Pulled a 1996 Corolla out of a field in Modesto for $400 and the starter solenoid was just gummed up

Viola Young · 2026-10-18T21:10:02.974336+00:00

Two weeks ago my cousin called me about a Corolla sitting in a field outside Modesto since 2019, and I dragged it home for $400 expecting to swap a starter. Turned out the solenoid contacts were just coated in old grease and crud, so I cleaned them with brake cleaner and a wire brush and it fired right up on the third crank. Now I'm wondering how many "dead" cars get scrapped over stuff that simple, so what's the dumbest cheap fix that saved one of your project cars?

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Pulled a 1996 Corolla out of a field in Modesto for $400 and the starter solenoid was just gummed up | Cars We Bought Broken - Rigidtalk