Avantii out of 3year storage

[FWilliam]

Hi to all I just took delivery of my 87 Convert Its been a goal since I first saw one at the New York auto show The cars in great shape 2500 miles clean The previous.owners son said it only went 50 miles in the past 3 years So any suggestions on reconditioning ? Did not come with the cover for the top when down .Did anyone have one made? Perhaps they still have the pattern As I understand the car is a mixture of parts Any Haynes Chevy manuals that might help ?

[Gunslinger]

I would look at all the mechanicals first...brakes especially. Check all rubber hose lines and replace just for general principles. Make sure the brake calipers move freely and flush the entire brake hydraulic system and fill with fresh fluid.

Once you know the brakes are ok...look for leaks everywhere under the car. An oil change is in order. Evacuate and charge the a/c system. You might have a leak detector dye put in the a/c as well to look for possible leaks. A radiator flush with new hoses is in order as are new belts. A transmission flush might be in order as well. Lots of bad things can happen to fluids when sitting too long.

If the tires are original, they're too old to be considered safe. Replace them.

Lubricate everything that is supposed to move...tighten everything that moves that isn't supposed to.

After all the mechanicals are taken care of, then go over the rest. Clean the leather and condition it. Wipe all rubber seals with rubber/vinyl treatment. Clay and polish the body and cover it with either a quality carnauba wax or a sealant. Use quality car care products...lots out there to pick from. I'm partial to Griot's Garage products myself but there's many good ones to choose from.

A car that's driven regularly can be in far better shape than one that sits for long periods and gets no maintenance.

I'm not saying it won't be time consuming...but it is a labor of love and your Avanti deserves the best you can provide it.

[GAWen]

Last month I purchased a one owner 1988 convertible with 27,574 original miles. The first thing I had done was to take the car to a quality shop and have all the fluids replaced, all lube joints lubed, new tires, replaced worn steering components, inspected all brake components (replacing those that were defective, and there were no bad components) replaced the A/C hoses and of course recharged the A/C. None of this came cheap, but I felt no fear taking the car on a 2 1/2 day, 1,882 mile trip home on the interstate in 100 degree plus temps.

[IndyJimW]

The 1987 Avanti uses a complete Chevrolet Monte Carlo frame and running gear. A manual for it should cover most systems.

Jim Wood