just picked up an 84-no start

[wagons]

just got a hot air parts car, its really rough and hasnt seen the road since 97, has supposedly been sitting in a yard for 7 years and was told it ran/drove when parked. fuel pump does nothing which i pretty much expected but it also seems to have no spark. had an old chapman alarm in it but from what i can tell it wasnt hooked up anymore, car was stolen in 93 and recovered 5 days later(a GN stolen, shocking I know) but i don't think the alarm has any part of killing the engine, just a noise maker. whats the first step you guys would take?

 

[Topjimmy]

I'd look at the fuses first (FP & ECM for starters), then power and ground at the fuel pump.
If you're planning on saving the engine, make sure to prime the oiling system and pre-lube the cylinders before it fires.

Good Luck - Jimmy.

 

[novaderrik]

does the check engine light come on when you turn on the key? if not, then check for power at the orange wire in the plug at the ecm.
to see if the fuel pump still works, you can put a jumper wire in the oil pressure sender plug and turn the key on. i forget which wires to jump, but it's easy to figure out. there is also a wire up by the coil pack, i believe, that can be used to activate the fuel pump by applying power to it.

 

[wagons]

all fuses check out ok with power at each, no check engine light. could just be the bulb but i will check power at the ecm first since i already have it out, ecm's plugs have some corrosion on them so i'll clean that up and see what i get. havent tried jumping the pump yet but even if i do get it to run its just going to pump 7+ year old gas, i'm sure the 3.8 wouldn't be happy with that.