I was able to spend some time on the 48. Got the brakes working by
installing fluid and bleeding the brake lines. Master cylinder appears OK for
now. Pedal is high and hard and retains its position even with constant
pressure for long periods with no leeks detected. Checked each wheel for
function and seems OK. The reason this is important is because I will have to
push it down a pretty steep but short decline to get the car in the garage for
the winter. If the brakes fail it will be in the neighbor's yard and I will
have even more bodywork to do.
The motor: I am still trying to see if I can get this running. Since the
compression test came up with nothing. The head was removed along with the
exhaust and intake manifold. A valve inspection showed one stuck exhaust valve
and issues with the seating of most of the exhaust valves. The intake side looks
OK after a clean up. I am currently waiting for lapping past to try to reseat
the valves in an effort to restore compression. If this fails a rebuild will
be in my near future. All in all, the cylinder walls show wear but appear like
they will produce compression if I can restore the valve seals. My first look at
the inside appeared better then expected. Relatively clean and rust free. Lots
of carbon around the valves not much on the cylinder heads.????
I did a complete cleanup of the interior. Will need to weld in floor panels in
the front portion of the car. The rear and trunk are OK and will just need some
of the rust removed and a couple coats of rustolium and undercoating.