50th Anniversary basket case Resurrection - Beginner’s Course, Chapter 1 - Brakes Options

[MM1]

Since the 50th anniversary of my 1973 1.7 L basket case will be in 2023, in theory I have a bit of time to hopefully and properly celebrate a “ golden” resurrection by getting it running and driving well - at least well enough to rip through the empty canyons at a fair clip. . .but honestly, I want to be able to tow(?) it to my camping spot at Laguna Seca (turn 10) for Monterey Car Week 2021 where hopefully we’ll celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 914 (in America at least) -which we got screwed out of last year because of covid.

So over the next few months, I’ll be seeking your sage advice. . .

Brakes:

Please note that my immediate goal is to get the car assembled and driving (whilst remaining as original as possible) and then assess what it needs in relation to suspension parts, etc.

A few weeks ago I swapped out the (decade+?) old brake fluid and found that all the calipers had 2 bleed screws except the driver rear.

The passenger rear also has an adjustable allen-head on the outside piston whereas the driver rear (single bleeder) had what appears to be a simple bolt.

The driver rear has 4 bolts joining the 2 halves, whereas the passenger rear has upper and lower rivets that are inside holes that are threaded but have no caps.

The brake pedal has a firm feel and the rotors spin freely until the brakes are engaged.

The parking/e brake appears to function correctly when I spin the rotors and the kids engage it.

I didn’t see any leaks after the fluid swap and the fluid that was in it was clear and fairly light.

While I had purchased OEM soft lines for all four corners I didn’t put them on because I was surprised to find what appeared to be newer (at least unfrayed) stainless steel lines (“precise lines” brand ).

The only thing that concerns me about these is that unlike modern coated stainless lines they are bare braided stainless steel. I have read in that “scientific journal” we call the “Internet” that the potential issue with uncoated lines is that sand and dirt gets into the braids of stainless and with the motion of the suspension actually abrades the internal tube potentially to the point of failure.

Obviously I would love to put Eric’s beautifully rebuilt calipers all the way around, but I need to get a drive train together and bring this thing back from the brink and driving to assess what it realy needs before I start dumping even more money into it.

I have bought new pads and when I get to replacing all the rotors and wheel bearings I’ll be able to look closely at the brake piston seals.

I’ve read on the forum here that while pistons can lock up etc., if the seals look good and the brakes don’t drag, then the brakes could actually be good enough to drive around for a while in order to assess the entire vehicle.

Finally-if you made it this far-the questions:

What are your thoughts regarding the riveted, adjustable(?) rear caliper vs the bolted, non-adjustable 2 bleeder?

Are the mismatched rear calipers a potential safety issue?

How about sticking with the unsheathed stainless steel lines for a while?