Hey, i just stumbled upon my dads old 1975 280z in the garage and its been rusted out, doesnt run and i was wondering what would my first step to get it running would be?

Quick Checklist

0. Visual Inspection: belts, hoses, wiring, rodent damage/nesting

1. drain gas and flush tank with acetone.

2. drain oil

3. drain coolant and replace thermostat, flush out system with a garden hose (there is a drain on the block near cylinder 5 on drivers side).

4. pull plugs pour ATF or spray anti-seize (pb blaster/liquid wrench) into plug holes

5. turn motor at crank nose to ensure rings are not seized

6. remove valve cover, oil cam, remove oil bar, use canned carb cleaner and straw to spray all holes in oil bar to back flush

7. re-install oil bar, replenish oil, and crank engine with plugs out and watch for oil bar to start squirting. Make sure all holes are oiling the 12 cam lobes.

8. blow gas lines back into tank

9. replenish coolant and gas

10. crank and check for spark

11. Check electrical system. Voltage at battery should be 12.6 to 12.8 with car off and ~13-14.5V with car on . Also check for corrosion in wires and at fuse block.

12. Verify injector operation

13. Check fuel and brake system

14. Check suspension and wheels/tires

15. Start car and check gauges/engine function/exhaust/ cooling system/ charging (watch for burning wires in cabin, coolant leaks in system and in cabin)

16. Take on a few drives within pushing distance to your home and resolve any issues. (gunk in fuel tank may take a mile or two to clog the filters or fuel pickup!)

Stuff you may need to replace:

fluids

plugs

plug-wires

coil

distributor cap & rotor

tires

battery

water pump

air filter

clutch slave (seals)

rear wheel cylinders (seals)

fuses

Thermostat

fuel filter

Mostly you need a lot of time and money.

But seriously (the above was serious, but rude...) First you need to consider the amount of rust, or more accurately the degree to which structurally significant portions of the car are missing. Make sure that the unit body is repairable before you start throwing money at the restoration.

How does one "stumble upon" a car parked in your garage? Was it buried under old Playboy magazines? How long has it been hiding?

Well i stumbled upon the fact that i might want to fix it!

And thanks guys! but the rust is pretty bad so........

How bad is "pretty bad?" Does it just have a small hole or two around the rear fenders, or is it a complete basket case, with holes in the floorboards, rocker panels, doors, frame rails, etc. Almost all of these cars have a bit of rust somewhere. The question is, "How much?"

Well basically where the taillights are all rusted out near the license plate, the area right under the hood is falling apart and the roof is rusted but isnt to bad. the interior seems fine but its mostly the body in the under areas

Ill post pics ASAP