1970 4dr w/ vinyltop...any pointers are wanted

[the_dro]

I'm buying a 1970 Buick Lesabre for $600 that has been sitting in the same spot after it ran out of gas 2 years ago

The odometer shows 71,xxx and the body of the car is in really fair shape, with only one spot of exterior panel rust just behind a rear tire.

The engine is a 455 that last the people knew ran just fine when they decided to park it because of buying a new truck (an 80's if that's new)

Just to start with to get it up and running, i've thought of doing: spark plugs & wires, replaceing all fluids (brake oil antifreeze transmission), new battery, the belts look to be in good shape, i've considered a full tune up, but that's where i run into a problem...i'm just not good at all with engine work really just because i've never done much

they've said that the a/c didn't work, so i was wondering if i could buy some sort of recharge kit or stop-leak or something...

the RADIO is am only...i was wondering if i could pull the stock radio out of an '85 olds 98 regency and put it in the '70...

any pointers that i should fix before it's roadready??

thanks in advance for any help you can give me!!

['97ventureowner]

Concerning the A/C system, your system uses R-12 freon, which is no longer used in newer (post 1993) vehicles. I believe production of new R-12 has ceased and the only stuff available is recycled freon. In my state (NY) you have to have permission to purchase it and use it, primarily only auto repair facilities. The new refrigerant used in newer vehicles is R-134, which is supposed to be more environmentally friendly. There are retrofit kits on the market to change your vehicle's system to accept the R-134, I'm not sure if they make one for a 1970 vehicle. You could call your local auto parts store(s) to see if one is available for your vehicle. Another option you have is to have your local garage fix your A/C system if it is leaking, and then recharge it with the R-12 freon. This is expensive as the use of R-12 is tightly regulated by the government now, and it is hard to obtain, and many garages no longer do R-12 recharges because of the new procedures involved. If there is a retrofit kit for your vehicle, it may be your best and least expensive option.

[the_dro]

I'm thinking i may sit on the a/c system for a while, or I may for starters run a stopleak through the system for grins & chuckles...just until I get everything else under control, including just alot of basic cleanup and replacing parts...I just today spent 116$$$ for parts, and I've already thought of some more parts that i must get. Working in a grocery store isn't gonna make this project go any faster
I've also the idea in my head of getting rims sometime down the road....I was thinking Firestone chrome with a black backdrop...I hope to buy a good set for well under $100

[the_dro]

For firsts, i'm gonna try and find a salvage yard with a car that has good interior parts that aren't moldy and crap...basically strip my interior for its interior, if thats possible....
Master cylinder needs replaced too
Fuse box is missing fuses, have to buy some

['97ventureowner]

A lot of salvage yards have a "locator" where they can find parts that you need from other linked yards across the country.If you can't find much at a yard, try Hemmings motor news. I have used this magazine to locate hard to find parts for my Bel Air. There are also other restoration catalogs with interoir parts for your car.

[Alibi]

the car up and died...i was aggresssively accelerating up a hill, and it felt that i hit a bump good towards the top of the hill. the car died and now the starter only cranks but doesn't start. it acts like it will alllmost turn over, but never does.