Barn Find Targa - Checklist before trying to start?

[carwash]

So, this tired little girl followed me home this morning.

1985 Carrera Targa, 3.2 - This car has been sitting in a barn/garage for 11 years until the roof collapsed about a month ago. It got rained in a bit. Lots to clean and polish and replace. That's the easy part. My concern is what I need to do before throwing a new battery in this car and trying to start it. I assume drain the fuel and check fuel lines for leaks etc. Outside of that, what else needs to be done to make this thing fire up?

I've heard everything from pulling the plugs to put ATF in the cylinders and hand crank engine, etc...

What should my plan of attack be?

[KNS]

Good luck with your find!

Need some more info - were there any engine issues prior to being parked? Have you tried to turn the engine over by hand? Some of those pictures look like more than just getting rained on but perhaps a flood victim.

Definitely drain the old gas and oil as a start. Try a search here on starting a long stored car, many have been down your path. If it is a flood car they can be successfully brought back to health (more work though).

[carwash]

Ran great when parked was told (of course lol).

Not a flood car.

Have not tried to turn by hand. Afraid to try. Lol.

[boyt911sc]

Inspect the engine for any mouse nest and clean the car FIRST.

• Give the car a good cleaning.
• Check the electrical system with a fully charged battery. Headlights and other accessories tested including brake and turn signal.
• Drain the oil gasoline and use fresh fuel. Test run the FP before attempting to run the motor.
• Clean the spark plugs. Manually crank the engine several times. Replace the oil.
• Say a Hail Mary before you turn the ignition switch to START.

Good luck. BTW, is this your shop or your mechanic’s?

Tony

[Cairo94507]

I see no harm, in addition to all of the above, to pulling the plugs and squirting the cylinders with your favorite oil, Marvel, or otherwise for a day or two first. Then with the plugs still out turning it over by hand to make sure it's not seized up. I would change the oil/filter before trying to start it and then change the oil/filter after (hopefully) it fires up and gets hot.

Check brakes and also check to be sure the clutch disk is not seized to the flywheel.
Man, does that car need a good cleaning. Once done should be a great car.

[eastbay]

Not sure if that one has a crankcase drain but definitively change the oil. Have had a few oldies that when you drain the old oil some or lots of water comes out too.

[rokemester]

Don’t even think about starting it! Just clean and clean and clean. As previous Pelican said make sure there are no rodent nests or leavings. You’ll feel so much better working on a clean car. Then I would focus on stopping. In the meantime maybe you’ll get lucky and another Porsche friend will emerge to lend a hand and another pair of eyes.

[jlex]

Once you replace the old gas with fresh stuff, change the fuel filter. Before cranking it, jumper the fuel pump circuit to run just the pump. This will circulate the fresh gas thru the system without pushing old gas thru the injectors. May want to pull the fuel sender out of the top of the tank and look for rust. I had to replace the tank on my '88 after it sat for a long time. Original one was so rusted, it couldn't be cleaned. Before starting, remove the DME relay and crank the engine until the oil pressure light goes out.

[HarryD]

Grady Clay (RIP) left some great advice. This thread may be helpful in working out your plan. Look at posts 20 and 21. Winter storage checklist?

[carwash]

This is great stuff. Thanks a lot guys, I really appreciate it.

[carwash]

Originally Posted by boyt911sc

Good luck. BTW, is this your shop or your mechanic’s?

Tony

This is my shop. Just a big toy box where I pretend like i know what I’m doing.

[Jdub]

Is that set of 7" / 8/9" Fuchs?

[carwash]

Originally Posted by Jdub

Is that set of 7" / 8/9" Fuchs?

Haven’t pulled them off yet to see.

[Kraftwerk]

along with all the other perfectly sound advice, make sure there are no stow-aways from the barn
( mice & mice nests ) Have a fire extinguisher handy.

[Jgordon]

A harness bar and a strut brace? They might have hopped up the engine too.

[Solamar]

If it were mine, and I planned on keeping it, I'd drop the engine, do a leak down test, pull the intake and tin, address triangle of doom, remove rat nests, new intake gaskets, new CHT and ref sensors and have injectors cleaned.

Looks like you have the skill and facilities. Take your time and enjoy the winter project

[Kidasters]

Very nice find.

Pull all the plugs, Rotate it by hand. If it won't turn - then I would use something to try and loosen the cylinders, but if it does - go for it.

I'd be most worried about the fuel lines.

Multiple fire extinguishers placed in the direction you would run for sure. Just in case. That said - I did none of that when I bought my basket case 911, and I didn't die in a fireball.

Good Luck. Looking forward to seeing it cleaned up.

[Charles Freeborn]

If it were mine, I'd pull the engine, strip it down to the long block, put it on an engine stand and shine light in every orifice, look in the bores with a scope, confirm all the parts go back and forth as designed. If it clears those hurdles, clean out the intake system, all new fluids (all... brake, trans, etc etc) all new filters, flush oil tank, cooler, etc, flush gas tank, re-assemble, check fuel pressures (you've already relpaced any dodgy looking rubber by now), spin it with the starter motor with plugs out until it registers oil pressure, re-install plugs and give it a go. If it fails any of these markers, stop and get yourself prepped for a tear down. Personally, I'd at minimum tear down the top end and freshen it up. The bottom end of a 3.2 is dang near bulletproof. The top end, not so much. Do it once, do it right.

You have no idea what took place 11 years ago. All it takes is one 6mm nut that fell in a spark plug hole and for 30 seconds of bliss you'll do $20k of damage. YMMV, but I don't have money to burn on foolish instant gratification... but that's just me.

[Trackrash]

^+

From my limited experience, I can say that my gas tank was rusted and filled with a gelatinous substance similar to gorilla glue after 5 years of sitting. So drain the tank and pull the sending unit and look inside.

Personally, if it was me, I would replace ALL the rubber fuel lines. Even if it doesn't leak on first start up, what about next week when you are out on the road and one hard cracked hose sprays your motor with fuel. Not pretty.

Check your injectors. I can't imagine they will not be clogged with crud. They will at least need to be cleaned out.

Then good luck and go onto the brakes.....

[WPOZZZ]

Wear a N95 mask as you don't want to breathe in any of that rodent poop and whatever bacteria is in there. Maybe some disposable Tyvek coveralls.