I am frequently drawn to these orphaned misfit automobiles that should obviously be sent to the salvage yard. Although I've even bought them out of there also. This time my little brother dragged a metal monstrosity out of some farmer's field and placed it in my Mother's barn. Now my brother has the habit of aquiring these "great deals" then promply losing interest, and my Mother gets a new lawn ornament. Now my fault lies in the irressistable urge to fix any mechanical device to the point of distraction. I obsess over the possibilities till I'm dreaming of ways to make whatever it is, function. So while visiting my Mother, I found myself in the barn at first light, pulling rat's nests out of the engine bay and blasting debris off the engine with an air hose. Its a 56 Ford Fairlane 4dr, w/272 *M V-8. The windshield is shattered,by the hood(crumple), the interior was eaten, and the floor boards are easy access. So obviously I had to free up the frozen engine. A week of soaking the cylinders in oil should do it. My girlfriend thinks I'm off my rocker...she might be right.

The oil did the trick, it turns freely. Changed the oil, replaced the filter then went to work on the starter circuit. The rats didn't like the burnt wire but loved the good stuff. Replaced the neccesary wires to the solenoid and it cranked over slowly. Amazing, the car hasn't been driven since 1975 and the starter still works. Purchased a set of Accel universal plug wires for $20 at O'Reillys as they didn't stock anything close to stock. Couldn't get a spark at the plugs, found the points were fouled, cleaned them to no avail. Just micro sparks across the points, the condenser must have given up the ghost. Well maybe a new set of points and condenser for my next trip to moms.

On an engine that has been sitting I always put a shot or two of two cycle oil down each spark plug hole and crank it with the plugs out to get oil on cylinder walls before trying to start it.
I once got an old A.C. tractor going that had been sitting outside for a year with the head off and was frozen tight, I filled the cylinders with a mixture of diesel fuel and oil and let it sit for a week,it was a crank start and would not turn over wirh two of us on the crank, tried pull starting it with a big farm truck,it just skidded the rear tires,finaly I broke the pistons loose with a four by four and a sledge hammer,sanded the rust from the cylinder walls put the head back on and got it running, we used it for years though it did burn it's share of oil.......
William Rogers......

A neighbor down the street announced that they sold their unfinished dune buggy project...my wife was pleased, as I had expressed interest in obtaining yet another stray to grace our driveway...

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

Well got good spark and then the engine locked up again ugh.
The pit just gets deeper...