§ 218. Transitional provisions. (a) Actions barred at effective date.
Nothing in this article shall authorize any action to be commenced which
is barred when this article becomes effective, except insofar as the
right to commence the action may be revived by an acknowledgment or
payment.

(b) Cause of action accrued and not barred at effective date. Where a
cause of action accrued before, and is not barred when this article
becomes effective, the time within which an action must be commenced
shall be the time which would have been applicable apart from the
provisions of this article, or the time which would have been applicable
if the provisions of this article had been in effect when the cause of
action accrued, whichever is longer.