Hand brake?

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rodgeydodge

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My Car
Restored 1973 Mach 1 351C auto converted to RHD (Australlia). Pretty much in stock condition.
Hello, has anyone converted their foot operated parking brake to a hand operated one?
I would like to hear how you went about it as I would like to do it myself.
Roger
 
I guess it's just about cable tension, finding the right lever should not be a prob technically, the challenge will be to decide where to place it.
As you have an automatic, likely a C6 or FMX, it's quite crowded into the tunnel. To add one that feels as on most cars, that would place the lever above the end of the governor of the trans above the yoke. Where you'd likely need to sleeve/guide the cable and have some kind of Y to get out of the tunnel.
May I ask why do you need a hand operated one? Personally, I use that thing max once a year, just to test if it still works :)
 
With a manual trans, and in hilly country, I'd absolutely find a way to add a hand brake of some sort. A line lock is another option.
Coming from the UK, i had never seen a foot operated "parking brake". These are NOT emergency brakes!!. I just don't understand what North American manufacturers were thinking.
 
With a manual trans, and in hilly country, I'd absolutely find a way to add a hand brake of some sort. A line lock is another option.
Coming from the UK, i had never seen a foot operated "parking brake". These are NOT emergency brakes!!. I just don't understand what North American manufacturers were thinking.
Off topic but welcome back.
 
Off topic, why? He said a hand operated parking brake, did not say where he wanted to install it.
You misunderstood. You said you were going to be gone for about 10 days. I saw that you had responded to this post, so I was going off topic and welcoming you back!
 
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This is something I would love as well. Not sure if it's how my pedal is adjusted or how the clutch engages or just me getting older, but I have a hell of a time on hills with this thing where I don't with other manuals. Where I live, I frequently get stuck in traffic on a hill getting to my house. It'll be stop and go for like half a mile, a few feet at a time and it's downright stressful with people on my bumper all the way up. I've often thought it would be a lot better to have a hand brake, but never thought about actually doing it.
 
You misunderstood. You said you were going to be gone for about 10 days. I saw that you had responded to this post, so I was going off topic and welcoming you back!
OHHHH! now I get it, thanks very much.
I was using just my phone and my eyesight ain't too good looking at small text.
Now I'm really back........... on my computer at home.
 
This is something I would love as well. Not sure if it's how my pedal is adjusted or how the clutch engages or just me getting older, but I have a hell of a time on hills with this thing where I don't with other manuals. Where I live, I frequently get stuck in traffic on a hill getting to my house. It'll be stop and go for like half a mile, a few feet at a time and it's downright stressful with people on my bumper all the way up. I've often thought it would be a lot better to have a hand brake, but never thought about actually doing it.
IF I were in your shoes, absolutely I'd be figuring something out.
WHY oh why do people insist on pulling up just a couple of feet behind our cars. Do they just want a closer look or are just plain stupid. You're supposed to stop behind a vehicle so you can see the back tires, or at least, that is the way I was taught to drive. Oh and yes, a hill start was a part of my driving test, using proper hand brake and clutch control.
 
Some of the 80's GM products, Corvette or Fiero IIRC, had an e-brake that was on the door side of the driver's seat. You'd set the brake, then push the handle down to exit the vehicle. You'd have to do some surgery to the seat pan, but it's probably doable.
 
Lokar makes aftermarket parking brakes. They have cables that are the "cable in a sheath" type. That gives you more freedom when routing them as opposed to our factory one which is just a bare cable. Then pick whatever parking brake handle looks least out of place in your car and bolt it to the transmission hump.
 
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