Erik Andersen

Hi again, second question for today is about brakes, specifically boosters & M/C location on the firewall -
I'd like to add a booster and where I'm going the underside is going to get pummeled so I'd like to put the booster and a new dual M/C in a safer place on the firewall rather than kissing rocks on the frame. Again, has anyone done that on a first series car?
Space around that part of the engine bay is a bit squeezy and any tips or lessons learned would be most appreciated.

Cheers
Erik

Erik Andersen

Hi again, again, again everyone - last question for the day.
My car is being torn down and rebuilt by Bob Carroll at Midlife Classics just out of Princeton near Dallas and is currently down to a bare (but thankfully fairly straight and solid) frame.
Although Bob has taken a gazillion photos it would still be useful for him to be able to eyeball or measure a living breathing '50 88 for things like possible relocation of brakes to the firewall etc so this is a shout-out to anyone with a '49-'51 88/88a or other vaguely equivalent car who lives in or around that area and who might be interested in letting Bob eyeball/measure/generally crawl over his or her car.
Thanks again to the forum and that's it for me today!
Cheers
Erik

Funkwagon455

Just in case you might be needing any sheet metal for this project.... This would be fairly local to your builder.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/pts/5930460495.html

redoldsman

Erik:

I just responded to your post about the overdrive. Putting the master cylinder on the firewall is fairly common. I don't believe power brakes were available in 1950 anyway. When you do this you may want to consider converting at least the front to disk brakes. The original brakes on these old cars leave a lot to be desired.

Erik Andersen

Thanks Red - for your response on this and all the other things you have been so helpful with, it really is most appreciated.
The ERA rally rules require me to keep the drum brakes but I'm hopeful that with a booster added and a dual circuit M/C with all new hoses, refurbed wheel cylinders, new holddown springs etc I'll have reasonable stopping power and I've found a guy in the UK who made some 11" aluminium finned drums for a Chev and he's making a set for me so hopefully that will address the fade problem.
I suspect some of the ventilation piping around that area of the firewall will have to go and I'm hoping to see any pictures of how anyone else might have actually done it & what pedal box they used etc.
Cheers

Erik Andersen

Thanks Funk, some of that could well be useful.
Cheers
Erik

49rocket88

i am in tarrant county /north richland hills ,and am workin on my 49 which has been previously done with discs and power booster , if he/you need some looks or measurements or whatever . if you need, feel free to email me and ill give you my phone and we can set up a time for a look see if you like, it would not be a problem at all

Tedd Thompson

Unless I missed it you will need a double pulley for your power brake system as I believe you only have a single on the car now. Also if the master cylinder is mounted on the out side of the defroster vent sheet metal be sure to replace it with heavy enough material so there is no flex.I have never had a 49-50 Old's so this might not pertain but have heard of the later models having issues with cracking of the vent material because of too much flex. Just a thought ... Tedd

redoldsman

Tedd:

I am confused as to what power brakes have to do with a pulley. Power steering I can understand where you have to run the power steering pump. Am I missing something?

Tedd Thompson

Yep you are correct and I'm embarrassed to say I was thinking power steering on half of this post. Getting old kinda sucks so does not putting mind in gear before letting out the clutch.... Tedd