So I am trying to buy fellow board member LoopingZ's 89 IROC 5.7 and we have been conversing over why on earth his car won't start (he is back in his home country and a friend is selling it, or else he would have fixed it himself most certainly).

The other day, just as I was about to buy the car, the keepers of the car currently told me it wouldn't start. I've looked over it a few times since then and all wiring seems to be in order. The starter and battery cables are less than two years old, and the battery is only a few days old.

When you turn the key, nothing happens. There is a VATS override switch (a pushbutton that has been there for at least three years) and when I hold down the switch and turn the key...a single click and nothing else.

I figured then it was the starter solenoid perhaps, so we hooked the battery up with jumper cables to a van (the gauge was only reading 9V) and once it battery got up to 12.5ish V I hopped under the car and jumped the starter. It cranked and cranked (not slowly, but at a normal cranking rate) but would not turn over for anything.

All the lights, radio, electric fan, etc come on and do not dim when I am trying to start the car. The security light is not on. Also, I don't know what battery was came stock with the car, or what was in it the prior two years, but I noticed when I was leaving the current battery only has 450 cold cranking amps...

So would I be correct in saying the solenoid is likely bad,
and does that battery have enough amps to turn the car over? It was 37 degrees at the time by the way. Thanks for any help guys, as soon as this car runs I'm buying it, so obviously I'm anxious to get it started!