Owned this and drove it last in 1998.it is been sitting outside and was covered for most of the time. was working at time of parking. had replaced throttle cable then. been told that l may need: battery, lube cables, clear out jets/carb, etc....what else should l look out for to get this baby going?

Look in the gas tank.
If you see any rust, get it repaired.
At the very least, install an in-line fuel filter - or the rust particles will keep clogging the carburetor.