Car off road for two years

[MondeoMan1981]

My old man's neighbour has been offered a car from a friend which has been off the road for two years.

Nothing wrong with it so to speak, seller just stopped driving, and car has been garaged.

I'm thinking of what might need done to turn it into daily driver - oil and filters for sure. Brakes were seized, small hit with rubber mallet released them. So I think perhaps pads and discs, brake fluid change and a set of boots all round too?

Air con re gas maybe as well but thats non essential. Anything else?

[ctdctd]

I had a Fiat Bravo that had stood garaged for nearly 2 years. It was a year old with 3K on the clock when laid up. Started from a jump and brakes not seized.
It got a new battery and oil / brake fluids changed as part of a 10K service.
Tyres were OK as they had retained some pressure.

Ran fine for 40K and 4 years before I changed it.

Edited by ctdctd on Monday 21st June 13:32

[jbi]

battery still good?

Edited by jbi on Monday 21st June 13:35

[300bhp/ton]

MondeoMan1981 said:

My old man's neighbour has been offered a car from a friend which has been off the road for two years.

Nothing wrong with it so to speak, seller just stopped driving, and car has been garaged.

I'm thinking of what might need done to turn it into daily driver - oil and filters for sure. Brakes were seized, small hit with rubber mallet released them. So I think perhaps pads and discs, brake fluid change and a set of boots all round too?

Air con re gas maybe as well but thats non essential. Anything else?

Depends what the car is, how much and what it'll be used for. If it's a £250 banger, then there's a case to sod it and just run it as is.

If it's a bit more pricey or specialist then you might want to check/replace a few more things.

[8400rpm]

Some cars really don't like sitting and bearings end up being ruined. Most of it is down to luck, and hoping nothing has degraded too much!

[Fordo]

ive owned two cars that were sat for years


a 2.0 capri that had been sat for 10 years - tyres had started to perish, as had the rubber fuel lines that leaked. Easy fix. Carb needed cleaning out, new spark plaugs, and breaks needed a bit of cleaning up so handbrake operated correctly. New battery, replaced all the pads, changed all the fluids and she was good to go. Think i cleaned out the fuel pump- it was an old mechanical one that stops working when dry.

I'd always change ALL the fluids- brake fluid is hydroscopic, so gradually over long periods will absorb water, and its boiling point will reduce.

I also picked up a rover 420 turbo a while ago, had been sat for two years with a half broken gearbox. Owner has taken good care of it in storage, occasionally starting it up and letting it run for a while. Think i only changed the fluids, everything else was in prefect order- tyres looked brand new. Didnt half throw out a lot of orange rusty smoke from the exhaust on the way home! Had to replace exhaust a few months later as it had rusted through.

[soxboy]

I'm currently getting a Mk2 Golf 16v that has been sat for 3 years recommissioned.

Needed plugs, oil, brakes (pads and discs), filters, battery and fuel lines. Will be changing tyres too.

[MondeoMan1981]

Talking a late 90s, 1 owner, run of the mill Pug. Decent mileage. Its been driven a short distance. Maybe worth a punt at the price to get a basic service and run it.

[Rude-boy]

MondeoMan1981 said:

Talking a late 90s, 1 owner, run of the mill Pug. Decent mileage. Its been driven a short distance. Maybe worth a punt at the price to get a basic service and run it.

For that sort of car that is all i would don. I have a bit of a thing about tyres though so would change those and also the wipers, they will have perished I suspect and halfway down the road with a screen full of mud is not the time to find out...