AN INSTRUCTOR PLT TOOK A C170 ON A FERRY FLT; WITHOUT CHKING THE FUEL; TO 59S. THE ACFT RAN OUT OF FUEL AND LANDED ON THE GRASS BESIDE THE RWY.

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I WAS ASKED TO FERRY THE C170B TO EVERGREEN FROM PEARSON ARPT IN VANCOUVER FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ACFT HAD A FERRY PERMIT; WHICH I DID NOT SEE. A FEW WKS PRIOR TO THIS DATE; I HAD HELPED THE OWNER PUT 10 GALLONS OF GAS IN THE ACFT FOR TEST RUNS ON THE NEW ENG. HE HAD RUN THE ACFT SINCE HE HAD PUT THE GAS IN IT; HE TOLD ME 15-20 MINS TO CHK THE ENG GAUGES. SO I TOOK HIS WORD FOR THAT AND LOOKING INSIDE THE ACFT NOT MUCH FUEL SHOWED; SO I THOUGHT THE FLOATS WERE STUCK. THE ACFT STARTED UP RIGHT AWAY. TAXIED OUT AND DID A BEFORE TKOF CHK. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE DOING GREAT. TOOK OFF AND HEADED TOWARDS EVERGREEN ARPT GOING AROUND PORTLAND; OR; CLASS C AIRSPACE. THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT AND I WAS CIRCLING TO LAND ON RWY 28 AT EVERGREEN AND THE ENG STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND THEN QUIT. I WAS JUST OFF THE DEP END; SO I TURNED AND LANDED GOING TO THE E RWY 10 IN THE GRASS. ONE ACFT WAS TAKING OFF AND MOVED OUT OF THE WAY. I LANDED WITH NO PROBS. THE ENG HAD QUIT SO WE PUSHED IT TO THE HANGAR FOR THE ANNUAL. WHEN WE CHKED THE GAS TANKS; THEY WERE EMPTY. SEEING THE EMPTY TANKS; I THOUGHT HOW DUMB I WAS TO TAKE SOMEONE'S WORD FOR IT; WITHOUT CHKING MYSELF. IT IS AMAZING HOW I TEACH FOR SO LONG AND NOT PRACTICE WHAT I TEACH. I MADE A VERY BAD MISTAKE. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT AND THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED. ONE THING FOR SURE -- YOU NEVER STOP LEARNING IN AVIATION.