Welcome to the addiction Jess! That looks like a very solid and unmolested candidate to get back on the road! It looks like the little details are in place on this one...washer fluid bottle, charcoal filter, etc.
My strategy would be to make it work THEN start cleaning it up the cosmetics little by little. You get to enjoy the car and restore it as you have time & money. You will find that the construction of these early cars are pretty straightforward and purposeful so if the time comes to paint, do a major motor overhaul etc, they come apart and go back together relatively easy. (I was shocked when a friend helped me get a motor running that had been sitting for years THEN we dropped the motor out of the car in under two hours!)
Besides...there is something pretty cool about seeing a survivor back up on the road. It looks like your paint can come back if buffed & polished
Based on the 'Make it work THEN cosmetics' plan I would consider the following-
-First I would definitely identify any rust in the front pan/tank support area and in and around the rear torsion tube for structural integrity. Rust in a door or a hole in a floorboard never stopped any of us =) (More detail shots of the trunk and underside, back in the engine bay etc...please! The 'been there done that' crowd can help identify trouble areas ...if any)
-Refresh the brake calipers and replace all the flexible brake lines. Stopping is a good thing.
-Replace all the flexible fuel lines! leaks + air cooled = hot hot heat
-Inspect the fuel tank for rust. Carb'd cars are very finicky about their fuel and it will save you headaches later in trouble shooting running issues.
-New tires and valve stems.
-check behind fan for debris/nests from rodents.
-motor= refresh all the fluids in the motor/tranny of course and do a search for prepping a motor that has been sitting. Grady Clay and others have some highly detailed step by step instructions they have listed out for people just in your situation. You will usually find the "how to start motor that has been sitting" question asked in barn find threads. I sure others will chime in here as well.
Here is my car that just got up on the road a couple of months ago based on the make it work plan
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Project 69
Can't wait to see it! Keep us posted and bring it to Triple XXX. As a matter of fact drive your 88 to the
XXX Saturday Breakfasts -2nd saturday monthly this coming weekend. Most of us early guys wrench, restore, rebuild motors etc. and can be a invaluable resource as you work through issues with the car or if you have simple questions like, 'which oil do I use?' etc. instead of having to read the
3000 page
Ulitmate Oil thread and trying to make sense of all the opinions
