Hello from Colorado. Someone just gave use a 1979/80 C3 with 56K original miles, that's the good news. Bad news is it was parked outside 17 years and it didn't movie until we dragged it home today and pushed it into our garage. Some issues that i was hoping ot get some help with.

1) hood won't open, only partially on one side. Cable feel like it's pulling on the mechanism but it's not releasing. Any tips or tricks welcomed.

2) Gas tank has 17 year old gas in it. Is this an automatic drop and replace? or is there a snowballs chance in Heck the bladder is still good? A new tank is only 200 bucks, do the new ones have bladders too?

3) Tires are shot, this will set me back $500. for a set of Hancook 255/60-15

I will be adding a little tranny fluid to the cylinders, waiting a few days , and cranking the engine by hand first with plugs out to make sure a valve isn't stuck, but my understanding is someone did get it running 5 years ago, so i'm hoping engine/tranny are fine. Will drain and re-fill both engine/tranny before i run it.
Definitely check the brakes before i drive it.

Any other thoughts?
thanks a lot

 

Welcome to the forum.

1) Which side won't release?
2) I think you can probably get a replacement tank with or without the bladder. Not sure if the old bladder would still be good and I haven't heard of anyone having a problem with that before.
3) that tire size should be okay as long as you have the original wheels or wheels with the same offset.

Unless a previous owner has replace the calipers with stainless steel lined ones, then expect one or more of them to leak.

I would recommend changing the differential fluid. And also add the positraction additive.

Don't be surprised if you don't have to remove the heads, replace the rings, hone the cylinders, and lap the valves at a minimum.

 

If it's the right side that sticks, gently pull up the left side of the hood and slide your hand in and pull the cable that goes across the hood to the right side latch. I had to do this on my '73 a few times until I got everything adjusted right.
As far as the gas tank goes siphon out the old gas and look inside with a flashlight. That should tell you where you are.
If it was started 5 years ago oiling the cylinders heavily is probably not needed. Put a wrench on the crank and see how easily it turns. Check the oil, if not terrible it will probably be ok for the testing. If it turns easy pull the plugs, add small amount of oil(optional) and crank over! Give it 30-45 seconds at a time. Do this 3-4 times to get oil circulated. Install plugs. Pull fuel line off fuel pump drain(siphon) any remaining old gas. Reconnect add fuel and fire it up! Don't forget to check the coolant. Have fun and report back!

 

thanks for the replies, will start on it today. Spent 10 hours yesterday pulling 2 more abandoned cars off that property, a 66 Fairlane station Wagon and a 49 Desoto, parked in 1985 and 1972 respectively. More of en excavation, but luckily thanks to Colorado dryness, the wheels/drum-brakes all still turned and 7 of the 8 tires still could hold 20psi air. Luckily neither of these came home with me

I'm going to try and get the Vett hood open today, sounds like the cable opens the drivers side first then pulls on passenger, that's good to know. Right now the drivers is half released and right side not at all. Will start with basic fluids and sourcing a battery, then take it from there.

 

While it won't help you now it is worth knowing that in the firewall directly behind the driver side latch, there is a hole filled with a plastic plug. This is to allow a screwdriver to be inserted under the hood and thru the hole to unlock the hood latch there.

 

If you can't get it by hand it may help to push down on the left side while pulling the release. Can you post some pictures for us?

 

thanks for the help, we got it open. The drivers was releasing, just the mechanism was dry and stuck. with 2 people and some jiggling up/down it came loose. I could then fish for the other side, which is broken at the cable-housing clamp, and get it open. Only took about 2 hours to do this

Most everything looks good, except for engine oil. Not maintained at all, thick as gear oil and at least 1 quart low. Tranny fluid looks good, but I will drain it regardless. Coolant system is still bright green but i will replace it too.

What's the best place to get a release cable, is there a forum sponsor you guys like to use? Ecklers has just the cowl cable that i need for $25.

 

Mid America Motorworks is a sponsor. They used to carry it but I'm not sure if they still do but you can check.

 

Good to hear you got it open! Hopefully the rest goes better!

 

the engine turned freely, so i went and spent $170 on a new battery, new oil filter and fresh oil. At first it wouldn't do anything, just a click under the dash. I thought for sure i was in for a real headache tracing down mouse-chewed wiring. so i got my kid out to help me and was trying ot hear where it was coming from. After the 7 or 8th try engine cranked over.

I smelled the gas in the tank, it smelled normal. Someone must have started this car a lot sooner than 2003. We poured a little down the carb and it fired , did this 4 or 5 times and it ran on it's own but immediately started flooding out of the vent in the center of the Rochester 4-barrel.

I feel incredibly lucky, so far this car has been a real treat.

Any tips or tricks to un-sticking the float or needle valve. I have rebuilt this model carb before, but it was over 20 years ago. If i can avoid doing that it would be good