Originally Posted by Anonymous '73

Here's what I do to every new-to-me vehicle. Doing some of these simple steps when looking at a vehicle to buy can also reveal stuff the seller may not tell ya.:

Preserve sanity.
Grab a trash bag and a small box… trash and garbage goes in the bag and any spare parts goes into the box. The owners manual and, if present, fuses goes in the glove box.
Powerwash the body, wheel wells, and even the engine compartment.
Vacuum it out. Cleanliness is next to….

Basic Visual Inspection
Grab a note pad and do a bumper to bumper visual inspection.. this is also time to go on “Hack Patrol” – All those so-called “repairs” made by previous owners. Look for duct tape, household wire nuts, electrical tape, wood screws, wires that go to nowhere.
On the notepad make three columns/categories:
Gotta fix/replace now.. these include safety items like lights and brakes, cab mounts;
Gotta fix/upgrade/replace soon or “The Watch List” – floor pans.; and,
Fix later – rust holes, old wiper blades, loose ***** and switches.
Look for loose, missing, or broken hardware like lug nuts, fender and bumper bolts, and bellhousing to engine bolts. Feel around for soft or cracked hoses – radiator hoses degrade from the inside. Crimp it with your hand and it should have the same firmness all the way around.

Fluid Check.
You’re just doing this so ya don’t burn anything up and the fluids will be replaced later.
Engine oil, coolant, auto trans, power steering, and brake fluid. If possible, front and rear axle lube, T-case, and gear lube in a manual trans.
Air up the tires and the spare.

Hardware Check (Bumper to Bumper)
With a screwdriver, sockets, and wrenches double-check the tightness of everything that is easily accessible.
Torque the lug nuts.
Tighten hose clamps in the engine compartment.
Double-check spark plugs and seat the plug wires. I like to also verify the firing order.

Pre-Operation
Check for brake pressure.
Turn on the ignition system (no engine start). Turn on everything - blower motor, exterior and interior lights, turn signals, hazards, heater controls, wipers, etc.

Engine Start.
With a fire extinguisher at the ready, fire it up and let’er cook.
Set the idle speed and timing.
Verify that the thermostat works by leaving off the rad cap. You’ll see the coolant flowing which is an indication that the thermostat had indeed opened.
Take it for a test drive and note how it tracks, turns, accelerates, and stops.
Park it and let it idle for about five minutes to check if it overheats.
Shut it off for 10 minutes and then restart it. Hopefully it starts right up. If not, then it can be a vapor lock, a carb that needs to be rebuilt, or defective ignition components like an ICU or coil.

Full Tune Up (to establish a baseline)
Rebuild the carburetor!!!
Replace points, plugs, wires, cap, and rotor.
Change the engine oil and oil filter.
Change coolant, axle gear lube, transmission, & T-case lube.
Replace air and fuel filter
Bleed and change brake fluid.
Replace all the drive belts and at least the radiator hoses.
Take a grease gun and service all grease fittings.
Lube door latches, locks, tailgate latches, door hinges, etc.