What problems with a car sitting outside for 10 years

[axisg]

Back before I had kids ( 13 years ago ) a good freind of mine had built an 86 Grand Prix with a re-built 700R4 with shift kit, 8.5 Rear, a 350 with 305 HO heads, full length headers, H-pipe and true duals.

In the day it was a real quick car with that Low 1st gear and Posi Rear but he was hard on it and it didn't last long. So about 10+ years ago he cooked the motor and parked it at his cottage. The car is still sitting in the same sand-pile he parked it on all that time ago. The brakes are seized, the floor is getting soft, and he is in the first stages of a divorce so the car may need to go and quickly.

What are the chances the trans and rear are still good in this car or is it a candidate for the scrap heap ?

 

[outsider_27]

I would guess the trans would need a rebuild. The rearend should be ok I would think

 

[custom442]

for the transmission - Take out the driveshaft, unbolt the torque converter, and see if it spins without much difficulty. If it does, then there's only one way to find out if it still works...

 

[blizack]

In case anyone else is looking for things other than the trans, these are things that may have problems for a car that was sitting outside.

My car was sitting for approximately 2 years outdoors and these are the issues I've run into:

The parking brake cable and pedal are rusted and inoperable - they will need to be replaced

leaking gas lines under the car

the connector bolts for exhaust pipe and exhaust manifold have been rusted into the manifold and cannot come out.

weakened frame due to rust has led to some stability issues when jacking up the car.

hoses may crumble away when removed or if you bend them.

Its all been pretty obvious stuff for me so far

 

[axisg]

yeah, I figure the rest of the car is fooked including the thousands he spent on his stereo including a motorized faceplate tapedeck. The trans and esp the rear is all I want from the car

 

[zjchevy1]

Vermin infestation.

rotted fuel & brake lines.

frame, floor, and trunk pan issues.

Check the trans by removing the driveshaft & unbolting the TC, see how easy it spins...as mentioned in a previous post.

Inspect all electrical wiring for vermin issues.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Anything rubber will be shot due to age, stored outside or not. The seam sealer is probably brittle and letting in water to allow rust to form, and any leaves will act like a marsh and keep the metal wet for all that time too. As for the transmission, I don't know. It could be fine, but I would run it with the wheels off the ground and supported by jack stands through all 4 gears plus reverse to see if it is operable, and to loosen things up. The rear axle should be fine, bt the seals may leak and I would change out the wheel cylinders too. Heck, if it's cheap, the 8.5 could make the whole deal very worth while. As for the stereo, the amps may work, but a tape deck? Who the hell has tapes anymore? Heck, we are getting to the point that no one even has CD's anymore!