate to just send it to the junk pile.

Maybe it's time to play TAPS.

 

[Tom Bryant]

It sounds like there is a lot of work ahead for this car. At a bare minimum you will want to do a conplete brake job, new tires and clean the fuel system (drain the tank, rebuild the carb and replace the fuel filter). If the trans fluid is up and clear don't worry about it for now. Same with the engine oil. Check it before changing it to see if it's oil and not milky with water and that it is to the full mark and not way over full which could mean it has gas or water in the crankcase with the oil. If it's just dirty and low don't worry about that for now. Also before changing the oil pull the spark plugs and put a socket and breaker bar or rachet on that balancer bolt in the front of the crackshaft and try to turn the engine. If it won't budge then don't waste any more time on the engine. It has to come out and be torn down to see how badly the cylinders are rusted. If you can turn it a full cycle (2 revolutions of the balancer) without it catching on anything and stopping and without a bunch of water or gas pushing out a spark plug hole it will be ok to try to start it.

Change the oil, fuel system cleaned and fresh plugs and battery and see if it will fire up. If it starts and moves on it's own, at least you know that you have a car that you can work with. Also one that you can sell if you take that road as opposed to one that won't run or drive.

Who knows, tires, brakes, fuel system and battery and you might have a driver.

My moto is that if it will turm it will start.

Tom

 

[KOPBET]

Thanks for the info Tom.

 

[LLC5]

You've got a lot to think about here.

I inherited a car that had been sitting for only 5 years once and that was a pain.
All fluids, belts and hoses will need to be replaced. Clean out the fuel system, old gas leaves a coating on the fuel lines and carbs.
Rebuild the brakes.
As for the engine, probably needs a complete rebuild. Once you get fuel to the carb, you might try starting it to see how bad it is.
Pull the spark plugs and check for water in the cylinders first though.
Transmission? rebuild it also.

The interior could be a lot of work also.

I read somewhere that the best place to start on restoring a car like that is to start stacking 100-dollar bills inside. When the car is full, you can start working on it.

You read correctly.......

 

[Tom Bryant]

And, unfortunately, with '81s being at the bottom of their depreciation curve, you don't have to stack those hundred dollar bills too high before you exceed the value of the car.

Tom

 

[tnovot]

It sounds like there is a lot of work ahead for this car. At a bare minimum you will want to do a conplete brake job, new tires and clean the fuel system (drain the tank, rebuild the carb and replace the fuel filter). If the trans fluid is up and clear don't worry about it for now. Same with the engine oil. Check it before changing it to see if it's oil and not milky with water and that it is to the full mark and not way over full which could mean it has gas or water in the crankcase with the oil. If it's just dirty and low don't worry about that for now. Also before changing the oil pull the spark plugs and put a socket and breaker bar or rachet on that balancer bolt in the front of the crackshaft and try to turn the engine. If it won't budge then don't waste any more time on the engine. It has to come out and be torn down to see how badly the cylinders are rusted. If you can turn it a full cycle (2 revolutions of the balancer) without it catching on anything and stopping and without a bunch of water or gas pushing out a spark plug hole it will be ok to try to start it.

Change the oil, fuel system cleaned and fresh plugs and battery and see if it will fire up. If it starts and moves on it's own, at least you know that you have a car that you can work with. Also one that you can sell if you take that road as opposed to one that won't run or drive.

Who knows, tires, brakes, fuel system and battery and you might have a driver.

My moto is that if it will turm it will start.

Tom

I totally agree with Tom's thoughtful and comprehensive response. The car may not be the total basket case that others seem to think it is, especially if it has been stored inside and not exposed to the elements causing water intrusion to interior and/or engine compartment. Hopefully the coolant was protected from freezing if stored in cold temps.
I would add a suggestion when removing the sparkplugs. Might be a good idea to squirt some solvent with light oil into each cylinder and let it sit several hours prior to trying to turn it over.
If the engine won't turn over or you find other problems too extensive to overcome, the car could be more valuable as a parts car if you have the time and a place to dismantle it. Good luck with this project and keep us posted.
Terry

 

[goldata81]

Hope you're having good luck getting going on the '81. A long shot here, but if the engine winds up being toast, I just pulled my engine/trans(4spd) out of my '81 doing a body off restore/LS swap and will be putting it up for sale in the near future.