Brake !!!!!

[crankedup]

Finding out now that a fair few cars from the 1920's era are only fitted with brakes to the rear wheels.

I think this is going to be a whole new learning process on how to drive, or how not to bosh into the car in front.

Adopt the 20 second rule I think Anyone any experience of driving without hardly any brakes then

[Pigeon]

I once had the hydraulic brakes fail entirely and had to get home using the handbrake and the 20-second rule. My MZ's brakes are pretty crap too, same kind of technique though not so bad.

[lanciachris]

Thank the lord ive only ever had brakes fail on dual circuit hydraulic systems

[Pigeon]

If the car had been manufactured two years later, that's what it would have had... Volvo Amazons got them in 1968. It was a very strange failure - I parked up and the brakes were fine, went and did whatever it was I was doing, came back and found they were completely non-existent. So I was fortunate that they didn't fail when I was moving, when it could have been a real problem, thankyou Lord.

[ARH]

crankedup said:

Finding out now that a fair few cars from the 1920's era are only fitted with brakes to the rear wheels. I think this is going to be a whole new learning process on how to drive, or how not to bosh into the car in front. Adopt the 20 second rule I think Anyone any experience of driving without hardly any brakes then

The thing with vintage cars is they weigh a lot less than modern cars, so brakes although not to modern standards will work fine with care, after all something from the 20's is hardly going to be fast. Try something from the late 20's early 30's as these often had peddle operated rears, and front brakes on a handbrake lever. My austin seven has brakes on all four wheeels, operated by peddle and lever, if you don't want to use the peddle you can just pull on the handbrake. Remember they are likely to be operated by cables as well, they are a serious pain to set up, not only do you need to adjust the cable length you also need to make sure all the levers are working at the correct angles, it took my 3 hours to setup the brakes on my seven the first time I did them. They were spot on balance, and performed very well on the mot rollers.

[crankedup]

So not only a whole new driving technique I had better brush up on the maintenance too

I was looking at getting a limo from the 30's but have started to consider a smaller car to start. A morris Cowley 'Bullnose' has caught my eye. Unfortunately I need to sell my Griff' first, which is a shame really but I have made up my mind now to enjoy a different experience. Should be fun

[ettore]

The key is anticipation! If you get a sporting (ish) car from the late twenties/early thirties they can actually maintain reasonable averages on modern roads. My vintage seven (which is gently tweaked!) is happy barrelling along at 55-60 all day long. The brakes are however completely hopeless at that pace, (despite adequate MOT performance) so you rely on a sense of timing and the cars tiny dimensions to get you out of trouble!

Previous experience in Frazer Nash and GN verged on the terrifying though!

p.s Bullnoses are nice and practical for a first vintage and can be tweaked, but there are plenty of other thigs worth looking at as well...

[IOLAIRE]

My very first car was a '39 Rover 12 hp Sports Saloon.
It was a beautifully made vehicle, and had such superb features as automatic chassis lubrication and an electric heater!
But it had CABLE brakes, yes, just like a pushbike.
The pedals were on the floor, 911 style, and the brake was connected to a bellcrank lever that ran cables fore and aft. The ends of these were connected to a further two bellcrank levers, one on each axle, that were connected to levers that operated the brake shoes.
When you hit the brakes, all the free travel had to be taken out of the mechanism before you got any friction, then it was anyone's guess which wheel braked first!!!
Utter nightmare, but it kept you wide awake!!

[williamp]

Sounds very hairy. I love old cars, but persoanlly brakes is the one area I would upgrade to more modern spec (although try and keep the old "look".

I know, I know- I am usually a purist in such things, but most drivers today have no idea how bad the brakes are on old cars, and make no allowances for them./

I took my driving test in an old Rover P4, which had a terrible hand brake- making the hill start a very adventurous affair!

[IOLAIRE]

williamp said:

Sounds very hairy. I love old cars, but persoanlly brakes is the one area I would upgrade to more modern spec (although try and keep the old "look". I know, I know- I am usually a purist in such things, but most drivers today have no idea how bad the brakes are on old cars, and make no allowances for them./ I took my driving test in an old Rover P4, which had a terrible hand brake- making the hill start a very adventurous affair!

Hi William,
I actually got a drive in a post war P2 Rover 75 Sports, which had the same basic shell as mine but with a beautiful six cylinder engine and hydraulic brakes.
The difference was collosal and I intended uprating mine but got seduced by a 3.4 Jag!
The P4 handbrake actually worked brilliantly when it was right, the problem was the linkages used to get constantly soaked and covered in muck because they were right behind the Offside front wheel, then they would seize solid and refuse to pivot; most of your pulling effort on the lever was against the linkage!
Can you imagine turning up at a test centre today in a P4, they wouldn't know how to handle it!!

[williamp]

IOLAIRE said:

williamp said: Sounds very hairy. I love old cars, but persoanlly brakes is the one area I would upgrade to more modern spec (although try and keep the old "look". I know, I know- I am usually a purist in such things, but most drivers today have no idea how bad the brakes are on old cars, and make no allowances for them./ I took my driving test in an old Rover P4, which had a terrible hand brake- making the hill start a very adventurous affair! Hi William, I actually got a drive in a post war P2 Rover 75 Sports, which had the same basic shell as mine but with a beautiful six cylinder engine and hydraulic brakes. The difference was collosal and I intended uprating mine but got seduced by a 3.4 Jag! The P4 handbrake actually worked brilliantly when it was right, the problem was the linkages used to get constantly soaked and covered in muck because they were right behind the Offside front wheel, then they would seize solid and refuse to pivot; most of your pulling effort on the lever was against the linkage! Can you imagine turning up at a test centre today in a P4, they wouldn't know how to handle it!!

Well that was in 1996, so not that long ago! First they worried abou the lack of seatbelts, but as it wasnt fitted as standard it didnt need them. I never did get to the bottom of the handbrake (or lack of it). Also, once I changed the gearbox oil but didnt allow for the overdrive. The first time I switched it on, it demanded oil which until now was only used for the gearbox. The result? The gearbox "run dry" of oil, and the syncro went west. Thus for the rest of the time I had a gearbox with no syncro at all. Still, when the rest of my mates at 18 had Metros/Maestros or Novas driving a P4 was great fun, and the front bench seat was great fun for girls!