Re: Manual brake conversion

Posted by Dave Brownell On 2016/2/2 19:05:26

I may have my model years a bit wrong but AMC, I believe, in 1962 introduced a novel triangulated dual brake system that essentially allowed three vehicle wheels to have hydraulic braking action even if one brake line/hose/wheel cylinder failed catastrophically. They used a new design of master cylinder that fed to two separate lines, each line to the triangle set up of front and rear drums. They were several years ahead of the rest of American manufacturers which didn't have dual systems until model year 1967.

Poor little AMC deserves some credit for several innovations that are still being used today: The single piece textured headliner (1963) that eliminated fabric stretched over metal rods. Also in 1963, they used a single side stamping to better align door placement when the body was built up. Much earlier, AMC was dunking their unitized bodies in "Bonderizing" baths to better guard against rust. IMHO, this was a good try that may have added precious little time to their bodies, but at least they did a bit better than Chrysler with their rust prone bodies that came a few years later.

Just think what Packard could have done with plastic inner fenders and GM's "wind-swept" ventilated rocker panels that came out in the early 1960s. I remember buying a completely rusted out 1958 Ford in 1961 for a hundred bucks. It only had 39,000 miles but the floor fell out later that year and a fender peeled back at 50 mph.