picked up a 71 project today

[VA72C10]

Nice find. As said, start with the brakes. Then I'd look and see if the linkage is loose for the shifter.

For the power brake booster if it has a bracket with it, I'd take the actual booster off and use it as a core charge at a parts store and get a new booster. Then you can bolt it up to the master cylinder and instant power brakes!

[71gmcburb]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

Nice find. As said, start with the brakes. Then I'd look and see if the linkage is loose for the shifter.

For the power brake booster if it has a bracket with it, I'd take the actual booster off and use it as a core charge at a parts store and get a new booster. Then you can bolt it up to the master cylinder and instant power brakes!

before you turn in your orig brake booster install the new and insure that it is the correct one. make sure that your push rod is of the correct lenght (you'd be surprised how many of the auto parts sales clerks think that since they can change thier own oil that they are mechanics lol) also I would advise you to replace the master cylinder while your at it.

As for the shift linkage can you feel the indentations as you shift or is it sloppy as a $2 hooker?

If its all sloppy then it could be any thing from a bad connection between the column and the trans to bad bearings in the column for the shift linkage.

If is firm than look for a thread of wire that has a clip attached to the end of it this thread is what controls the shift indicator. it attaches to the loop on the column that rotates with the shift lever.

I'm assuming that the trans is in working order

[dmack91]

Agree on brakes first. However, being cheap, I would try the booster first. I put a used one on my 68 and it worked fine. It took less than an hour, just go slow bending the brake lines. Even if it works, I would still go through and rebuild the brakes (costs around $200 in parts and machining on mine front and rear), then change all fluids.

Making sure it is safe to drive should be your first priority, then reliability, then cosmetics.

Best advice I got was to get it running and driving first, then tackle other things (body, interior, etc) one at a time. It is easy to get excited and strip it down to nothing, then get overwhelmed and abandon it since you can never seem to see the end of the tunnel.

Have fun.