Feels like the brakes are on!!!

[harpdevice]

Hello,
I just bought a 71 Spider!!!
A few days ago I drove it home across the Bay Area and the brakes locked up twice - Once on the tfreeway in traffic and once after using the brakes a lot descending down a hill and through a neighborhood. Feels like the brakes are being pressed hard and it takes all the engine’s mite to move it. The car could barely make it into a parking spot. Each time the brakes relaxed after several minutes and it then I was able to drive. I ended up calling AAA to tow it home.
I’ve read several posts here and other forums regarding this issue. There’s talk of adjusting the pushrod on the brake booster.
A knowledgeable fiat mechanic says it’s probably a good idea to just replace the calipers, hoses, master cylinder, and brake compensator. I agree for safety purposes but is there anything I can try or test before spending the money?
Thanks

[bobplyler]

It could be the calipers aren't sliding on the brake caliper wedge. Here's what they look like.
https://autoricambi.us/collections/brak ... iper-wedge

They are held buy two pins.

[DieselSpider]

Since you really do no know how well the previous owner maintained the car you really need to go through it and check everything. If the calipers and pads still look new you will still at least need to clean up the calipers and all their guides, wedges, etc re-coating them with caliper grease along with flush out the the old brake fluid and replacing it with DOT3. If the old brake fluid comes out black or rusty then stop there and replace all the working components and rubber lines. Be sure that all the dirt and corruption is flushed out of the brake lines before installing the new components.

Brake must be flushed out every 2 years regardless of how little usage a car gets.

[harpdevice]

Thanks for the replies.
I ordered a laundry list of brake parts recommended by a fiat mechanic and another forum.
Calipers, Master Cylinder, Rotors, Hose Kit, Brake Pads, Caliper Wedges, and Compensator.
I want safety first!
Now hopefully a mechanic can do the job when the parts come in.

[DieselSpider]

Just be aware that some Spider Brake Components being sold still don't hold up very well to DOT4 or any of the Synthetic Blends so plain old Ethylene Glycol DOT3 may be a wise choice. I know that some will say that this shouldn't be so and they are right it should not be so however experience shows that this still happens. All you need is one component incompatible with the newer formulations in order to have a problem.