Looks like I’m buying my first Vette tomorrow, an ‘89 vert that sat in a garage since 1998 with 36k mi. It starts (with cables) and looks like it was taken care of before it hibernated. Is there a thread on here with recommendations on where to begin to bring it back to its original glory? I know it needs tires, a battery, new fluids, and probably belts and hoses. Thanks!

 

That's a pretty good starting list. I would also check over rubber bits and be very careful with plastic bits. Rubber will have degraded over the years, and plastic turns brittle.

 

Did you start it will 30 year old gas? I hope not but either way the fuel system will need a clean out.

 

My 1996 sat for just 3 years and needed the fuel system cleaned out......with new fuel filter, sending unit, injector cleaning, and then there's the
oil change and filter and i just finished changing out ALL the fluids except for a brake bleed which is coming up.

Unless you truly know and can verify the history of what was done and when, I personally wouldn't' consider the car "RELIABLE"

I also needed four new tires as flat spots could not be fixed from sitting.

So for me when I take a car out, I want to have faith that it will bring me back home...

Oh and rubber and plastic deteriorates as mentioned so look at brakes hoses and coolant hoses and the list goes on and on......

Godo luck, I am happy with my choice, may you be too.

 

don't even think about driving on whatever tires are on it, buy new, cheap new or used tires (to get you around until the car is ready to go)

 

30 years or 22 years?

 

I think your math is off. But yeah, tires, flush fluids, injectors will go quickly, if not bad already.

 

22 sounds good.

 

I let my 86 sit for 5 years.
thought it was the starter solenoid.
wife wanted it gone for years.
i kept putting gas in it and sucking it back out, diluting the old fuel. Rolled car 10-12 inches fore and back every once in a while
Took the dash Apart after deciding solenoid had no power on start.
solenoid relay was good.
gave up, let it sit.
covid 19, nothing to do. Put dash back together.
engine is a 383, compression too high, so i put the original heads back on, and with exhaust off, checked wiring.
wiring checks good.
put it all back together, started right up!
played with it, bled brakes, oil still clean, changed coolant.
drove it 3 times, starter wouldn’t turn.
took right exhaust off, changed starter(i have a few)
still no start.
Changed keys, checked battery, grounds, cables.

wait for it........
just for grins, i lowered the steering wheel, and voila! It starts every time with wheel down, no start wheel up.
had to readjust ignition switch down by pedals.
not vats, not keys, etc etc etc.
anyway, put air in tires and power steering pump started leaking, bought a reseal kit,
then injectors started leaking, Bought injectors.
then fuel press reg started leaking, backing that off fixed that, Then belt tensioner bearing started squealing, changed that bearing, then cooling fan started squealing, bought new motor for a C5, and drilled center fan hole bigger and put it on.
then r front tire is bouncing.
shock top nut worked loose, Chased threads, new nut, then it starting getting louder and louder.
so changed mufflers.
noticed right rack boot torn, so changed that.
now theres a exhaust leak on the right ex manifold somewhere.



Car is worth a second chance, and thats where we are today

 

^^^^ Sounds like mine. Motor ran on the high temp

side when I bought it. Few years later trans went out and it sat for a year. Dogs ate my hood. Replaced hood and got the trans fixed and back on the road. Then bad wheel bearing, then alternator, replaced radiator and leaking water pump. Running 190-200 now. Now the new wheel bearing is bad again, new alternator took a dump, had to replace a fan and a fan relay, and now I have a bad upper control arm bushing. Even with that it’s still driving great! Beat a newer Mazda and a BMW tonight on the way home from work, and kept up with a new Lt1 Camaro yesterday. 170,000 on the ODO. Daily driven.

After I have back surgery next week and heal up, I’ll dig into the wheel bearing again, and fix the control arm bushing. It almost never ends, but it’s worth it! 😎

 

I used to change alternators every summer.
bought a spare, bought alternator overhaul kits and rebuilt them every summer.
thats when i got friendly with LT-1 guys and noticed their alternators.
i bought a 94 alternator, and put it on my 86.
it’s almost plug n play.
just have to widen the top bracket that fits onto top of alternator.
or buy that bracket for an 85.
then widen it.
94 alternator is same size as the 85. Put alternator in, bracket, and plug is the same!
tensioner is the same as an 85, so that went well.
instead of 105 amps, you get 145 amps, and because 94 has more segments in it’s field, it charges much better at idle, and doesn’t pop the diode board in 120 degree heat. You also stay cooler if u put it in neutral at stop lights and get your big foot off the brake And stop using all your power to illuminate all those brake light bulbs.
alt bracket just barely touches the hood with your foot in it