Tattoo is right Benny it's cheaper to pick up a new rig than to pay for someone to fix an older one, especially if it's been sitting for 15 years or so. Not saying that yours is a lost cause, if you can find someone to take a look at it for free then go ahead. Not sure where you are located, I'd offer to check it out but I'm in the middle of nowhere (Potter County) so distance might work against you there. Take a quick look at the front, if you have a switch that's labeled LOC and DX make sure it's on DX and if you have an AGC try adjusting it until you have a lot of static, you can turn the squelch up just a little to kill the static, but too much and you will kill your sensitivity and won't hear anybody. Channel 19 is the fave of truckers and depending on where you are you can almost always hear someone talking there, if only one side of the conversation.
If you decide to play with it more make sure that you hook up with someone with an SWR meter, you have to make sure you present a balanced load to the rig or you will burn out the final amp, then you end up a 12 volt paperweight. If you have an armature radio operators (or HAM) in your area most of them are happy to help out in setting up an antenna if you ask them. They might even try to get you interested in becoming a ham, it's a lot of fun, but not for everybody.
Even if you end up picking up a new mobile rig make sure you have some tune the antenna for you, they are not tuned at the factory because where you put it and what is near it will make a difference.
The family handhelds are ok but you won't have near the range of an 11 meter rig (CB or Chicken Band). Plus you don't want your hand held floating around your rig (or in the mud) when you're on the trail. If you hike with a partner though the family handhelds are great as long as you don't exceed the range.