Found a 96 Corolla, low mileage but not driven for 18 months. What to inspect?

[normalize]

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in buying a '96 5 speed DX with only 75,000 miles. The problem is that until this summer it had been sitting in a driveway for more than a year. The seller is asking blue book for it, which is around $3,500.

Everything looks pretty good, there's no visible rust on the body, but I'm concerned that there might be some dry/cracked rubber belts, seals, etc. How much harm would be done to the car after sitting through an entire year in Wisconsin? Also, the fuel wasn't drained and I don't think there was any stabilizer put in the tank. The A/C doesn't work either, perhaps there's a leak in the unit?

The car does run well, and it's had a minimal amount of work done at the shop in the last few months: coolant flush, new oil, air filter, and front brake rotors/pads. Given the mileage, I don't think the timing belt has been replaced yet.

Any ideas on what to look for? If I were to buy the car, what would be the first things I would want to replace?

[Suprawillis]

These cars are pretty bulletproof. Especially if it's a 7A-FE. The first things I would look for are flat spots in the tires. Belts are simple to replace if needed.

You can change the simple tune up components (plugs, wires, distributor cap, rotor, fuel filter, air filter, PCV valve, sea foam the intake) for a hundred bucks and call it a day.

The AC probably needs a recharge.

[normalize]

Well, that's good to know. I was planning on doing the typical maintenance items anyway. The tires seemed alright, I'm guessing the flat spots have been worn back in after a few miles of driving or the smaller size/aspect ratio of the tires makes them less susceptible.

[Woz2000]

If the AC was rarely used and it sat idle for 18 months, the hoses and seals are probably hard and leaky. The AC might need more than just a recharge.

Are you sure this is actual mileage? Check the seats, heel wear, etc to correspond to low mileage, if they are well worn, I'd be suspicious.

[Bitter]

sitting...brakes tend to rust up good. Inside faces usually don't clean up with driving.