I just became owner of 1979 45 sl with 75 k miles. The car was paled 10 years ago and hasn't ran since. I replaced the tank and it will kind of start but not run. My next move is going to be replacing fuel distributor. Does any one have experience bringing long term parked cars back to life?

 

Oops meant parked not paled

 

still could be crud in the fuel lines. to start, change oil and filter and see see how bad the oil looks, check for shiny metal fragments, sludge. if nasty, I would change oil again after a few hundred miles. I'd replace wiring, plugs, points with electronic points, distributor cap, rotor, vacuum hoses if cracked or hard. if that doesn't work, check timing, compression in each cylinder and fuel pressure. once running, I like a quart of tranny fluid in my oil to clean up the engine, very high detergent, helps dissolve varnish, especially around the rings.. don't use engine flush.

 

Might replace fuel filter(s) as well. Sounds more like a vacuum hose with a crack or leak.