Found 300 mile car in storage!!!!

[DMC3165]

Sorry no pics. Maybe next week.

Hi all,

Some of you may remember me posting about this on the old site. But for those of you that don't here's the story.

I knew of two low mileage D's just languishing away in storage. Today I got to see one of them. A while back I was told the owner of my company had a D that was bought new by his father back in 81. Not too long ago the owner saw my D and it spawned a conversation about the cars. During that conversation he did confirm he had one and it was in the basement under his corporate office, buried behind years of corporate records. But he didn't know the mileage and said he hadn't looked at it in a while. Our executive VP has also had a keen interest in my car and today we started talking numbers. I told him I really had to see it to get an idea of what its worth. So he said ok and brought down to see it.

It's VIN is 3286 or 3296 it was hard to see. It has 300 miles on the odometer. I believe this is legit. The fella who showed it to me said the owners father bought it new but didn't like the car. He put it up for sale but was getting offers for 5K less then what he bought it for. So they put it under their corporate building and its been there ever since. He passed away five years ago and his son my boss has no interest in the car except for whatever dollar value is attached to it. The inspection sticker expired in 1982. It has a fender mounted antenna and is still on the original tires. The body is in good shape but is filthy and showing signs of neglect. I was told the fuel was drained out of the car when it was put there in 83 and it hasn't been run since. So my question for you guys is what's it worth and can it be started where it is without destroying it. More then likely it will sit where it is for another 30 years but maybe I can convince my boss to sell it to me.

Forgot to add: 5 speed, grey interior, august 81 build and ironically less then 150 away from my own making it the closest VIN to mine I've ever seen.

[dvonk]

awesome. no technical input, but i am interested in the story! keep us posted!

[kajcienski]

Yes - Keep us posted! Very cool...

[Bitsyncmaster]

Probably the fuel pump is OK but it all depends how did they empty the tank and did they run the engine until fuel was used up after the tank was drained.

My guess is they syphoned most of the fuel from the tank so any that was left would have turned into tar. The same would go for fuel left in the lines, FD, WUR....etc.

My suggestion would be to clean the tank and lines. Install a new fuel filter and fuel accumulator. Your then at risk of the FD and injectors needing replacement but you may luck out.

[Dangermouse]

My 2c worth before the real experts chip in.

Biggest concern is whether the engine would have seized with the oil completely draining down into the pan and condensation forming within the engine. Add to that the fact that every single piece of rubber must have perished by now with out any movement (and inherent lubrication).

$10k ? With am Ok engine.


Awesome find though. Always good to have a story with the car.

[DCUK Martin]

I wouldn't worry about condensation in the engine, but I would whip the plugs out and squirt some oil down there before attempting to start it. I echo comments about the fuel system - it'll still need cleaning out.

Value: It depends....

[lazabby]

It's probably VIN 3296. I show that it was originally sold to an owner in Long Beach NY.

[Malevy]

Nice find.. But, unless you have a collector looking for a low mileage car, I don't think it has any more value than any other well maintained DMC out there.

Because it is NOT running, you have to trust the story of the seller. In this case, your boss.. Because you have a relationship with him, It gives the story more credibility. However, you still run the risk of significant cost to make the car road worthy.

Expect to replace everything that is rubber.

Budget to replace the entire fuel system. If the car was stored properly, you may get luck and just have to run some cleaner through the fuel distributor/injectors and just replace the parts in the tank, accumulator and filter.

Once it is "running", do a full rebuild on all of the seals in the hydraulic (brake/clutch) system. Then, expect to some time in the near future to replace all of the cooling hoses (might as well do a water pump at the same time).

Before driving any distance, it will need new tires.

Obviously, it is cheaper to do it yourself.. But, if you plan on paying someone to do it, get an idea what this will all cost to get done. See what else the car needs to make it "perfect". Any cosmetic problems? They can get expensive.

Total it all up, and subtract it from the total value of the car (a debatable number)... but also consider YOUR goals for the car. Do you want to fix it up and flip it? Or keep it for yourself?

[DMC3165]

Got Pics!!!!!

Well as it turns out it is 3286. Which is kind of strange because i saw the vin list too and that has it listed in North Carolina but here it is. 28 years later in a basement in Long Island. Sorry the pics are a little blurry and out of focus. The vin plate pics came out terrible but trust me on the number. I also think it's very unlikely this car will see daylight anytime soon when i told my boss it was worth about $8500. i feared for my job afterwards. It will most likely rot here another 30 years. Aside from that take note in the last pic all the crap that has to be moved between the car and the door. it would take months if not longer just to clear a path. oh well maybe someone will find it 100 years from now. enjoy the pics

[sdg3205]

That's so cool. Has the window been down the whole time?