Well I made it to Jersey and back without getting shot or raped by Snookie... Got my minty Oldsmoturd diesel sitting in the garage.. All I can say is WOW it's clean for an '81.. Even has a factory cassette (not 8-track) !! My buddy who went along did point something out to the PO and myself.. It's 2011, not 2001.. The car has been sitting in a nice dry garage for 16 years
Tires are cracked, brakes are nada, batteries HA!, oh and the fuel tank... 1/4 full of some nasty liquid worthy of burning brush.. I think it'll be coming off to be cleaned.. At least I can lay under the car and admire the vintage Zeibart that's still all there..
So as far as the engine I found some reciptes from '89 and on which is when the PO bought it.. About 4k miles before it was parked it stopped on the highway and it was towed to a shop.. they "cleaned the fuel system" and it went another 4k till it was parked.. I suspect it stopped again.. There is an electric lift pump installed bypassing the original mechanical one..
So I rigged a jug of fuel and a VW fuel filter up on it and tried to start it.. After allowing the left pump to run for several mins it would start and run for a few seconds.. About long enough to drain the fuel out of the pump.. Very VERY little fuel would trickle out of the return.. So I popped the top off the pump and hit the electric pump.. Fuel very slowly dribbles into the pump.. There was a fair amount of crap floating in there.. I *think* there is a screen on the pump inlet, I'm betting it's plugged..
I feel my best bet at the moment would be to tear the pump down clean it out and reseal it.. I'm sure otherwise it'll start leaking at any moment.. Anyone got suggestions for a source on Stanadyne pump parts?
Otherwise for the couple times I had it running a few seconds it had oil pressure, and no pressure in the cooling system... THe PO has the egr blocked off .. I felt that to be a nice touch..
THe other good finds have been a few unopened packages of fuses, an un opened tire pressure gauge (gold mine I broke mine the day before!) and an original pair of Blu Blocker sunglasses....