Chrysler Repair: Long time setting up., crankshaft pulley, pulley bolt

Question
Hello Roland,

I'm looking at a 1989 Plymouth Reliant to purchase to use on my rural mail route. It is
to be sold at an estate auction. MY CONCERN is
that the inspection sticker on it is 1999.
Can't get in touch with anyone yet to give me details about the car. Previous owners are deceased. My question is if the car
has been setting up for that long am I asking
for trouble if I buy it or would I probably
just need to replace a few hoses, etc.
These K cars are perfect for carrying the mail.
Odometer reads 28,000 and I'm assuming its 128,000.    Thank you for your answer.    Wayne Crowder

Answer
Hi Wayne,
If the vehicle was exposed to the elements for all that time it would be a candidate for rusting of the pistons in the cylinders so the first issue would be to put a socket and extension on the crankshaft pulley bolt and with a long
breaker bar see if you can rotate the crankshaft. If so, then I would suggest putting a modest amount of oil in each spark plug hole and rotating the crank several times by hand to lubricate the interface between the pistons and the cylinders. Put the plugs back in and charge the battery. The other concern would be that the gasoline has turned to a more viscous state or that it has alot of water condensate in it. So putting in some gasoline treatment and letting that sit for a while would also be a good idea. You may have to drain the tank to get rid of the old fuel if it won't run. The fuel filter may clog up in the process. The seals on the engine and trans may also be dried and be subject to leaking so that could be an expense to replace those that are. Corrosion in the radiator may cause a leak to develop when it is put back into service. So if you can get access to the vehicle before the auction to check out whether the engine is locked up or not would be a first priority. Any history as to when it was last registered/driven would be relevant. The 2.2 and 2.5 L engines for those cars were "bullet-proof" and the 3 speed automatics were good too. You would probably want to replace the brake fluid if it sat a long time.
It is an interesting opportunity, but size it up as much as possible before bidding. Maybe with a battery charger you can see if you can get it to run and hear what is sounds like, even get it to move so you can check the trans and drivetrain. Check the condition of the CV boots for tears or leakage.  
Let me know what you find out and how much it goes for.
Roland