console mounted E-brake

Just replaced my original emergency brake assembly with an aftermarket one. It's a piece of junk, feels like the release handle will break off the first time I use it. So, I plan to go to a center floor mounted brake. don't have a console to worry about...any thoughts on which one to go for at the local junkyard?
thanks
 
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I am wanting to do the same thing. I hate the location of the stock E-brake. But, I never bought a new e-brake cable (cut the old one off, it was locked up) since I had an automatic tranny. As far as I know, you gotta do some pretty good fabricating. Gotta weld a stronger steel plate to mount it into because the stock metal can't hold the stress. Then you have to make your cables...bah I'm dreading it!
 
Oh, yeah. I hate the floor mounted Ebrakes. I should try and rig up a console puller since the car will be stripped. Shouldn't be too hard to find one at a junkyard.

Let us know if anyone finds a good replacement part.
 
Digging up an old thread...

I picked up an emergency brake handle from a 90 GT and was wondering how to mount it. I remembered this thread from a while ago and had a thought...

I returned to the junk yard, removed the center console, and took a cold chisel and cut out the bracket that included the extra bracing for the e-brake. I need to clean it up and match it to the contours of the '66 but it should only require me to cut a hole in the top of the hump. I can weld the bracket in place from there. The nice thing about it is it has the threaded mount locations for the e-brake, has the additional bracing necessary, and has the contours to accept the rubber grommet to seal the cable through the bottom of the car.

Next thing to think about are cables. I'll have to look at the Lokar kit or modify the stock ones.
 
Exactly what I did... I cut out the secton around the handle in the 90. Then used my spot weld cutter and removed the bracing from the section of the 90 tunnel.

Then I used the top of the 90 tunnel to mark a hole for the cutout on the 65, then cut it out. Took the lower brace and tacked to the underside (this keeps the cable seal and its hole along with the captive nuts to mount the shifter). Finished the installation with seam sealer and installed the handle.

It looks like it was made that way in 65.

John
 
SnakeStang65 said:
Exactly what I did... I cut out the secton around the handle in the 90. Then used my spot weld cutter and removed the bracing from the section of the 90 tunnel.

Then I used the top of the 90 tunnel to mark a hole for the cutout on the 65, then cut it out. Took the lower brace and tacked to the underside (this keeps the cable seal and its hole along with the captive nuts to mount the shifter). Finished the installation with seam sealer and installed the handle.
Nice! Thanks for the added information.
 
I used the setup out of a Mustang II. Not that those are so easy to find these days but I works. I also happen to be using an MII console but very many of these cars didn't have consoles, the just used a simple cover over the assembly.
I cold chiseled a big chunk of the trans tunnel out to get mine. With a sharp chisel it's easier than it sounds. Turned out to be overkill, I didn't need it. The assembly just bolts in. It was nice to have an exact template for cutting the opening though. I also cut off the "cable guides" that are tack weld to the underside of the rear passenger floor pans. You need these to guide the cables up into the transmission tunnel without rubbing the driveshaft. Once I had them in the shop I just ground off the excess sheetmetal they were spotwelded to. It might have been easier to just directly chisel them off the start with but I didn't want to distort and damage them.
My 67's cables I ust cut off at the very front. I took them apart, cleaned, lubed and reassembled them. They are a LOT longer than what the MII cars used so I had plenty to work with. The MII bracket at the handle is a mere "hook" you just loop the cable over. After much fiddling I looped the right cable and clamped it to the left cable about halfway between the handbrake and the guide. I used cable clamps meant for repairing the cables of a garage door. After much adjusting and making sure I couldn't yank the brake hard enough to pull my clamp off I trimmed the cables. And it works great.
I imagine a Fox body Mustang brake install would be similar but finding a car without the factory console is very tough. The really stripped down base model cars seem to be rare, whereas the junkyard MII's I've seen are split about 50/50.