I just bought a white 1982 MSE Trans Am, which I think is #55 of 300 according to the plate in the center console from my next door neighbor today. It is in excellent condition since it has been sitting in a garage most of its life and it only has 27,000 miles on it. Original paint looks like showroom quality, interior isn't worn and under the hood is very clean. However, the last time it was running was 5-7 years ago when my neighbor moved in and drove it into the garage. The last time it was on the road was the year 2000 according to my neighbor, the inspection stickers are from 1999 as well. Nothing mechanically or cosmetically wrong with it, the previous owner only drove it sporadically since purchasing it new in 1982 and when he moved in next door he never drove it again.

All the hoses, wiring, and general rubber components look to be fine but I'm not sure what is the best plan of action to get it running. My plan for tomorrow was to change the spark plugs, spray a little wd-40 if necessary into each spark plug hole, change the oil/filter with synthetic 5-30, replace the battery, put in fresh gas, change the air filter, change the fuel filter, and clean the carb. The coolant looked fine and the other fluids looked fine. Not sure if I need to use a specific fuel additives or something else to help the little bit of old gas burn that's still in the tank.

Here are a few other questions/observations:
-All the door locks are very hard to move. Will the power windows be able to move once a new battery is installed or is this going to be a problem? Will the headlights need work to move again or should they be fine as well?
-I'm familiar with working on 3rd gens since my father owned an 89 Iroc-Z28 up until a year ago but are there trans am specific issues I need to consider?
-The gear shifter is very stiff and hard to move; will it free itself up once the car is running or is this an issue I have to fix prior to turning it over? I'm assuming it may have rust on the flywheel/clutch from not turning in so long?
-The "Git Kit" was never installed on this car because it would have voided the factory warranty. Everything is in the original packaging/boxes from 1982 and I have the exhaust pipes/headers as well. I'm not sure if the car is more valuable with the components installed or left 100% stock. Right now I don't plan on installing them as I want to get it to run first.
-Do these cars have overheating problems that are common with stock Iroc-Z28 camaro's? I think I have a clutch fan on my car and plan on taking some highway trips to the shore once its running again.
-Should the original suspension components be ok on this car? They looked fine at a quick glance and the shocks work fine. I'm going to replace the brakes and the tires for obvious safety reasons.
-What is the general value range of this car? I'm not looking to sell it right now but I'm probably applying for PA collector car insurance and plates. There is little information about the MSE and its hard to assess the value of the car since so few are ever sold.

Thanks for any help in advance and I'm looking to forward to bringing this classic back to life.

 

I'd leave the car 100% stock until your completely certain of what you have for starters. If this is indeed a rare car, any mods will hurt its value.

As for the fuel, I'd try to drain whatever you can, put fuel stabilizer in it, then fill it up as full as possible, in order to dilute the old gas.

Not sure which motor this have, but most 305's have a problem with the fan switches burning out. If so, the cooling fan won't turn on when its supposed to, so watch that one.

As for most of the stuff that's stiffined up, you may have to just find out as you go. Very few of us have found a "survivor" and drive old 'birds that have seen more road than they should have.

The locks on these cars do get extremely stiff. Not sure if they started that way or not.

Get the VIN off your car, use a decodor online and see what you've got. If you can find it and post it with a spec sheet if you can find it, I'm sure some members here would know exactly what you just bought.