Manual vs Power Breaks on old cars

applenutapplenut
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Hey, I'm looking at buying a 66 Mustang and think I may have finally found one. But it has manual breaks and steering. Can anyone comment on how much of a difference there is and the negatives. The engine is a 289... so I guess that should be considered.



here's a pic







sorry for the size. if it is too much I'll remove it.. just want opinions/help

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    Oh, it's different... :eek: :cool:



    The steering:

    1) It is VERY hard to steer the car when it is not moving. Try to get a little movement when trying to steer.

    2) It takes 4 revolutions to steer from straight ahead to full left. Many cars have adaptive power steering. That is, based on the speed you are traveling, it compensates for how much you have to turn the wheel. If you want to drive in a residential zone, be prepared to spin that wheel hard and fast.



    Brakes:

    1) OK, my brakes are old, so they tend to pull the car left after a while. But then again, that is my car. My best advice is to go to a empty parking lot and experiment with your brakes. (Hey, also a good idea with the steering) See how much pressure it takes to skid, and see how the car behaves.



    It is always a good idea to test the limits of any car so you can drive accordingly. My Valiant becomes unstable at around 60 MPH. Although that is not its top speed, it is not aerodynamic and starts to float around the road. Just don't expect to drive 80 through turns on a freeway. That is unsafe because the car in front of you can stop faster (anti-lock brakes) and has airbags/soft dashboards/and other safety equipment to prevent drivers being killed at high speeds.



    [ 09-03-2002: Message edited by: Ebby ]</p>
  • Reply 2 of 7
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    You'll get used to the steering soon enough. I wouldn't worry about it. There are enough benefits to owning a car like that to balance it out. Besides, you'll get a little more beef on the guns, not a bad thing.



    Brakes are for wimps.



    (not sure what a power break is)
  • Reply 3 of 7
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    [quote]Originally posted by murbot:

    <strong>Brakes are for wimps.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    :eek: :eek: :eek:



    *Passes out on the floor*



    I live in the hills and take a 7-mile road down the mountain to the city every day...



    [ 09-04-2002: Message edited by: Ebby ]</p>
  • Reply 4 of 7
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    That's nothing a little creative speed-shifting and agressive steering can't handle.



    heh heh
  • Reply 5 of 7
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    The advice on power steering is correct. If you're not moving or not moving fast, it's work. At highway speeds, it's indistinguishable from power assist (mostly because power assist systems are usually smart enough to realize they're not needed at those speeds).



    Definitely test the brakes out someplace safe. They'll take getting used to if you're used to power brakes. Also, beware of brake fade: The hotter the brakes get (from use), the less well they work. This is true of all brakes, but the ones on older cars get hotter (and less effective) more quickly.



    If you don't mind using a little muscle to drive, though, it should work fine. The 289 should be a blast to drive.
  • Reply 6 of 7
    dallenbdallenb Posts: 142member
    Like others have stated above, powersteering you dont nessessarily need. Just make sure the car is moving when you turn. You wont even miss it when moving over 20mph.



    Manual brakes. There are a few things that could be covered here. If you have 4 wheel drum brakes, I would suggest upgrading. Drum brakes dont do well in rain, especially if you go thru puddles. You also need almost twice the distance to stop. If you have manual disk brakes, drive it and see how comfortable you are. If you dont like the way it stops, there are about a million upgrade kits for that car to put disks, and a powerbooster on your car. Hell, there are kits to put 4 wheel disk brakes on that car.



    If you want to go cheap, surf some mustang boards. I am sure there is someone out there that has found a way to put a power booster from another ford product on a mustang. You could possibly find a booster from a later model mustang, and just transplant it in. Those early model power brakes only needed a vacuum line to boost braking power if I remember correctly.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    anamacanamac Posts: 80member
    I can't compare since I've never owned a car with power anything, which makes me a diehard fan of manual transmissions. Automatic things...it just doesn't feel like driving. And a mustang should be fun, not just another A to B ride.



    And of course the '66 looks so great. (Although you could skip it and just buy an iBook like our buddy from Austin.)
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