what else would you do?

[LanceB]

Had Dads new 75 L48 vert for two weeks at my house getting it in order. It runs pretty good but going through everything just to know its done. So far: new brakes - new calipers, pads, master cylinder gasket & flexible hoses, changed oil & oil filter, changed fuel filter and air filter, changed rear end fluid (it was low and we changed it to the recommended GM products - took chatter away quick!), spark plugs & wires, cleaned out carb, new hoses and belts. It runs cool and has just the right amount of antifeeze so leaving well enough alone there. It is a 4 speed. What else would you go through for maintenance sake and to make it as "dependable" (gulp) as possible for my Dad? The interior is perfect & all original. There are no noticeable leaks on anything, we are hoping to give it a good paintjob next year after all the mechanics are in order. It has the original paint except for the bumpers were replaced with fiberglass (which look amazing compared to my 81s wavy plactic bumpers by the way).

 

[73shark]

Might repack front wheel bearings, replace the P/S fluid, and check/replace dist. cap. Check timing and carb adjustments.

Did you flush and replace the brake fluid when you replaced the calipers and hoses? How are the headlites as they do dim w/ age? Does the GM diff. lube already have the Posi additive in it? If not then might put a bottle of it in.

Sounds like your Dad got a good find.

 

[LanceB]

Yes I flushed the brakes out and then some. I used up a ton of brake fluid. Don't know much about wheel bearings. The headlights are slow but operational, I am going to start looking for vacuum leaks on it. I put the little bottle of the additive in with 2+ bottles of the lube. After making myself dizzy in the parking lot doing figure 8's the chatter was gone. I am going to check the carb and timing next thanks!

 

[Evolution1980]

Keeping with the brakes...
Did you also replace the steel brake lines that run along the frame? Those can get very brittle. And the proportioning valve, while not entirely necessary in the grand scheme of things, can occasionally stick.
Check the parking brake. It's not uncommon for those to seize up. But like the proportioning valve, it's not really critical.

Other stuff...
~ All the weatherstripping or as needed
~ Don't know if the clutch (fan) has been replaced, nor do I know their MTBF, but quite a few people have had to replace theirs (the clutch assm)
~ check your major grounding cables/connections, such as the one from the battery that attaches underneath the car on the frame. Electrical gremlins can abound in our cars and a lot of times it's a grounding issue.
~ ever replaced the windshield wipers? I went about 15 years before I finally got the idea to replace mine. :L
~ Not that you'd proactively go in to replace it, but heater cores can be a real PITA when they fail. You'll have a nice antifreeze bath on your passenger floorboard.

 

[LanceB]

Thanks for the reply! As a matter of fact I did replace the wipers. I looked at them and thought even if someone accidentally hit the wiper button, a huge scratch all the way across the windshield would suck real bad. Not too experienced with manual shifts, but going to start investigating next. Yes the weatherstripping needs some TLC too...probably put it on after Dad gets it painted. The brakes seem to working real good now. The steel brake lines seem to be in pretty good shape. The brakes are working real good now, maybe save that for next year and don't scare Dad off too bad...I still haven't told him how much its going to cost to paint it yet

 

[73shark]

Good idea to remove the W/S before you have it painted. Also remove old paint. I didn't and regretted it several years later.