OK, just got this new parts car and was lucky enough to have markb go down with me to pick it up. When we got there he starts looking at the car and starts talking about how to save the car. I, of course, am wondering if I should start with the 10mm or the 13mm this time seeing that I started with a 17mm last time. So I have decided to follow marks lead and try and get the motor running and would like to know what I should do before jumping the red and yellow on the starter. I checked the oil and it is dry, no oil. I know I should put some oil in but markb also suggested mystery oil in the spark plug holes. Now I am not even sure the motor will turn over so any other precautions before trying to turn the motor over. What is the best way to turn the motor over?? One rear wheel on the ground and turn the other forward?? Sorry if this sounds stupid but I am really good with lefty loosy and not so good with righty tighty. Here is a pic of the car if you have not seen it yet.

A/C car with white interior, stock 4 lug, 75/76 car, if it is a 76 it would be a parts car for sure, a 75 I might try to make it a runner.

Tow it up to 50 mph and pop the clutch?

Seriously though, I'd say oil up the pistons, take the plugs out, and try to push it in 5th gear. It'll either turn easily, or it won't. If it doesn't, prospects don't look good from there.

Take the plugs out, spray some oil in each cylinder, change the oil in the pan, turn the engine with a wrench while someone presses the clutch and see if it will turn over. If so put the plugs back in, change the fuel and flush the lines, if the car has been sitting for a long period of time! Then try to start it!

.02

This is a 75, which is why I'm pushing Jonathan to try & make it a runner (he likes parting them, I like saving them).
The white is going to some lucky soul, I'm sure, but I'm hoping that he can get it to run. If so, between us we have interior stuff.
No gas in the tank, bone dry. Battery tray has surface rust, but doesn't have a hole in the hell hole area (that I can see, we didn't poke it with a sharp stick yet ).
I seem to remember someone talking about Marvel Mystery oil being good to put in the cyls if a motor hasn't run in a while. Is regular old dino stuff just as good?

keep it on the road

How much is markb paying you guy's?????

I used to work in a truck junkyard with a weird old guy named Doall, like do-all. He'd pull crap out of the yard that had been sitting for more than 20 years and get it to run. He'd take out all of the spark plugs and spray WD-40 in the cylinders and then gently rock the crankshaft back and forth, back and forth, let it sit for awhile, more WD-40, gently back and forth until he got it to free up. He was very gentle so as to not break the rings.
He'd also service the fuel system, clean things and replace the filters, and change the oil. I only saw him fail once.
After he got them running I'd paint them. White. Every blinking one of them.

Well, I got the plugs out and was able to jack one side up and put a wrench on the drivers rear wheel. It turned a little but I could not get it to go all the way around. It did move though. Since it did that I went and got some oil and filled her up and then put in a battery. Once the battery was in I jumped from my truck and put a screw driver between the 2 posts on the starter. alll the starter did was spin. I really sounded like the starter was spinning but that the solinoid was not pushing the starter out to engage. So tomorrow I am getting a known good starter from markb, I think, and going to install and see if I can get it to turn over nicely. If that works then I am going to have to get markb over and we are going to have to go over all the hoses and the electrical connections as well as put in new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, points and maybe a good working coil. Any other sugestions??

Curious, why save a '75 and part a '76? Seems to me that a '76 would be more valuable as the last year.

Because we are in Cali and in Cali you have to smog a 76 but not a 75. Smog sucks. I have seen and bought 76 914's here that were good but for not passing smog and they were worth way more in parts than what I paid for them.

Ahh... Is that not a rolling date - in other words, would it be 76 and prior are smog exempt in 2008?

No offense, but I am glad that I don't have to live with CA politics and the moronic mandates that they apply to anyone who buys or sells a car, new or used. Then again, you do have some sweet roads out there, and little rust...

It used to be a rolling date but that ended several years ago. It has not changed since 2000 I think. Does not look like it will change any time soon either.

Sorry about the questions - didn't mean to hi-jack.

I am also interested in the answers here because I have 2L that I took out of an old '76 that I drained the oil, put up on a stand and gunked/hosed until it was nice and clean. That was 5+ years ago, and I am wondering what I have now. I plugged/covered all of the holes, but without oil and knowing that some water must have found its way in, I am trying to decide if I should just tear the thing down.

If you jumper the two terminals only the starter motor will spin, you need to jumper from the hot terminal on the starter to the spade terminal on the solenoid that connects the solenoid to the ignition switch. At least I am pretty sure, its been a while since I have had to do that.

What he said. Jumping the two big poles only powers the starter motor ... you need to get the solenoid to "kick in" to extend the drive gear into the flywheel teeth which also pulls contacts inside the solenoid to complete the power circuit to the starter motor.

Diesel fuel, Marvel Mystery Oil, PB Blaster are good solvents when trying to free frozen engines.

Essentially ended in 2005/6 by our illustrious gooobernator .... the car buff with tons of money**** .... due to the bitching of the car maker funded tree huggers.

****Lousy actor ..... worse governer .... but that's Kalifornia ..... Land of the Fruits, Nuts and Crazies (and most of the them have goobermint jobs 'cause it requires no brains).

Was that really necessary?

I admit we have a few wacos but no more than any other state, just more vocal ones!

HeloMech <--- goobermint employee

Nanski Pelosi is a good example of a goobermint job holder with no brains.
No, wait, she represents Sam Fransico, mebbe that explains it.

Ken