I am going to purchase my dads 94' ram 1500. It has the magnum v8 with the manual transmission. Anyways the truck hasn't been started In a few years and so I was wondering what things should I do before I start it again for the first time in so long. Should I change the fuel (doesn't it degrade), oil, coolant brake fluid. Which ones can wait will it gets to a shop and which must be done before starting it up
Yes. Change the gas- if the fuel has been sitting for a few years then it's definitely gone bad. Do change the oil as well and check the transmission fluid.
How much are you purchasing for and what is the mileage? Is there any rust on the vehicle and if yes, is it serious?
It's a second gen, so it's got the usual rust and tail gates pretty dented from cows. Other than it's got 100k miles on it
Pull the plugs and spray some WD40 or PB Blaster in the holes to give the piston rings some kind of lubrication before you try to start it. They're bone dry after sitting for so long and them running dry for the few seconds it takes oil to get there will cause some wear. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to make sure the engine still turns over by putting a big, long breaker bar and socket on the crankshaft pulley and trying to turn it over. I would change the oil and filter at minimum, before you start it, to ensure it's getting fresh, clean oil.
Flushing out coolant, fuel and brake fluid are also good ideas. Siphon what you can out of the fuel tank and pop the fuel filter out to drain as much off as you can. Drop the tank and clean it out would be helpful.
I would inspect the brakes and do a near-full replacement proactively instead of just changing fluid. Replace pads and rotors, shoes, maybe drums, calipers and brake shoes as well if they're seized. I revived my 1979 Catalina this summer after it sat in a field for 5 years and had to replace pretty much the entire braking system. I would plan on taking a few weeks to a month to really comb the thing over.
