> > ... and if one of those flares fails, you'll be relying
> > on the emergency brake to stop. And they don't stop so good!
> > (Try a panic stop with the e-brake sometime when there are
> > no other cars around. I think you'll be unpleasantly surprised.)
>
> The problem is not so much the breaking power (it is excellent
> compared to a 1967 Volvo 144) but the fact that the handle is on the
> wrong side of the tranny cover, so by the time you get to it, lots of
> things will have happened...
Perhaps it's a question of familiarity (I set my TR3A's handbrake an average
of 4-5 times/day) but I have no trouble leaning forward and grabbing the
brake handle without looking for it. And, having finally had the
opportunity to ride in the RH seat of one (Thanks, FT), I have to say I like
the handle over there !
Other cars are worse certainly, the real problem is that the handbrake
operates only on the rear wheels, while most of the braking effort comes
from the front wheels. My 1970 Audi 100LS was terrible, I once slid the
rear wheels for roughly 1/4 mile, from 50 mph, and still hit someone hard
enough to break the headlights. OK, I panicked, might've been able to stop
if I hadn't locked the rear wheels. But it's dang hard to get your foot off
the pedal, when your hindbrain is screaming "We're going to die !" <g>
Randall
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