Ive walked into owning a fairly nice 4.3 2+2 with 44000 original miles. Car is real nice, but has been sitting for about 15 years..Im going through the steps to get it running again. Is there any surefire way to tell what year it is?

Submitted by jsff2@yahoo.com on Sat, 09/26/2009 - 18:03

Edited on 2009-09-26 18:03:57

When the car was put away, my father fogged the living hell out of it. He builds custom engines for a living and was sure the rings would be fine. Ill have some pictures of it up in a hour or so.

Submitted by bonnettoboot@e… on Sat, 09/26/2009 - 10:51

John, the year model is what is used, In the UK (similiar to the USA) the year model starts on August 1st. Therefore, a car built on or after Aug 1st 1966 is considered a 1967 model. In earlier times with coachbuilt cars it could take a year or more to build a body to the purchasers requirements. of interest in recent years Rolls Royce hadx an excess of Corniche cars, the company modified them to comply with the next year standards and then sold them as a newer year model!!

Submitted by SC38-21185J on Sat, 09/26/2009 - 09:32

Johnny: I assume you've cranked on the car, and I would have advised against doing that initially. After 15 years, the piston rings tend to rust to the cylinder walls, especially if the car has been stored in a damp garage. I would have cautioned you to pour about 1/4 cup of Marvel Mystery Oil down the spark plug hole, and let the engine sit for a few days, then a slow hand crank as opposed to using the starter.

But ultimately, I guess it doesn't matter. Either the rings are shot or they are not. First step would be to get compression readings on all 6 cylinders. That will tell you whether or not you will need an engine rebuild. 15 years can take its toll on an engine.

Good luck.