Galant Kid
05-30-2007, 09:01 PM
Hey everyone again! I've returned as I'd planned to one day, but I've got a question on a 7G.
Background:
I've found a 1995 LS with a black exterior on a black leather interior, 15in. alloys, foglights, and a CD changer in the trunk. It's been sitting for the better part of a year, the last time I saw it was when I had my first Galant, back in September. Then it was put away for winter, and just recently it was put up for sale! It has damage on the front which amounts to no more than sheet metal and a headlight, the result of a 15mph impact. :roll: Hey, it looked mint before it was hit.
I've been given the opportunity to purchase this car for $400, and I want to jump on it before it's gone.
Problem:
I can't decide if I want to buy it until I can take it on a road test, and to take it on a road test, I need to unstick the right rear tire!
The car in question has drum brakes, and I managed to take the drum off with simple tools (bolt and wrench) and I cleaned up some of the rust on the outside of the drum. (This was a problem with my first Galant as well, because it too sat through a winter.) Taking the rust off of the drum on that car fixed a problem with the rear brakes making grinding noises. My thinking is, if sitting for a few months gave my old car noisy brakes, then sitting for the better part of a year would rust them to the point they can't move on this car.
However, I'm not too sure of this, obviously! What I know so far is the "BRAKE!" light is on in the instrument cluster and the parking brake is *down.* I will say that the rear drum just barely fits over the shoes; as opposed to the first time I did this, where it slid right over them. (This was over a year ago, I hope my memory isn't too shot already!)
Could some kind of return spring have broken that I just didn't see? If I could use the star adjuster (if this car has one) to retract the shoes ever so slightly, would I use the hole hidden by the rubber grommet, or could I come around from the front? (I wasn't about to go looking for something I've never used before and try to mess with it.) I told the woman who was selling it I'd go and get a new drum for it if need be, but that I'd do some investigating on the matter before-hand, but if I can save this drum, perhaps by removing more rust, (there's a lot), I'd do that at TGC's suggestion first. :wink:
I'd prefer to *not* have this taken to a shop of ANY kind. You guys got to know me and my first car a little back in July through October 2006, and since then I've had two more cars that have run me and my wallet into the ground $1800 deep. (All mechanical and electrical failures too...) So understandably, if I'm going to afford this, I need to do it myself. I have the ability to, and the knowledge from schooling, so...it's time I stopped paying other people to do it.**
I really appreciate the help you guys gave me when I was going through my transmision troubles, and I apologize for being somewhat of a bastard and just leaving. Any help here now would be amazing, because LIFE HASN'T BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT A GALANT!
**Especially because if I buy this one, it's going to be without my grandmother's consent. She was (is) my wallet for repairs on my current car.
I mean, hey, I'm 18 now, and this is my own money. Boooyyyyyyy is she going to sh!t exactly one ton of bricks! :lol:
Thanks again for any help in advance.
-Ian
Background:
I've found a 1995 LS with a black exterior on a black leather interior, 15in. alloys, foglights, and a CD changer in the trunk. It's been sitting for the better part of a year, the last time I saw it was when I had my first Galant, back in September. Then it was put away for winter, and just recently it was put up for sale! It has damage on the front which amounts to no more than sheet metal and a headlight, the result of a 15mph impact. :roll: Hey, it looked mint before it was hit.
I've been given the opportunity to purchase this car for $400, and I want to jump on it before it's gone.
Problem:
I can't decide if I want to buy it until I can take it on a road test, and to take it on a road test, I need to unstick the right rear tire!
The car in question has drum brakes, and I managed to take the drum off with simple tools (bolt and wrench) and I cleaned up some of the rust on the outside of the drum. (This was a problem with my first Galant as well, because it too sat through a winter.) Taking the rust off of the drum on that car fixed a problem with the rear brakes making grinding noises. My thinking is, if sitting for a few months gave my old car noisy brakes, then sitting for the better part of a year would rust them to the point they can't move on this car.
However, I'm not too sure of this, obviously! What I know so far is the "BRAKE!" light is on in the instrument cluster and the parking brake is *down.* I will say that the rear drum just barely fits over the shoes; as opposed to the first time I did this, where it slid right over them. (This was over a year ago, I hope my memory isn't too shot already!)
Could some kind of return spring have broken that I just didn't see? If I could use the star adjuster (if this car has one) to retract the shoes ever so slightly, would I use the hole hidden by the rubber grommet, or could I come around from the front? (I wasn't about to go looking for something I've never used before and try to mess with it.) I told the woman who was selling it I'd go and get a new drum for it if need be, but that I'd do some investigating on the matter before-hand, but if I can save this drum, perhaps by removing more rust, (there's a lot), I'd do that at TGC's suggestion first. :wink:
I'd prefer to *not* have this taken to a shop of ANY kind. You guys got to know me and my first car a little back in July through October 2006, and since then I've had two more cars that have run me and my wallet into the ground $1800 deep. (All mechanical and electrical failures too...) So understandably, if I'm going to afford this, I need to do it myself. I have the ability to, and the knowledge from schooling, so...it's time I stopped paying other people to do it.**
I really appreciate the help you guys gave me when I was going through my transmision troubles, and I apologize for being somewhat of a bastard and just leaving. Any help here now would be amazing, because LIFE HASN'T BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT A GALANT!
**Especially because if I buy this one, it's going to be without my grandmother's consent. She was (is) my wallet for repairs on my current car.
I mean, hey, I'm 18 now, and this is my own money. Boooyyyyyyy is she going to sh!t exactly one ton of bricks! :lol:
Thanks again for any help in advance.
-Ian