Hey guys, interesting brake problem here (I'm assuming it's the brakes)...

I was about to pull out of the driveway, put it in R, and gave it some gas and the car wouldn't move. Put it in 1st and it wouldn't move. Like the handbrake was staying engaged or something.

Then I put it in R again and gave it a little more gas and something from the rear half of the car went SNAP and I could go. But now, when I put just a little pressure on the brake pedal, the car stops hard. And the pedal is kinda spongy as well, on top of everything else.

It's pouring down rain at the moment, so I can't really take a look right now. Any thoughts? Thanks!

PS The handbrake has always been really weak. Works just enough to keep it from rolling. If that matters in the diagnosis...

It's a '74 260Z, by the way.

You are not going to know much more until you do a thorough inspection of all the rear end bits, BUT, I reckon you may have sussed the problem.

I suspect the handbrake mechanism or maybe the rear shoe retaining springs have somehow let go and are freewheeling inside the drum.

Anyhoo, I would not advise driving the car until you do ascertain the problem and repair it.

Rear wheels off, rear drums off, and then post some happy snaps of what you find:nervous::nervous::nervous:

Well, I took everything off and checked it out, and nothing seems out of the ordinary. When I first got the car 4 months ago, I made the mistake of taking it to Brake Check; let's just say they didn't do me any favors. There's no telling which shoes they put on there. So I ordered Raybestos shoes to go with my new-ish Raybestos drums (put them on about a month ago--not from Brake Check). If there's still weird stuff going on, then at least I can eliminate the shoes. Ever since the Brake Check shoes were put on, it's been acting weird. Suffice it to say... I've done, and will do, all my own brake work since then.