I agree with much of what you say about drivers and maintenance, but I really do not believe that drum brakes are a good design They may be adequate when in perfect condition and adjusted exactly. However, these conditions are not generally true of cars. If you have a vehicle that you drive rarely and check the brakes frequently, you can get relatively good stopping (until they get hot) from drum brakes.
Drum brakes are OK at the back where only about 30% of the braking occurs.
Why was there a move to front discs and finally four wheel discs? Because it is a better design which is much more forgiving of maintenance neglect.
I personally would not own another car with front drum brakes. Imperial made a bold move by moving to front discs in 1967. In my opinion the very very worst thing that you can do as a driver is to cause an accident because you could not stop in time. It makes me chuckle when I go to car shows and see all of the 50's Chevies and many others with many $ spent (blown big blocks etc) and then you realize that they have the factory brakes (single reservoir master cylinder, front drums).
Things happen and disc brakes stop better.
If some moron decides to lay on the brakes in front of you for no reason, it is your bad if you hit him.
What is an acceptable stopping distance for a passenger car today? Not what it was 40 years ago.
This is a contentious issue and each person must make their own decisions and live with them.
Drive safely.
1969 LeBaron with front discs
----- Original Message -----
From: randalpark@xxxxxxx
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: IML: Imperial Brakes
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 15:59:29 -0400
Our lovely behemoths stop in far less space than a semi, and those are everywhere. I've said it before, and I will say it again more politely this time, that it is perfectly okay to drive these cars as long as they are in safe condition and us drivers adjust or driving to the vehicle. To me that is part of the responsibility of sharing the road. Myriads of close encounters of the bad kind are usually more related to the person having them than to the others on the road.Our cars had some of the best drum brakes ever built, so if they don't feel right when they are coming to a halt, they need to be repaired or adjusted. Anyone who thinks that their car is unsafe, should keep it in the garage. I happen to know that mine are not, so they get out on the road whenever possible.Paul W.
-----Original Message-----
From: marc.f.hall@xxxxxxxxxx
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 6:39 AM
Subject: RE: IML: 1962 LeBaron
I too ply the highways and byways of the Seattle/Puget Sound area, but am reluctant to use the '66 Crown Coupe for commuting due to:o Floating down the road in a 5,200+ LB car with drum brakeso Most cars on the road have modern disc brakeso Most drivers on the roads are not aware of the stopping distances my lovely behemoth requireso Numerous negative experiences on roads where the above facts are not considered by other driversI used to commute, but too many close calls due to lack of consideration by fellow commuters. A couple near misses and near death experiences convinced me to drive a car with disc brakes when driving into Seattle on I-5.I usually drive my classic cars on the weekends or for local driving, on average fewer occurrences of aggressive driving then. Less folks are in a hurry when not commuting.Marc in Mukilteo'66 Crown Coupe'67 300 Convertible787 Service Ready Leader
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From: randalpark@xxxxxxx [mailto:randalpark@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2006 4:30 AM
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: rest19tb0@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: IML: 1962 LeBaronThis week I had to schedule my regular driving car for some much needed service. Anything that is driven very much requires it, and though mostly still capable, I haven't got as much time to devote to car maintenance myself as I would like or once did. I chose to allow my 1962 LeBaron the opportunity to become my daily driver for these few days. I am always well under my annual mileage limit for collector cars as specified in my insurance, and the need to drive the car is obvious. Indeed, for me the occasional drive is classified as maintenance.I can barely describe the renewed feeling of satisfaction that I experienced behind the wheel of that old car. Having owned it since 1979, the two of us have been though a lot. Happily, at this point in our relationship of 27 years, we still hold our own together with the best of them. Merging with traffic on our high speed morning thoroughfare, the old girl steps right up to the challenge of "inserting herself" into rush hour freeway traffic with tremendous grace and absolutely NO fuss. The announcement begins with a flick of the turn signal lever, followed by a firm plunge into the accelerator pedal. Amazingly, we are "up to speed" instantly, at least it seems so compared to my normal routine. The steep, clogged, streets of early morning Seattle present no difficulty whatsoever. As the need arrives to leap forward from a 45 degree angle stop, pointed towards the clouds, a touch of the accelerator is all that is necessary to briskly move the old colossus forward without the slightest hesitation. Pedestrians simply stare in awe.Cruising I-5 on the way home, during brief interludes of extreme serenity, at 75 mph with the Southampton's windows fully lowered, makes up for the fact that the old R-12 A/C system has long since lost its initial factory charge. This week's mild temperatures of the mid to upper 70's add to the delight of the experience. The superb manners of the car, highlighted by its still amazing handling characteristics top the list of my favorite features of these cars. Thankfully, in spite of its many well earned warts, this car still excels in that department.Every now and then I wonder why I have kept my Imperials out in the garage all of these years. Opportunities like the one this week quickly remind me what all the excitement is about.Paul W.
-----Original Message-----
From: kiwiimp65@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 3:37 AM
Subject: RE: IML: wanting a cool car
Tim , Take a look at www. recycler. com Geoff Simpson
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