No, i wont be posting a new thread or blog for each day in my adventure but a nice follow up to the missing key problem in my other post.

Exactly one day after buying the car and getting it pushed into the garage, we had a locksmith come out and re-key the ignition for me. Hooked up power source, checked fluids and what do you know...this baby fired right up. Best estimates is at least one year of sitting between owners. Didn't even have to change the plugs (obviously will be step one once its road ready) and it cranked right over and fired! You have no idea how relieved i am for a first time restoration. I understand there are far worse condition cars out there; and i am only doing a body-on restoration not the whole 9 yards...but with no guarantees it would run or there was any life to this heap, it boosted my confidence! Not wishing to throw away my good luck, we even tried some of the electrical items among the piles of wiring harnesses in the gutted interior. With a little poor man's splicing we even got the power windows to go down. This sucker even has turn signals...no seats or anything resembling an interior but i can signal with the best of them

Anyway, tomorrow is another day and i'll start the actual undercarriage prepping so i can attempt to install some stopping applications to this now running 36 old bell of the ball. Thanks for listening to the rants guys...just happy i didn't bite off far more than i can chew. For once, just once i may even be able to tell the Mrs, that i was right

 

good for you goat! always nice to hear one fire up, especially when you are not exactly sure what you bought.

i have a 70' coupe 350/350 that i bought a couple of years ago, it had sat in the same spot for 20years (only 50k mi) and no one had even tried to start it. i took it home, cleaned out the gas tank, pulled the carb and cleaned it out, put new points and plugs in it. changed all the fluids, and squirted some WD-40 in the cylinders. it FIRED RIGHT UP! runs like a top. and..........all the electrical, fibre optics, lights etc worked. EVEN THE CLOCK! so, ya never know. the guy parked it 20 years ago because the brakes went out, and he didn't want to spend the money to fix them. rick

 

Good luck with the project. Sounds like you are on your way with it now. I missed the other threads about it. Just curious what your plans are with it. Good luck with the 72 and most of all have fun with it. Keep us posted with the progress and some pics.

 

Hi GJ,
Sounds lke you're enjoying your first victory. I'm sure you'll have some downs with your ups... but playing with an old car is BIG FUN!!!!
Regards,
Alan

 

well I'm keeping the body on and the frame is exceptional for a car stored outside for months. I plan on sanding the main areas down to remove any surface rust. I will do a search but is it advisable to coat the frame with a sealant once it's exposed; if so what does anyone recommend? Next I'll move to the gas tank and rear spring install and then brakes! I suck at electrical and am a rookie at vacuum lines...but I do enjoy the mechanical ease of the C3.

 

They make a spray on & roll / brush on rubber-like undercoating that will keep it protected from rock chips & rusting & from winter road salt.

Here is one example of spray on under car coating.

http://www.autogeek.net/under-coating.html

I can tell you from experience its taken me about $40 worth of $0.99 cans of spray paint to spray "something" on the bottom of my car. I'm not sure how the cans per square foot would translate with this stuff because its thicker but I would expect that it would coat with less passes & not go as far.

Be very glad you're fixer-upper has given you some good things that work. Believe me, it could have gone the other way where nothing works.

 

Did you pre-oil it before you cranked the motor that had been sitting at least a year?