Beautiful car Pete!!. Thanks for the pointer. I will bring some along with starting fluid to see if it's got any life in her.
Most likely, a car that has been sitting for a long time is not going to start without some work. The points, rotor and cap are likely corroded and not functional. Of more concern, engines tend to "dry out" on the top end. This can cause the valves to stick open and potentially get clobbered by a piston. I would suggest putting a breaker bar and socket on the hex nut for crank shaft pulley to see if the engine is still free, if you can move the crank back and forth slightly, let it go at that for now.
Once you get the car home, if you decide to buy it, you can prep the engine for starting so you do not cause any damage. Disconnect the fuel pump from the fuel tank. Remove all of the spark plugs and put a 50/50 mixture of diesel fuel and ATF in each cylinder and let it sit for a couple of days. (you can also use a good penetration oil for this operation) Now remove the valve covers and check to be sure that no valves are stuck in the open position. If none appear stuck, turn the engine over by hand one full revolution (two turns of the crank). If all the valves are working, hook a battery to the car and spin the engine over several turns with the plugs out to expel any leftover oil from the cylinders. You can now reinstall the valve covers and plugs. Do a full tune up of the engine, new plugs, points, condenser cap and rotor, plug wires if necessary. Drain out any old coolant and replace. If you observe any obviously rotted hoses, replace them before installing new coolant. Drain and refill the crankcase with fresh oil and be sure to replace the oil filter. Crank the engine over until you have oil pressure so that there will be lubrication on start up, do not want a dry start. Now hook the fuel pump to a secondary fuel source, Prime the carb with fresh fuel (you do this by using a squirt bottle with a short piece of 1/4'' fuel line hooked to the carb vents, about 3oz of fuel will prime the carb. Pump the throttle two or three times and attempt to start.
If all went well it should now be in temporary running condition, so you can evaluate what you have left for an engine. You will need to hook a scavenger pump to the fuel tank to see if any old fuel can be removed. If the old fuel has solidified, the tank will need to come out and be cleaned. Most likely the brake cylinders and hoses are going to be shot so figure on all of those parts. Also figure on replacing all rubber fuel and water lines at some point as well as all the belts.
If you are ambitious, jack the car up, drain the transmission and pull the pan. Have a helper push the buttons on the transmission control to see if the cable is moving. (Be sure the car is secured so it can't move) If the cable is broken it will not move at the transmission, same is true with the control unit. Could get lucky and have a cheap transmission problem. If the transmission pan if full of debris, you will need a rebuild, might as well know about it.
Dave
