What Driver's Ed? Schools in places I've lived recently have cut such programs from their curricula. Personally I think a semester of safety education and another of behind the wheel instruction should be mandantory for graduation and a prerequisite to obtaining a driver's license before age 18, but it ain't going to happen.

_________________
David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

I personally think that new cars are too EASY to drive - power everything and so quiet. People forget they are manipulating 3000lbs of hard material around the roads!

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

...and with ever-more-ridiculous amounts of horsepower. There's a time and a place and a purpose for fast cars, for sure, but nobody needs 200 horsepower to commute to work or go to the grocery or take the kids to karate. Let alone 250 or 300 or 375.

I live in a city infested with bad drivers. It all began with the first wave of taxi drivers from countries where there are no traffic rules and cars share the roads with assorted pack animals. Those cabbies drove as if they were back in Stanstanistan, and so everybody else had to drive the same way or else be run off the road. I've long thought that what we need is taxicabs with adequate but slow acceleration, manual transmissions, slow-ratio steering, and adequate brakes. Cars that would force the driver to hang up the celphone, be thoughtful, plan ahead, and be considerate of everyone else on the road.

Anyone else here ever experienced the cabs they use in England? They're smaller than a Civic on the outside, bigger than a Caprice on the inside, get amazing fuel mileage, and have such a small turning radius they practically pivot about their own vertical axis. And yet we're still dumb enough to be using V8 Clown Victorias as taxicabs.

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I could not agree more


Safe is a relative thing. Just because you or someone lived through it don't mean it is safe. I drove a 66 VW microbus with NO brakes, just the E brake for about 6 months in the mid 90's in south Florida. Anyone care to call that safe? Well I lived through it, with only 1 very minor accident that caused no damage. In the early 90's I drove a 79 Buick Regal on just an E brake. I even wired up the E brake pedal release so it worked like a brake pedal. Never wrecked that one. I have had several choppers with only a rear drum brake, no front at all. I'm still here.

The point I am making is "safety" is all about risk management.

I think most would agree that driving with disks is less of a risk then driving with 4 wheel drums, all other things being equal. Is not converting the car over to disks to save a few bucks worth the added risk to your child? Only you can answer that question.


TopHat

The main reason, I am an advocate of MV safety inspection, in all states, and Florida in particular.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Risk management: Right on target! That's what driving is, an endless stream of real-time risk management.

There is also risk homeostasis, the very probable theory that we each and all have a fixed level of acceptable risk, and we maintain it in whatever situation we're placed. Read the linked article, it's interesting.

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I daily drive a 9" drum Dart, and it performs fine. It's not a road-racer by any means, but it works. If the engine had any more power, it would probably get disc brakes. Dan had a good point about "needed power"... does Mom really need a 325-horse Charger R/T for grocery duty?
I once knew a girl that drove a 64 Rustang, all manual drum brake car. The only thing 'power' on the car was the 289. And she drove it everywhere! (she was a little gal, too). The only downside was, she got a good exercise whenever she drove it!
So if I had a daughter, I wouldn't worry about it. As long as she's responsible, and understands what she's piloting, it's all good.
I personally think it's cool that she doesn't mind driving a vintage auto.
Good Luck!

_________________
225 Cubic Inches of Iron-Head American Muscle

225 bored .040 /.100 off block, Schneider Cam 224@.050~ .480 lift - Stock valves, blended bowls, Offenhauser intake with 500 Edelbrock carb

Dan, that was a very interesting article.


TopHat

I have had 9 inch brakes on most of my "A" body drag cars. They stop fine from the upper 90 mph range ONCE, but don't try it twice without a cool down.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Inspections are a joke here in the Boston area.

If it has lights and a horn (and passes emissions, which my '68 is exempt from) it will pass inspection.

No ball joint check.
No tie-rod check.
No brake check.

$30... to see if your lights work.

I know some states check the front end... I wish MA did. I feel bad for all those people out there riding around with dangerous, ready to fail suspension pieces, and will never know it until it happens.

-Mac

First off....10"drums are have far more swept area than 9".

The have more mass ,,,so are less likely to fade as soon.

I understand a slow driver in Ohio may find 9"brakes adequate......

_________________
Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

SSDan: Stanstanistan, I'm still laughing from that comment, thanks because I needed a laugh!

Charlie: I moved to South Florida a couple of years ago and am appalled at what I see rolling down the road here. The worst thing is that I bet 75% or more of the accidents down here are caused by grossly unsafe cars having major mechanical failures causing pile ups (I’m talking about cars literally falling apart, wheels, driveshafts, body panels, etc..). And as you know this is a daily occurrence down here in West Palm Beach/Fort Lauderdale.

By the way I've done about 20k on my 72 Scamps 9" drums. They do the job but gotta be reasonable about what I ask them TO do. My wife drives is often and has not had a problem.
Todd

_________________
72 Scamp 225 /6, auto, radio delete, alum super six, cold air duct, pertronix ignitor II and flame thrower, 3.23 rear, 2.25" free flow exhaust

Glad to help, but it's not mine. I think I stole it from Dave Barry.
Exactly. The 9" brakes were OK for the first '60-'62 A-bodies, but Chrysler's having put them on much bigger and heavier later A-bodies was just not a good idea except from the beancounters' point of view.

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Had a car in the shop, about a year ago. My customer bought it from a used car dealer, without having me inspect it first. It needed $800 worth of brake work. The car had brand new pads on the front. Problem was the rotors were worn right into the cooling fin area. Actually had worn the pad surface completly away. The dealer actually put new pads on that, and sold the car that way. The dealer refused to do anything about it, untill I told the customer to have an Atty send the dealer a letter, stating the customer was going to press charges for "reckless indangerment". The dealer could not plead ignorance, due to the new pads. Also filed a complaint with the state. Customer was able to keep the car and also get all her money back. I fixed all the problems correctly.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

My 2 cents, is i drove my 73 Dart with the Drums but when it was time for my son to use it as a new driver i put the MP discs in it. It is a different world then when most of us learned to drive on less congested roads with overall slower moving cars driven by people who seemed to care a little more. Now we have to contend with 6,000 lb SUV driven by people who aren't paying attention and can't even see over the hood at times. I looked at what i was spending money on and made the brakes a priority. For better or worse our experiences with driving and fixing up old cars is over. at least in Jersey where i am.

P.S. A year later i am the only driver of the dart. He got stuck once at night (bad ballast) and never got in again.