The car is a 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass with a 455. It does have gas in it and started about a year ago. I changed the oil last year and put in synthetic. I did have a '69 Chevelle though that I blew the engine after driving it after it sat for a couple years. I was told that it was because I didn't do something with the oil? Thanks!|||I work with vintage engines on a regular basis, and am apprenticed with one of the two best classic car mechanics in my state. This is what we do when we have a customer who wants to bring their car back after letting it sit more than a year.
1) Change the oil immediately. Oil doesn't store for longer than 8 months, and should be changed every year even if the car sits for most of the year. DON'T do the requisite "run at fast idle for 1 minute; shut car down; check oil level and top up" until AFTER you've checked the fuel system! A compression check would also be advisable.
If you put synthetic oil in your Olds, change it out for the manufacturer's recommended brand and weight of regular motor oil. Classic engines weren't designed to carry oil that thin. If you use it, you'll have leakage and blow-by problems galore and you may wind up damaging the engine. (Any car older than 1990 should always use regular motor oil.)
2) Get some new, clean gas into the tank before you try to fire it. Fuel preservative only works for about six months. (One of my club members found this out to the tune of a $200 carburetor cleaning.) Change the fuel filter immediately if you can. Like someone said, idle the car for 15-20 mins to clear away everything you can.
Flush the fuel system and clean out the gas tank as soon as you can to remove the excess varnish and old deposits that have settled at the bottom.
If there was fuel left in the carburetors, odds are it's nearly varnish by now and you should check the carbs and fuel lines before you try to turn the car over.
3) Change the spark plugs if they need it. (Remove a plug wire and take out the spark plug. If it has black or powdery white deposits on it, replace all the plugs.)
4) Check the battery to make sure it's still got enough power to turn the car over. Replace the battery if it's six years old or older.
5) Check the engine belt tension and condition to make sure they haven't stretched or worn in the 2 years the car has been sitting. If the belt comes loose or shreds, your engine can tear itself apart.
6) As soon as you can, flush the cooling system (change out the antifreeze) and flush the brake system (bleed the brakes until you've got all-new fluid running through your hydraulic lines).
Antifreeze stores about as well as motor oil, and brake fluid collects water very quickly and doesn't do well sitting for a year or more. If it's absorbed too much water, your brakes may fail. Be sure to get a pH strip and check the acidity of the brake fluid. If it's anything other than neutral pH, change it even if it looks fine.
You've got a beautiful car there, and this is a great way to fire it safely. Good luck and enjoy that classic muscle car. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on my profile page (that'll lead you to my email).|||check the gas. and the oil, if it's been sitting too long impurties may have built up on the bottom of the tank. I'd recommend flushing the system if not just add to it.|||Flush all the old gas out then put fresh gas in if that dosnt work put fresh gas down the carborater then i would check for spark if still that doesnt work check the compression.|||you should drain all the fluids out and let it sit a week or two (now that its properly stored) then give it a tune up and fresh gas and fluids.|||The synthetic oil is questionable. Before starting, remove the spark plugs and squirt a bit of oil in the cylinders. (Keep the plug wires in proper order or remove and reinstall one at a time.) This would be a good time to do a compression check. If the reading is low, the valves are defective. If the the pressure comes up with addition of oil, the rings are bad. The compression should be around 130 lbs. with about a 15 lb. variance. Roll the engine over several times with the coil wire disconnected from the distributor.This will lubricate the engine and allow the oil pressure to build up.
With the gasoline, it will probably have become old and may have deteriorated. Drain out the old fuel, put in a new fuel filter, put fresh gasoline in with a bottle of lead substitute. It would be a good idea to remove and disassemble the carburetor and put all the pieces in carburetor cleaner overnight. Get a rebuild kit and replace all the gaskets and float valve and seat.
A factory rebuilt carburetor would be the best way to go, but it no doubt would be expensive. A carburetor kit would be costly enough. The carburetor may possibly be a Rochester. They are a *****. If you have the money, I would recommend a Holley carburetor.
Good luck!|||Pray to the car gods you covered all your bases before starting the car...|||when u have change the oil and put fresh gas in
start it up leave it running for 15-20 min to burn away slak(old gas that has turned to a mud like form)|||well if your unsure just drain your oil and put fresh in if the oil was put in fresh before storge then its fine but i would recamend changing the fuel just unhook the line before the fuel filter and turn the key dont burn your startor out if it was properly stored then you should have nothing to worry about if the car just parked and sat for 2 years then i would at least check all fluieds and then have it
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