Deathtrap or don't worry?

[TallTony]

I have been looking around for a cheap car for a friend, something 80s and retro. The one we've found is perfect in so many ways except that it hasn't been used for 3 months. In fact it has been outside for those three months, and lets face it those months have not been kind weather-wise!

The seller is a straight talking Yorkshire man, and says that the brakes feel 'spongy' - what is this likely to mean? Lack of use or will they need rebleeding, new pads etc?

Also, bearing in mind the car has been stood, is there anything else we should be looking at?

[Sam_68]

TallTony said:

The seller is a straight talking Yorkshire man, and says that the brakes feel 'spongy' - what is this likely to mean? Lack of use or will they need rebleeding, new pads etc?

It could be simply because the fluid needs changing (it absorbs water over time), or it could be because the rubber brake hoses are starting to degrade and are 'ballooning' under pedal pressure.

It could be for other reasons, but those are most likely.

Budget for a new set of flexible hoses and the brakes bled.

[davepoth]

It could even just be that he's been driving some over-servo'd modern nonsense recently, which has made him think the brakes don't work properly. It'd be difficult to tell without driving it.

[duncancallum]

What is it.

Some vehicles have the master cylinder mounted on the n.s with a linkage. If there's free play or corrosion you can also get a spongy pedal.

[Sam_68]

davepoth said:

It could even just be that he's been driving some over-servo'd modern nonsense recently, which has made him think the brakes don't work properly. It'd be difficult to tell without driving it.

Usually it would be the other way round though... it's the over-servo'd modern brakes that feel 'spongy'.

Properly bled non-servo brakes will give you a rock hard pedal, but require high pedal pressure for equivalent braking effort compared to the servo'd stuff.