Vintage 1983 VW Jetta TD idle for 2+ years! HELP!

This 1983 VW Turbo-Diesel is one of the first VW TD imported into North Americaa but unfortunately has been sitting covered outside in the northeast for over 2 years without being started. I know the battery will need to be replaced, but what else should i do before attempting to start it???
What should I check or look out for?
Is the diesel in the tank still good?
Should i add fresh diesel and an additive?
Any help at all will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
kudkow@yahoo.com

Thanks for all the great advice and suggestions.
I came up here and first chance I got I bought a new battery thinking that for sure the old one after 3 years was junk. Well, first surprise, the voltage in the old one was only 3/100's V less than the new one, (I did leave it disconnected)so why not try the old one to crank it over.
Was barely any diesel in tank so I couldn't pump it out, added a bottle of additive and let it sit overnight, and then 5 gals of fresh diesel.
Turned the key over and it started just like it always did!!! It was a miracle, after 3 years of sitting. Praise Jesus! I couldn't believe it, and neither can anyone else. And to boot, I drove it all around town and then way down here to SE Florida without a hitch, and with the original battery, and it survived Hurricane Wilma., though my roof didn't fair so well.
I guess them original diesels were made to just keep on truckin.....

If you can't drain the tank and clean it out(which you should) then at least add new fuel and alot of additive. Maybe one of two bottles of Powerservice. Fresh battery like you said and put in a new fuel filter right away. After you get it running you can worry about coolant, transmission oil, and other things.

Thanks for the input, I'm hoping it won't be a major deal. I'm wondering how well it will run down here in the heat and humidity of south Florida, I'm planning on driving it and using it down here. I know it is a loud and noisy clunker, not like the new and sleek TDI Jetta's, but it does get 45MPG!!!

Definitely check the condition of the timing belt before attempting to start it.

Also, you may want to manually rotate the engine over by hand using a breaker bar, extension, and I believe a 19mm socket on the center crank bolt (clockwise only). You can also squirt some oil or WD-40 type of lubricant into the prechambers via either the injector holes or glow plug holes--this will run into the cylinder eventually and lubricate the rings, but this may not be necessary if the engine turns over freely and can build up compression. It's also something you must be careful doing, as if you put too much lubricant in you can hydrolock the engine and bend a connecting rod (really bad).

If you can't get the engine to move using the breaker bar (make sure tranny is out of gear ) I would NOT try to start it, as you may have stuck rings.

I'd change the oil first thing as well.

. . . I'm planning on driving it and using it down here. . .

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Wow--I remember when I was young and adventerous like you!

Anybody else?