Car hasn;'t moved in over a year

[Mit_LanZer]

i saw this 2001 PONTIAC FIREBIRD for sale for really cheap price. but my friend told me the car has not moved one inch since last year because the owner moved away and let the keys to his brother who doesn;t even drive since he has a car. any problems with this ? leaving ur car to sit in one place for over a year ?

[BartBandy]

Lots of problems with leaving a car. Seals dry up, batteries go flat and are never as good as they were, brakes rust....you name it. Be very wary. Don't commit to anything until it has had a long shakedown drive and a good inspection.

[UrbanPoet]

gasoline sitting in the tank for so long will mess things up too.

[TodayHello]

There shouldnt be any problems what so ever if it was stored properly.

[Engi-Nir]

I have thee different car(2 Gm, 1 Toyota), where it is stored time to time for about 4-6months....normally(i never did this), if you leave a car for over 3months, it is good practice to jack the car up, so the tires don't get flat spots, battery should be taken out, brake rotors should be okay if you drive again, and the rust will come off...
Yeah, you need to test drive the car for a week, just so the rotors are good again, but then again, depends on the year of the car,etc, it might need new rotors/pads anyways,etc

[Stock R]

Lots of problems with leaving a car. Seals dry up, batteries go flat and are never as good as they were, brakes rust....you name it. Be very wary. Don't commit to anything until it has had a long shakedown drive and a good inspection.

Which seals are you referring to?

[VorteC]

Which seals are you referring to?

could be any seals... like.. the spark plug seals on the cylinder head cover

[TenzoR]

There shouldnt be any problems what so ever if it was stored properly.

key word: if

[cwb27]

HUGE IF

You could be looking at flat spots on the tires, seized moving parts, bad gas, no oil in the upper part of the engine, dead battery to name a few.

[Jon Lai]

It's a DOMESTIC, and it's sat there for ONE YEAR, what do you think? If it was a Japanese car, then it's probably worth taking a look.

[FD3S]

It's a DOMESTIC, and it's sat there for ONE YEAR, what do you think? If it was a Japanese car, then it's probably worth taking a look.

What's the difference between a jap or a domestic?

It makes them different sitting on the lot for 2 yrs?

[tkyoshi]

What's the difference between a jap or a domestic?

It makes them different sitting on the lot for 2 yrs?

It's Jon Lai, if you've seen any of his previous threads he has to make this type of comment in any thread with a non Honda/Toyota. Even though technically Honda/Toyota's are domestic since they are made in the US/Canada.

But yes it's a silly comment to make, the big thing is how it was stored, not the type of car it is.

[BartBandy]

It's a DOMESTIC, and it's sat there for ONE YEAR, what do you think? If it was a Japanese car, then it's probably worth taking a look.

Mind numbing. Go infect another forum. I own 2 Japanese cars, but you make me cringe.

My brother-in-law stored his Integra for a year. I took it out of storage for him. It needed about $1500 in repairs after 1 month. Rotors were badly pitted, a wheel bearing went quickly, and the batter was done, among other things.

Damn, you fanboys have to learn to shut up. Foreign and domestic manufacturers make both good and bad cars. Some make better cars than others, but sweeping generalizations are just stupid.

[Chookman]

I must have gotten lucky. My 1986 Toyota MR2 sat 5 years without being moved. Flat spots on tires? Yes but they worked their way out. Supposedly new quality tires will do that. Rotor problems? No. I didn't engage the parking brake. Battery problems? Yes, it was dead. Gas problems? No, I didn't even use stabilizer and it still fired up and ran. I was sure it'd be vinegar by then. Seal problems? (my biggest worry) None. The ground under the car is bone dry. Although you never know internally.... No oil in the coolant or vice versa yet though ;-).

I'd suggest giving the car a good look over by a mechanic. It has a good possibility of being fine or at least having minimal problems. My car is 15 years older than that Firebird and it survived a much longer stay. One thing though. My car has never seen snow and has been garage parked for the last 12 years. If the Firebird has seen its share of the elements, that could make a difference.

[Engi-Nir]

Longest I left my car was 6months (97malibu) and took it out and ran like it wasn't even left for 6months. But had an oil change done prior to leaving it in the garage.