My apologies (in advance) for the stupid question(s), but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Due to unforeseeable personal circumstances, my S2000 build was put on hold indefinitely. I'm now in the process of putting the car back together (first by finishing my OEM hard top install and putting some of the interior back in), and getting the car re-registered.

I have just checked the car, and the battery is completely dead. I will be buying a new battery for it (I was considering a lightweight battery and perhaps now is a good time)

I need some advice on a checklist of things I should do before I start the car, to make sure I don't harm the car in any way.

One option I am considering towing the car to a local workshop to have all the fluids drained and refreshed (not just because it's been sitting there, but because it is due for a fluid refresh anyway). Is this overkill?

Another option would be for me to just replace the oil and battery at home. In doing so, should l to do anything else before I start the car? One additional (perhaps paranoid) question would be about the fuel in the gas tank. Would it need to be drained (could it have gone bad?)

Any advice from your experiences with this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

I would drain and replace all the fluids, especially the gas. If it wasn't stored with Stabil or some other gas stabilizing agent, there's a good likelihood that its gone bad and might gum up your injectors. Also check your tires closely, if the car has been sitting on the same spot of rubber for a whole year there's a chance that the tires will not balance properly or have flat spots.

That being said, a car sitting for a year shouldnt be a huge deal, especially if it was in a garage and not exposed to the elements. Changing fluids and checking the tires will be the most important thing.

 

pull the injector and ignition fuses and crank it for a few seconds to build up oil pressure to prevent a near-dry start up. Other than that, just put good gas in and you should be golden.