I found by accident a 1986 Corvette,convertible this week,lady is the grandmother of my granddaughters friend, the car was owned by her now deceased husband, sitting in a garage for two years,battery dead of course, paint/top/interior/tires are great. Couldn't start it, I am going to remove battery for her, charge or replace it, then hopefully start it and check it out. It does have a fuel chip device on intake so I am unfamiliar with this...............her daughters saw the love I had for the car and said I reminded them of their father and his love for it and is going to try to get their mother to sell it to me..........SOOOOO what do I look for? What should I be aware of since it has been sitting and only rarely started????????? other items for me to know about the 1986......Thanks

 

Step one is get it started and drive it. Beyond that there isn't much you can do except guess about its mechanical condition.

 

Your big challenge will be the owner thinking she is sitting on a gold mine and wanting too much for it.

The main things I would check for is rodents enjoying the wiring inside and out.

Hopefully none of the brakes are frozen.

How many miles on it?

 

What is a "fuel chip device on the intake"?

 

If it's been setting for two years, you can expect the tires to be flat-spotted, likely permanently (as in, it will need new tires regardless of the amount of tread). Its condition can't be fully assessed without driving it. In particular, be sure brakes on all four wheels are working, then check for leaks/drips after it is parked. Some seals may have dried up/adhered during the downtime.

 

Nice, hopefully you can get it and let his dream live on. Check if it's an early or late 86. Are the valve covers perimeter bolt or center bolt. As said above, check the car for rodents and most likely your tires will be shot. Check the weatherstripping that can get expensive. Post some pics if you can.

 

Steve, Being a convertible, it will be late with aluminium heads.

 

Post a request for someone in your area to go with you and look the car over. Make sure they are familiar with the L98 C4 cars.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/southeast-42/

 

Thanks Ray, totally missed convertible in his post.


Reading is FUNdamental.

 

Hey thanks guys for the information, I am going down today to look at it better..... I will take some pictures to send in a few days for your review. I expect the seals to maybe be drying up but the owner (lady) said before the battery died they started it a few times during the last year.... ....I am going to take the battery out for her and try to charge it and if it is beyond recharge she is going to replace it....then I can check out the dash lights etc.....Met a neat guy at the local cruise in last night who was a Corvette mechanic before he retired and told me to turn key on, check the lights, electric seats, radio, heater and A/C controls etc BUT not start it .....he told me how to check for and remove the fuel pump, clean, drain the old gas, put in Lucas Fuel additive then gas and THEN start it....... not mine but I am going to do it for her and then it may be mine.....better to get it done right and not hurt anything just for safety sake I guess....

To all my fellow veterans "welcome home"

 

If the battery could have froze when dead replace it. Trying to start or jumping when low can mess other things up.

 

Before you do it, watch this first.
Much easier when you know how!

 

Thanks Maddogwyatt for the info...since I started my quest for a Corvette almost 18 months ago, YouTube has become my best friend. I have learned alot since going to the site. I am used to the old style of cars and not these fancy things..lol.

Went to remove the battery for the lady and also looked the car over, 1986, 76,000 miles, AT, Convertible, top is decent and has a few threads over drivers door fraying a small bit, rear window top seats nicely into brackets, drivers seat has a repaired place in middle not bad, interior is nice, carpets and dash is great, aftermarket sony radio bose speakers, engine is clean since sitting for over a year, gentleman that died had attached a battery tender to it (apparently was never hooked up) , good tires, has a small paint chip at front of drivers door, needs a good cleaning/wax and detailing for sure......... car has a POWER THROTTLE BODY from Professional Products, an Accel HEI super coil (140003), K&N Air filter, GForce Performance Chip.......now all this means nothing to me, I am not a bad *** hot rodder and don't want to be, I want a good driver car not a stop light to stop light car.....Does any of this affect the general driving of the car or just nice add ons ?????? .... met a gentleman at car cruise in last night who advised to remove the fuel pump/filters,drain gas,add Lucas additive and new gas since it has been sitting and then try to start......

 

Hey Steve it looks like you may ahvae stumbled onto a nice driver if it all pans out. Snap any pics yesterday? We LOVE us some pics!

The TB is nothing special...probably a 52mm. The Super Coil and K&N are nice pieces but nothing worth adding extra value, as it sits right now, to the car. GForce chips I am not too familiar with but if it's basically an email-order tune then it will probably have minimal to no affect on performance.

IIRC the '86 aluminum head cars had head gaskets issues but that was early on and rectified by the end of the production run for '86. It's pretty easy to remove the fuel pump sending unit but the rubber seal for it will probably rip. That's a $30 part FYI. Pump will be around $80-110 depending on brand of choice. Honestly I'd just see if she fires up if the gas doesn't smell like shellack. Old gas won't hurt it as long as you see if will run. I'd be more concerned that the injectors could be gummed up a bit.

Later,

Lee