I got a car which has not been run in several years. It has old gas in it. What do I need to do?
Drain out as much of the old gas as possible. It may have turned to varnish by now. Refill with fresh gas before you try to start the engine. A new fuel filter is a good idea, too.
And you can start adding that old gas back in after you have run a full tank of fresh gas. Just add no more than a gallon with each fill up.
Next time start by adding a gas stabilizer before you store a car.
A whole lot depends on if this a carburated or fuel injected engine.
Tester
It is carburated.
If it’s a 73 Lincoln Continental, do nothing and junk it, if it’s, oh forget it, this could take all day.
Drain the old gas, blow out the fuel lines and hope the fuel pump and carburetor are still good.
Often the pumps go bad after sitting for a long time with gas in them and the same goes for carburetors. This may lead to a carb rebuild.
Maybe after adding some fresh gas and a can of SeaFoam or Berryman’s B-12 you’ll get lucky on the pump and carb. Knock on wood.
I would also change the oil and filter, disconnect the coil wire, and crank the engine over with the starter until the oil light goes out. This will provide some oil up through the engine before starting it.