Observation probably nobody cares about

[Buldawg76]

Yep, have all my tools from 40 years as an ASE certified master tech since 1976.

That goat had the best drum brake shoe material you could get back in the early 70s and it was better than the stock shoes but certainly would still fade after to many high-speed stops. Plus, the fact they were not even power brakes and only a single cylinder master cylinder you developed a massively huge right leg from standing on the pedal with all your weight just to slow down. Also, if you blew a line/hose or the MC went out you had no brakes at all as compared to the dual MCs all cars have today. Luckily, I was in good shape and weighed 210 pounds of solid muscle from my dirt bike racing years but when the brakes started to fade none of that mattered.

Oh, how I miss the good ole days. I'd take that goat over any new car today in a heartbeat.

BD

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[TeeLew]

Drums worked fine until they got hot.
I learned to do brake work on drum brakes. Still have the tools to work on them.

Not really. They almost always pulled one way or the other when you were on them hard. They made every hard stop an adventure.

 

[Buldawg76]

Not really. They almost always pulled one way or the other when you were on them hard. They made every hard stop an adventure.

If you got them adjusted correctly, they would not pull at all. There is an art to installing and adjusting drum brakes properly that I was taught by the old timer shop owner I first started my auto career at back in the early 70s. Some cars did have very finicky drum brakes but not all of them.

BD

 

[TeeLew]

I suppose. I had 4 wheel drums on a 64 1/2. It was no treat. But I was a kid and, even though I did work on the brakes, I didn't have a clue what I was doing.

 

[Firsttexan]

Hello; Nostalgia is great but emotionally colored lens. I got my drivers license in 1963. Some of my dream cars are speed and handling dogs compared to modern stuff.
I never had a hot car back in the day but some of my friends did. One had a 65 Pontiac GTO. Another had a 1968 Ford Mustang GT with a 390. Both had four speeds. I thought they were great back then. Now I still love the looks of both cars but know they are outclassed by even fairly plain jane modern sedans in performance.
My dream car setup has changed over time. For a few decades i just wanted a stock version of either restored to good condition. Now I want a fuel injected engine. A six speed manual. A coil over front suspension and a four link in the rear. I want a rack and pinion steering setup. My dilemma currently is how to find a bucket list car with modern running gear and old looks that does not cost too much.

A new friend who moved into TN from CA has a 65 Mustang project. He plans to do a Mustang II front clip and hopes to stick a Coyote in it.

So true. But look what can be done with the old iron and appear stock. Only a few knew these tricks back in the day. These guys guys have made a class out of it.

It's amazing some of the tricks they use. Most won't divulge the details.

 

[WD Pro]

Spotted this the other day at the local shopping mall - very rare (remember I’m in the U.K.) and drums all around :

WD

 

[sk47]

Hello; Drums were in use up until the last few years at the rear on some cars. Seems the drum brakes are simpler to use as a road and parking brake. I tried to get a ford Focus SE ih the year or so before the pandemic. I wanted a manual trans but did not want the ST with a turbo. A base Focus could be had with a five speed but came with rear drum brakes. The SE package had disc all around and was a nicer package. Guess Ford had already started doing away with small cars.

 

[WD Pro]

Hello; Drums were in use up until the last few years at the rear on some cars. Seems the drum brakes are simpler to use as a road and parking brake. I tried to get a ford Focus SE ih the year or so before the pandemic. I wanted a manual trans but did not want the ST with a turbo. A base Focus could be had with a five speed but came with rear drum brakes. The SE package had disc all around and was a nicer package. Guess Ford had already started doing away with small cars.

Some have both on the rear morphed into one - I've had BMW and Kia that had rear disk, with a small drum for the parking brake inside the bell of the disk

WD

 

[sk47]

Some have both on the rear morphed into one - I've had BMW and Kia that had rear disk, with a small drum for the parking brake inside the bell of the disk

WD

Hello; Same for my 2004 Silverado.

 

[TeeLew]

Some have both on the rear morphed into one - I've had BMW and Kia that had rear disk, with a small drum for the parking brake inside the bell of the disk

WD

That's a common combo.

 

[RagmopInKona]

While I love late-model vehicles for everything they bring to the table, I still love the old stuff for its crudeness and simplicity. I'm fortunate to enjoy both ends of the spectrum for weekend fun cars.

The old stuff has one thing the new vehicles will never have, The bull in the china shop vibe.
They made you wait to start the party, as you had to warm them up. Then there was no computer controls that job was to keep traction no matter how far the driver buried his/her foot. No torque management to protect the drive train at shift points. Not much sound abatement to stop the engine noise from the cabin. They idled ruff, they shook , The seats where a joke, same with the tires.
Even at 14 seconds 1/4 mile times, they felt fast.
Today's cars are fast but don't have that brute feel when you are going fast.
The new cars feel like you are driving a fusion till you mat the gas. The old stuff let you know with every shaking pulse.

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