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I'm a little concerned that there might not be any fluids in it, because it hasn't leaked any yet :smile:
 
Congrats on the new arrival -- nothing like a car arriving first thing in the morning to make your day!
 
Does anyone know if the pin stripes are factory? I'm thinking not, but I've seen quite a few with similar stripes. They appear to be tape, not painted.

The thick trim strip turns out to be riveted on :frown:

I was hoping for an easy removal. I still might take it off, and fill the holes with plugs, especially if I can find some gray ones. Or maybe I can find some silver/gray trim that isn't so big.

I think I need to check the rear brakes. I parked it a little further in the garage than I needed to, so I tried to push it back a bit, and it was very hard to move (yes, the handbrake was off and it was out of gear). Probably will help acceleration, too :smile:.
 

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justin_mercier said:
Those are factory, they were an option. My 1977 wedge has them as well.
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Really? Are yours black or body color?

I pulled a rear wheel and found that the handbrake cable is getting hung up and not releasing. I can't quite picture how the whole thing works, since I don't have anyone to pull it while I watch. But I discovered that I have Koni shocks on the rear.

I also pulled a front wheel, but I can't tell what the strut cartridges are, since they are inside the strut tube. But I do need new gaiters, ball joints, and front brake pads. Though I'm pretty sure I'm going to install Woody's big brake kit, so perhaps I'll go directly there (but then I need new wheels first).
 
As far as I know that trim was not a factory item. I do not recall seeing any sales lit or anything that had them installed.

It could have been a dealer option....but most likely a PO installation.

Rivets? Really? yikes.... The ones I have seen were just double sided tape.

The handbrake is a pretty simple operation. I would clean up the cables & hinge points near the drums with some solvent / oil and see if that helps your cause. Probably bound up from sitting.

...as for the leaks...ahem, well, I would check the tranny fluid before I drove it :smile: If it is dry get the GM Synchomesh in there.
 
GBRandy said:
The handbrake is a pretty simple operation. I would clean up the cables & hinge points near the drums with some solvent / oil and see if that helps your cause. Probably bound up from sitting.
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It looks OK at the drum, I think it is i the mechanism that connects all the cables. I just couldn't figure out how it works without someone to pull the handle while I watch. It looks like there might even be a zerk fitting on there.

GBRandy said:
...as for the leaks...ahem, well, I would check the tranny fluid before I drove it :smile: If it is dry get the GM Synchomesh in there.
Click to expand...

Yep, I took one quick drive to get gas (and another thing to check out, the gauge was showing empty when I got the car, but it only took 10 gallons. And the gauge now shows 3/4. So either the gauge is off, the sender is off, or the pump shut off before really filling the tank).

My next jobs are to change/check fluids. The engine oil looked OK, and the coolant looked nasty. I also want to change the rear end fluid, but I'll need a new gasket since it doesn't appear to have a drain.

-Darrell
 
Shutting the pump premature (yike, don't even like saying that) is SOP with the Wedge
 
Let the sorting begin. Here is the first months list. Change fluids, (don't forget the ZDDPlus oil additive, GM syncromesh trans fluid, rear end gasket) check rebuild hydraulics, grease window winder mechanisms, brakes, tstat and gasket, sort thru electrical gremlins, tune up, identify leaks. It's common for the fuel float to "clock" in the tank and not read correctly. It's also common for them to saturate with fuel and not float all the way to the top. This also gives a false reading. Lastly, sometimes the needle on the gauge just needs repositioning to read correctly. Good luck, have fun, and welcome aboard. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask.
 
DNK said:
Shutting the pump premature (yike, don't even like saying that) is SOP with the Wedge
Click to expand...

OK, I'll wait until the next fill up before I worry too much about it.

-Darrell
 
GBRandy said:
As far as I know that trim was not a factory item. I do not recall seeing any sales lit or anything that had them installed.

It could have been a dealer option....but most likely a PO installation.

Rivets? Really? yikes.... The ones I have seen were just double sided tape.
Click to expand...

Mine are riveted on as well. According to the original owner of my car it came off the truck with them, not a local dealer installed item. Likely not a factory installed option while the cars were in England either, which would leave a strong possibility that they could have been installed in Leonia, New Jersey. Supposedly mine came off the trailer with the bump strips, luggage rack and sliding glass sunroof, all installed in New Jersey. To some, that equals factory installed.
 
So enough already about all the trim and fluids and blah blah blah :laugh:

The real question is how does she drive and have you floored it in second gear and held it up to 6,000 RPM yet.
 
tdskip said:
The real question is how does she drive and have you floored it in second gear and held it up to 6,000 RPM yet.
Click to expand...

She seems to drive as she should. I need to get used to slowing down/angling in on driveways and such, not used to that with SUVs, or even my 4A. I was surprised how much lower than my 4A the car is.

I only went to fill up the tank, and a quick turn on the freeway. Don't want to do any more until I've checked/changed the vital fluids.

I've also been charging the battery, it still isn't done. It appears to be a newer one, and had no problems starting the car, so hopefully I won't need to replace that soon. It was disconnected when the car arrived, and the driver was looking under the hood, scratching his head, and finally asked if I know where the battery was!
 
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