djstepanich

I inherited a 1988 911 convertible (black on tan) with 118k miles on it. The car hasn't been started in a year and looking for some advice on how to get it running again.

The car is stored up in a garage a couple of hundred miles from my home, so looking to see if we can drive it back (rather than an expensive tow from this remote town).

Here are the details:

- Was driven in for an oil change two years ago
- Was started 1 year ago (and just run in the garage).
- Barely any gas it in (less than quarter tank)

Thoughts about just starting it up? Or should I do any other precautionary steps?

Drisump

You haven't really described how old the fuel is. It's very possible that it'll fire right up. I'd probably be inclined to try it and get to gas station pronto and fill with the highest quality gas you can find...preferably 92 or better. After that length of time the brakes may be an issue, siezed calipers are common on cars that sit. Was the storage heated or in a very dry environment? If not, the brakes are likely something that needs inspection before driving. I put my car away for six months every year and I have yet to be disappointed upon turning the key, mind you I do put fuel stabilizer in and make sure the tank is filled to minimize the surface area of the gas in contact with air. Modern fuels do not have the staying power the old ones did and with the addition of ethanol, it actually attracts water, degrading it further. Others will likely advise to drain all fuel in tank (and system) and if that fuel is older than a year with no stabilizer in it, it may be a wise move.

911Dave

1. Disengage clutch
2. Insert key
3. Turn key

A year is nothing. The gas will be a little stale, but won't hurt anything to run it. Also be ready for a big plume of smoke on startup

djstepanich

The fuel is up to two years old, but less than a quarter.

I charged up the battery, tried to turn it over but it just clicked. Not sure if battery deal, bad connection to starter, or starter shot. Will try boosting to see if it is the battery.

Also came across 3 small leaks underneath. Not sure if that is a result of sitting or were always there. They seem small so not a huge issue likely.

theiceman

you have a bad battery or contact .. I had an issue where I tightened the nut only to relase it was till loose on the post, tighten it up start it , go fill up with fresh gas , it will be fine ..

steve g

Join AAA and get the upgraded membership - I think it is called Premier membership and the tow will cost next to nothing.

MDamen

A battery can easily go bad after sitting for a year without any maintenance charge. I would get a new battery, a can of fresh gas and crank it up.

MUSSBERGER

I would top it off first with fresh fuel. Then do as Dave said.

sugarwood

Do you have tools at your disposal?

You can drain the tank in 5-10 mins with a hand pump from the fuel sender hole on the tank.
Then fill it with a few gallons of new gas. Hopefully the gas in the lines didn't gunk up.

CarPartsDiscount.com

As a few people have already stated, 1-2 years of sitting shouldn't give you too many problems. If the car was stored indoors then it really should just be a matter of checking fluids replacing the battery and enjoying the drive home. Something you might want to look into once you get it home or maybe if you have the time to check before hand might be the condition of some regular maintenance items to check the condition. For example you might want to check the spark plugs, plug wires, distributor cap and rotor, air filter, and fuel filter. Maybe they were replaced recently and you don't have to worry about it but better to check just to be safe.

djstepanich

Just a quick update.

Replaced the battery and fired her up.

It blew a lot of smoke out of the exhaust. I let it run for 5-10 min and the oil gauge looked good (about hallway) and oil pressure good. Checked oil and showed in reasonable levels.

Worried about the smoke but contacted a mechanic and he said it isn't unusal after sitting.

Fired it up again today and not much smoke at all.

Tomorrow out for a test run.

Thanks for the pointers. Next step full check up.

theiceman

Congrats
Smoke on startup is no issue. Especially after sitting.

Now get it washed and lets see some pics...

sugarwood

Please update with specifics if the smoke continues to become reduced.