jeffsautomobilia said:
Thanks for all the compliments. The frame does have rust through although the out riggers and floor pans appear to be in good condition. The door alignment is good and the open and close as good as my restored BT7. Now the task to get it running, it was last licenced in 1973 and probably has not been ran since.
I'm sure you have your own procedure, but if it were me...
Put about an once or two of Kroil in each cylinder and let it sit for a week. Do this BEFORE trying to turn the engine over by hand.
I can just about guarantee that the rubber diaphragms in the carbs are dry-rotted and cracked, so you might as well go through them while the Kroil is soaking (the intention is to free the rings that are stuck to both, the bore, and to the piston lands).
Drain off the oil and replenish after the week of sitting with Kroil, assuming you can turn the engine by hand. If the engine is stuck tight, no point in wasting the oil. I wouldn't recommend starting it on the thirty-plus (30+) year old oil in the crankcase now. Just fill it up with some light (30wt) oil, as you'll likely be flushing it a few times anyway.
Don't even think about using the original fuel tank! Rig up a separate electric pump drawing from a can. If you have an outboard, that will make a good temporary source for fuel. It won't even hurt if there's a little oil still mixed with the gas :wink:
Of course, you already know that the brakes will be useless; I'd purchase new cylinders and completely go through the calipers and master cylinder.
Then, you can address the issue of deferred maintenance!