By stobrien (24.71.223.140) on Friday, November 16, 2001 - 02:49 pm:

I just bought a special X 1979 that has been sitting for 13 years, can anyone give me some advise about starting it for the first time? I already know that the starter does not work so I will need to replace it before I start Cranking.

By Anonymous (24.70.93.118) on Friday, November 16, 2001 - 05:08 pm:

Was it sitting inside or out?Where?

By stobrien (24.71.223.140) on Friday, November 16, 2001 - 07:09 pm:

For 9 of the years it was sitting in a farmers Barn. For 4 years it has sat in a field.
The body is in fair condition. The vinyl on the edges of the seats cracked, the cloth looks great although it is very dirty.

By Anonymous (24.70.93.118) on Friday, November 16, 2001 - 08:59 pm:

Where on the planet?

By errol (152.163.195.198) on Friday, November 16, 2001 - 09:52 pm:

How do you know the starter doesn't work?
Did you try a hot battery and jumping the selenoid? It could be the switch.
I would pull the sparkplugs and see if they can tell you anything, spray a little light penetrant like Kroyle (BEST darn stuff I've used!) down the cylinders. let it sit for a while (couple of days)I know you won't want to! but if the rings are fused to the walls it's going to need a rebuild anyhow.
Another thing would be to check the oil. Does it look milky? Or 'normal' black? Pour about 1-2 quarts of diesel fuel in the oil and pull the valve cover and the oil pump drive gear cover,pull the shaft out and make a alternate oil drive shaft hooked to the pump in the same way the stock one is and run it with a electric drill to 'prime' the engine to get oil in all the necessary passages. And the diluted oil will help clean a bit without letting things score if you were to try a 'dry' startup
Of course you would have to run the drill for a while until you would see it ooozing from the rockershafts... And then put it all back together for the real test of using the starter.
Another thing would be to put the tranny in 2nd or 3rd and rock the car back and forth to see if the engine will rotate at all!
Just my input..

By stobrien (24.71.223.140) on Saturday, November 17, 2001 - 02:40 am:

The car came from Loydminster Albert.

I have done as you suggested with the penetrant. I was amazed, the oil is clean although there is maybe only one litre in the engine it looks like it had seeped out throught the bottom seal over the years. I did find out that my starter was fine, it is a bad cable that is causing it from not turning over.

By Zoin (206.172.136.50) on Saturday, November 17, 2001 - 07:06 am:

Keep us updated on how it runs. I always enjoyed finding an old car and getting it going. I once picked up a 1950 merc and a 47 chevy that had sat for way longer than I had been alive. In an afternoon I had them both running and was bombing around in them. It is amasing how fast a 6 volt starter will crank with a 12 volt battery lol.

By errol (64.12.102.182) on Saturday, November 17, 2001 - 09:57 pm:

It's usually the ground that gives the problems and not the pos.
Use a flamable penatrant like WD40 to start instead of starting fluid. It lubricates rather than just explodes

By stobrien (24.71.223.140) on Saturday, November 24, 2001 - 05:44 am:

I got it started.... I had to rebuild the carb, and after that it fired right up. There is a small amount of tappet noise, other than that it sounds great. I've gone through the brakes rebuilt three of them. I am having problems with the right front, It needs to have the rooter and entire brake assembly replace. I have never seen a rooter so ground up there was no more than 1/16 left. So to day I am off to the wrecker. After the brakes are done we will be able to see how it drives.

By errol (205.188.195.56) on Saturday, November 24, 2001 - 10:51 pm:

After sitting for that long I'd pour in a couple of cans of carb/injector cleaner and buy a 'few' in line fuel filters. (who knows what's in that gas tank)

By Nikolaj (195.240.206.202) on Sunday, November 25, 2001 - 03:08 am:

Aah, another story of how new life begins for an old civic!! I would renew the electrical components before taking it to the road. I once sat next to our highway with only faulty contacts in the distributor.... Next to breaking my timing-belt, these have been the only 2 times I've had a breakdown on the road (knockonwood). That's after 5 years of hard daily drivin.