2 Tone - 1977 Sterling #322

[RCAA]

Hi There,
Im Anita, new member here to this site just joined this year 2023 in hopes to get some guidance on restoring sterling #322. The sterling belongs to my dear ol' family friend, Richard Carlson. Richard just turned 80 this month (November) and is unable to work on the car any more so I figured maybe I can give it a go. The car has been broken down sitting for +20 years it was covered with... "stuff" we uncovered and gave the sterling a quick wash. Ive been reading forums of engine swaps and such and am open to different ideas my Goal here is to just simply get the car running and living again. Just put a new battery in and was able to confirm canopy function but car wont start up. No spark or nothing, gas pedal stiff , lots of rust. Anyway after reading quite a bit I Think my first step would be to tear everything out and confirm the condition of the Chassis.

 

[Brett Proctor]

Welcome to the site.

 

[farfegnubbin]

Hello!

That project actually looks like a really good starting point. We’ve certainly seen Sterlings in much dire straights than that which have come back to life. The body looks to be in quite good shape. You have the fairly rare “GT-style” dash, which is cool. Who knows what condition the engine is in, but that’s pretty easy to solve. I’d say do exactly what you said: See what condition the chassis is in and then steadily work with a goal of getting it running and drivable. You can detail anything else you want from there.

We’ll try to help with advice as specific things come up. But yeah, I think you have a really nice staring point there.

 

[nbb350]

WOW...That's a LOT of STUFF!
You might also want to do a full inspection/cleanout of all the mouse nests that are inevitable after decades under that STUFF. Plus look out for chewed wires & hoses.
If the carpet and seats are cleanable & salvageable, congrats. If not, keep them (after hose washing & air drying) for use as future templates for replacements - you can't just go to RockAuto and order new carpet for a Sterling!
Good luck!

 

[ratrog64]

I would recommend you take apart as little as possible. Most of the chassis can be inspected from underneath. Don't make the project bigger then it needs to be. Plenty of examples of cars that will never get done because they become overwhelming projects. VW motors are simple enough to figure out with a little patients. Best of luck and have fun.