z 0 4 life

So, I just got a 2002 z06 that has been sitting for about 4.5 years. It was my late mother in laws car.Due to legal issues the car was just sitting outside, rotting until we just got our hands on it. My wife and I would love to get the car running again. We are extremely excited about the car as we used to have corvettes before starting a family.

Thinking of starting with fresh gas, oil, and coolant. I know the heads up display doesn't work, passenger window needs a new regulator or possibly other attention,and I think there's a water leak because the interior smells moldy. Also the tires are dry rotted and will need replacing.

2003Evo

Good luck..but yea i would def do ALL the fluids, new battery and it should be good to go

SKIS

When I bought my Z it had sat for about the same amount of time, however it had under 3 k miles. I dropped all the fluids, including brake and clutch also had the fuel tank polished. Knock on wood, havent had any issues with it as far as seals leaking or electrical gremlins. Good luck with your project !

z 0 4 life

Thanks guys

JLZ06TR

all fluids need to be changed. engine, trans, diff oil, brake fluid, clutch fluid, and coolant.

Check all rubber hoses for dry rot and suspension bushings as well for the same. Tires should also be replaced.

After all that, take it to a local autox and any other issues will reveal themselves there. address them and your good to go.

grantv

Keep us up to date on progress, sounds like a fun project!

laurent_zo6

All of the above. I would also change the valve springs since some the 2002 springs were prone to failure (yellow). At the same time change valve seals, spark plugs and spark plug wires. You should replace the yellow springs with the blue springs.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-failures.html

AZ 7TVETTE

I would suggest new carpeting, otherwise that smell will be tough to get rid of. At a minimum, take it all out and shampoo it. It's easy.

bob guzzy

I would put fresh fuel in it then start it, all the other fluids can wait until you see if it will run.

Why spend more money than you need to up front, after the car checks out then you can spend away.

You might try dumping some fresh fuel into the tank to freshen up the flat stuff

Black 03 Z06

I would suggest giving it to me. Too much work for you guys only to be disappointed.

Seriously, some very good suggestions, I predict it will run like a top. Enjoy it.

z 0 4 life

Thank all,
After messing with the car a bit I realized I got the dreaded column lock issue.also, the wipers work but go into the 12 o clock position when off

laurent_zo6

Column lock issue most likely due to a weak battery. In any case you should install the LMC5 so you don't get stuck somewhere at the most inopportune time and location.

http://www.complianceparts.com/lmc5whoneeds1.html

bikeriderga

As others have stated, change all fluids, ALL.

I would also have each grounding strap inspected and clean off all corrosion. All kinds of electrical issues are related to loose or corroded grounding straps. Moisture is the biggest culprit here.

Also check under and behind the battery compartment for corrosion. More electrical gremlins will pop up due to corrosion on wiring harnesses.

Fill up with Chevron or Texaco premium with Techron after dumping old fuel. May want to run some extra bottles of Techron through the tank as well. The gas gauges inside the tank will have a sulfur deposit build up and fail to register properly.

Of course check all hoses, wires, connections for wear or corrosion. Put on a rack and check shocks and the remainder of the suspension for wear, tear, and rust. Make sure all joints and seals are well lubed. After taking these measures, you should be good to go.

Constant moisture coupled with age is a big no no on these cars (really any car, but especially ones with sophisticated electrical systems).

Best of luck and keep us updated.

Dan H.

Congrats on bringing it home!

I bought my 02 last year and it was in similar condition. Person had been battling some illness . Between that and family obligations, he sold it to me. Car appeared to be treated as a daily driver, not a cruise night show car.

Change out the oil right away.
Put some fresh gas in.
Charge up the battery - check this to make sure it hasn't or doesn't start to leak. This can wreak havoc on the wiring underneath it.
With these basics you should be able to fire it up and see whats what

Some things that need immediate attention
Tires - ditch those Goodyear SC's - they are garbage at this point if its still wearing them.
Coolant could benefit from being flushed
Take a look at the belts for cracks - there are two - I replaced mine, but they were probably ok for a while
Sitting outside adds a different dimensions, you want to look for critter nests there could be some and be careful if they are near anything that gets hot. Also want to look to see if leaves are plugging any water drains. These can cause water to sit in unsuspecting places.

What are you going to use it for? I bought mine to run DE track events along with some weekend duty, for this I would recommend
Trans and Diff fluid changes
Bleed brake fluid
replace clutch fluid

Then go have fun! I was used to a C3 corvette and a buick lesebre. This car was an absolute beast compared to what I was used to. Sign up for a track event, you won't regret it, its amazing what these cars are capable of!

Dan H.

Also want to pick up some jacking pucks, there are several forum vendors that sell them. I also picked up a cross member floor jack attachment. Track days require a lot of maintenance, my car spends as much time on jack stands as it does on the tires!

Chiselchst

I'd also recommend removing as much of the old fuel as possible, and draining the fuel lines if possible. Ideally, flushing it all would be nice. If there's any crap in there, it might continue to cause problems.
Congrats on the rescue!

bobby777

New Battery--start and see what it does--go from there-: MILES? cheers:

laurent_zo6

All of these good suggestions won't matter if you have a broken valve spring. As I always ask: how much of a gambling man are you? see post #7.

C5Dobie

I purchased an 03 Z that had sat for some unknown amount of time and 12,xxx miles on it. I immediately brought it to a local mechanic/speed shop I have used before and had the coolant fluid, tranny fluid, power steering fluid, diff and engine oil all swapped. I also had them change the plugs/wires as well as the valve springs for better/hardened ones that could take a small/medium cam down the road AND obviously to avoid any problems. I ran seafoam through the tank/oil/vacuum line. I also changed out the stock air intake for a vararam and had it tuned (removed the CAGS as well) - car put down 375whp on a mustang dyno - success! Now I had confirmation everything was in working order and the drivetrain was quite stout.

You should also inspect the paint - probably could use a strip down w/ clay bar and a few washes followed by polish and wax.

After my first season w/ it I also decided 4500 miles of driving on the stock goodyears was enough and swapped out for Nitto NT05's, also replaced the shocks w/ bilsteins all around, no bushings or belts or hoses have needed replacement as far as I can tell.

Good luck!

Dan H.

Read the sticky about the valve springs, you'll want to change them, I know I did. An 02 is right in the middle of the "bad" range. Some argue that 2% shouldn't scare you. The randomness is what go me. $500 is cheap insurance to not grenade a motor you can't replace easily.