There are many components of a custom or street rod that have to be integrated into the build, such as gas and brake pedals, a shifter, and a steering column. There are others that aren't as important to the operation of your car but are just as important, such as seat belts and an emergency brake. But just because you need an emergency brake doesn't mean it needs to be out in the open in the interior. In many cases the factory e-brake handle or foot pedal is now competing for space in the kick panel or under the dash with other custom components. Relocating it is often a better solution and with parts from Lokar it doesn't have to take up much space or be an eyesore.
Jeff Lilly Restorations was working on a '63 Galaxie and as they looked the interior over for the best location for the emergency brake handle they encountered a few problems with a good place to install it. One such problem was that the car already had a console that would not allow installing the unit in between the two bucket seats as the common alternative. On this particular project, the factory console flares out and gets wider alongside the bucket seats as it goes up toward the firewall, so there's not enough clearance between the console and the bucket seat.
They picked up a Lokar floor-mounted e-brake and started looking for another solution. The handle was taped off to keep from scratching the chrome as they placed it in a few areas to see where it looked best and still give the driver easy access to engage the brake. They determined that they wanted the unit as close to the console as possible but found that the unit sat too high and hit the seat track, which kept them from moving it over toward the console. Their solution was to alter part of the track bracket to allow them to move the brake unit over to the edge of the seat next to the console. In addition they lowered it into the floor for more clearance, which will look better while allowing enough access to grab the handle in an "emergency" situation. So let's begin.
The crew at Jeff Lilly Restorations...
The crew at Jeff Lilly Restorations started by cutting off a small tab from the rear of the bracket to allow clearance for the bezel retainer bracket they'll be fabricating.
In order to drop the handle...
In order to drop the handle below the floor and gain more clearance to clear the seat tracks they needed to build a pocket or "tray". They began by laying out a pattern to build off. Two pieces were cut out of 20-gauge sheetmetal for the sides.
They then cut out the bottom...
They then cut out the bottom piece and paid a visit to the box pan/brake to whip it into shape. Notice the black holes? These are for the cable ends to insert and bolt up to. The sides and bottom were then tack welded together (although for photo purposes they left one side off to better show the rest of the install).
The emergency brake will attach...
The emergency brake will attach to the bottom of the fabricated pan using two of these brackets and the Lokar factory mounting holes.
A bezel trim bracket was built...
A bezel trim bracket was built to fit level with the floor and surround the brake handle to allow Dynamat sound deadener to clear and still add carpet. Louie tack welded some 10-24 nuts to the underside so that the bezel trim could be secured firmly to the bracket.
Here you can see the general...
Here you can see the general idea of how the brake handle will sit in the tray (remember one of the sides has not been welded on yet). The brackets allow the unit to sit in the tray level to the floor line. Note the 2 inches of space between the handle and floor for a low sleek look but just enough to make a quick grab if needed.
Another view shows the bezel...
Another view shows the bezel retainer bracket in place. As seen, this is why they snipped the end off the factory bracket in caption 1 to clear this bezel retainer when in the upright position [ARROW].
The factory seat bracket was...
The factory seat bracket was moved to clear the tray by simply adding some metal to the top and sides.
From the side you can see...
From the side you can see how the seat track (which is in its most rearward position here) will clear the handle as the seat moves forward. This position gives the look and feel of an e-brake mounted next to the console.
Louie cut off the front of...
Louie cut off the front of the seat track bracket then cut the floor to accommodate the tray.
From under the car you can...
From under the car you can see the tray installed and note that there was a slight design change. It was decided to remove the bottom of the tray to gain better access to the cable retainers mounted in the back of the tray. They left about 1/2 inch at the rear and about 1 inch at the front to provide enough metal to screw a cover to.
The cables were attached to...
The cables were attached to the handle and then run back to the calipers. Here you can see the cover built to protect the cable from debris and allow access to adjust the brake from the handle end when needed from under the car.
Louie fabbed some simple channel...
Louie fabbed some simple channel retainers to hold the cable in place up against the floor for a clean cable-routed look. This is a much cleaner setup than the factory had with the cable anchor system.
Once the seat was installed...
Once the seat was installed and adjusted all the way back, you can see that the handle is easy to grab but still well hidden. Eventually the handle will have a black chrome finish and all but disappear against the black carpet.