The Official 356Talk Forum

Hypothetical project.

356C has been sitting in someone's garage for 20 years. Has not been started. Engine turns by hand. What would you do if you wanted to make it a safely running and driving car? I came up with the following:

- new battery
- redo brakes: New master cylinder, new brake hoses, rebuild calipers
- fuel system: remove and clean/flush/coat or replace fuel tank, replace sender, rebuild fuel pet cock and fuel pump, replace all fuel hoses, clean carbs with new seals, possibly rebuild throttle bodies (zenith carbs)
- replace steering coupler, tie rod ends, 4 new tires possibly 4 new shocks.
- change engine oil/filter, service, potential reseal looming? Do i open it just in case?
- change transmission fluid, new axle boots, replace wheel bearings/ seals?
- chase electrical quirks, rebuild gauges?

Potential for 8-10k in costs to get is up to snuff assuming the engine is healthy? Does that seem reasonable or is there anything big i am missing?

Fuel sender might very well be fine just cleaned. Clean fuse box and test would be one of the things I would do just to have that off the list of possible electrical problems.

Compression test and leak down test.

Hugo Karasawa wrote:Compression test and leak down test.

My thinking was to first get it running, drive a few hundred miles and then evaluate the engine. I don't know if a compression test is any good after sitting 20 years. Things may loosen up again after some driving?

I would put a battery in it run a fuel line off the pump to some fresh gas, clean the points and see what happens. Of course check the oil first but I like to hear them run before I worry about the rest. Just fired this old girl up she hadnt run since 1980.

Sitting for 20 + years won't guarantee no rust on the cylinders, crank & cam shafts--even the valve assemblies & oil pump! Some early photos were shown in recent 'talk listings' & turning the engine by hand won't move any oil to those parts!!
Then there's the carbs, fuel & brake lines; etc., shocks, clutch, & all parts which are 'grease lubed', & the transmission!!!

If the engine is started w/o some of the above work involved, you could increase damage resulting w/higher costs; Thus, "what's in your wallet?"

I would change all the fluids and grease the wheel bearings and all grease fittings, wiggle all electrical connections and move the fuses. I would disassemble the engine and check the rod bearings. If the case is not clean inside, then I would split it too to clean it up. Upon reassembly, I would use a pre-oiler, spinning the engine without plugs to get oil pressure before doing the usual tune up.

I did this with the last Porsche we bought, a running 912, which I thought needed only a 2nd gears synchro, and found that the #3 rod bearing was through to the copper. Apparently that journal had been welded, necessitating a new crank. But had we continued to run it, it would shortly have necessitated a lot more. I rebuilt the engine, replaced the synchro s, my daughter took it to drivers school, ran a few vintage races, and we have enjoyed it ever since.

I'd get a scope and look in the plug holes. They have cheap ones now that work off a smart phone.
Why fire it up if there is rust in there ? Why even crank it over ?

Here is a bore scope with light for under $8 for your smart phone

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1M-Endoscope-B ... :rk:1:pf:0