Just bought a 97 camaro 3800 v6 with plates in storage. i was wondering what major parts would i or should i replace to avoid engine damage. the car has been sitting for awhile an was never started up because the previous owner lost the keys. appreciate the help..

 

I know it seems like a pain in the *ss but a good thing to do with a car that has been sitting for a very long time is to remove the plugs and using a syringe adding about a tablespoon of oil to all the cylinders, and handcranking the engine, then putting all the plugs back into the engine where they belong is good.
Changing the engine oil, transmission fluid, fuel, maybe a fuel filter, gear oil for the rearend, checking antifreeze, and probably changing it as well. A brake system flush wouldn't be a bad idea either. Check all of the hoses, the belt, tire pressure, lights, and have a look at the wiring to make sure critters didn't get to it. Check the air filter for damage, or clogging. After all of that, see if it will start. Goodluck, I hope you have fun with this.

 

^^^ Yep, what he saiid.

 

For sitting one year? That sound like 5 or 10 years stuff.
Your gas is the biggest problem. How much is showing on the gage? You should add had some fresh fuel. As a general rule one year old gas is not to bad once you get to 2 or 3 years its a real problem. You should do the filter now and maybe again in two weeks. I would change the oil and look for any possible nests that may have been built.

A lot of it will depend on the condition of the car before it was parked. A well maintained car will sit for a year without much trouble. A car that needs stuff before it is parked will not get better with age. My 67 sat at one point for three years untouched but that is with synthedic oil(s) and fuel stabilizer in a garage.

 

Yeah, I tend to go overboard Gorn, but better safe than sorry. I forgot to say check the condition of brake hoses, and check the tires as well. There are other things to do too. It is a better safe than sorry thing for me. If the car was sitting for ten years, heaven forbid what I would do. But then again, I have been pretty lucky, never a break down, and it all amounts to rigorous servicing.

 

Alright well appreciate the help. would you think that i need to change the head gasket or any other gasket? gonna get started on my pre-trip inspection. let you kno the scoops...

 

LOL, there is a lot more chance of a fuel pump problem then there is a head gasket issue. But if you want to rebuild the top half of your engine, go for it.

A year is nothing to a car. Many cars, new & used sit on car lots for well over a year before they are sold. Heck I worked on a New Monte Aero coupe one time that sat for 2 years on a lot. I had to replace the front rotors because they where so rusty and the battery was shot. They only reason we replaced the rotors was because the customer saw the rust. The Monte ran like crap so we fill up the tank with hi grade fuel and add injection clean and drove about 5 miles. It was fine after that.

If your coolant was not clean before it sat I would think about a flush. You want to keep an eye on thing. If your water pump was about to fail before you parked the car sitting can push it over the edge, along with any other part that has a soft seal. A major engine tear down with out a reason is just funny.

 

Gorn is right on this. I wouldn't replace any gaskets that don't need replacing. This goes for the headgaskets as well. They (if treated properly) should last the lifetime of the engine. So if the cooling system is cleaned every couple of years and topped off you shouldn't have any issues with headgaskets.