Looking for help getting my '02 GT Convertible back to life

How old is the gas exactly?

New battery, change gas, change oil, change coolant. If it was parked outside look at the brakes as they might be all rusted and need to be replaced. Also probably not a bad idea to change trans and diff fluids while you're at it. Pull a plug and look at AF to check condition. Change if needed. Check tires for dry rot cracks and there is a good chance the tires have flat spots from sitting so long which will cause a vibration.

Rings rusted to cylinders can be a concern sitting that long. I think if it were me, I'd put some form of lubricant (I see Marvel Mystery Oil used for this often) down in the cylinders (via the spark plug holes), let it soak in a little bit, and slowly turn it by hand a few times before starting it (trans in neutral), just to make sure everything moves freely.

As for gas, I'd siphon as much out as possible, then drop the tank. Our tanks aren't that hard to remove, once most of the fuel is out, and it'd be easier to do now than after you've filled it again.

Forgot about fuel filter! Change that after changing fuel

The siphon trick won't work. Why? Because there's an anti-siphon valve on the end of the fuel tank filler neck. This will prevent a hose from going all the way into the tank.

When I brought back to life my 2000 GT, I disconnected the fuel filter and forced 12 volts down the RD/BK and BN/PK wires to force the fuel pump to run. I took the stale gas and put a gallon in all of my (and my neighbor's) cars. Saved the hassle of disposing.

I used an "old school" battery charger to power the fuel pump.

With a high end bi-directional ODB2 scanner it might be possible to "command" the PCM to run the fuel pump.

+1 on removing the spark plugs. I have used Sta-bil fogging oil to great effect. To me it makes more sense because it's a mist that will get into all of the areas within the cylinder.

Consider an injector cleaning and flow test service such as InjectorRX.com. Once cleaned and tested they are as good as new (but cheaper).

If it's the first time to work on a modern PCM controlled car, consider staring out with a strong first step. Consider getting yourself an ODB2 scanner.

ForScan ODB2 scanner w ELM327 USB

Do a visual inspection for evidence of rodent activity. How does your nose work?

Another problem you might have is an over loaded charcoal canister. This may manifest itself as slow re-filling at the gas pump. If you encounter the problem it may clear itself up after several EVAP purge cycles. If trying to make the car run EVAP purge cycles keep the gas tank less than 3/4ths full.

Here is another place where a bi-directional ODB2 scanner can help. Simply command an EVAP purge test to force the EVAP purge to run. This will help get the years of gas vapors out of the charcoal canister.

I started working on my 2002 GT (~58k miles) after several years of neglect (got married/had kids), though I still drove it off and on. A couple of things I hit aside from the usual mentioned above:

- Fuel pump died. Was able to replace just the pump for $100 and my labor to drop the tank. Dealer wanted much more (quoted ~$900) as they would have replaced the entire sender assembly, not just the pump module.
- New coilpacks, started getting a misfire. Went with MSD replacements, seemed like good replacement for the price.
- Did some suspension work and noticed my rubber bushings and such are getting old (ball joint boots, tie rod boots). Going to eventually do some more upgrades at which point I'll replace them.

So did you get it back on the road?