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[Amigo]

Heard this on the radio but don't get it. How can pressing on a cable lock the brakes...& why buy such an uninspired car in the first place?

[Kevin Wood]

Heard this on the radio but don't get it. How can pressing on a cable lock the brakes...

It's not a cable. They have effectively left the brake pedal pivot and master cylinder on the left hand side, and run a bar across to the right hand side to connect it to the pedal.

So, you effectively have a stub of brake pedal on the left hand side where the pedal would have been mounted, covered only by a bit of felt. If you know where to press you can stand on the brakes from the passenger side.

& why buy such an uninspired car in the first place?

'Cos they're cheap, I guess. Nothing else remotely attractive about them IMHO. :-/

Kevin

[Andy B]

... They have effectively left the brake pedal pivot and master cylinder on the left hand side, and run a bar across to the right hand side to connect it to the pedal. .....

A few cars that I know of are the same-ish. Peugeot 206/207 has the brake switch still above the passenger's feet. So when you see one that has its brake lights on all the time it's cos a passenger has kicked the brke switch off.
MkIII  FWD Escorts are the same, but Ford had the sense to leave the torsion bar on the engine side of the bulkhead when they made them right hand drive.

[Kevin Wood]

... They have effectively left the brake pedal pivot and master cylinder on the left hand side, and run a bar across to the right hand side to connect it to the pedal. .....

A few cars that I know of are the same-ish. Peugeot 206/207 has the brake switch still above the passenger's feet. So when you see one that has its brake lights on all the time it's cos a passenger has kicked the brke switch off.
MkIII  FWD Escorts are the same, but Ford had the sense to leave the torsion bar on the engine side of the bulkhead when they made them right hand drive.

Exactly. It's not an uncommon practice now cars are packed together so tightly that space under the bonnet is precious. You can also make a whole host of parts the same for LHD and RHD vehicles (brake lines, for example).

Not having protected the mechanism from interference from the passenger side was a big mistake cost-cutting measure too far, though.

Kevin

[cem_devecioglu]

sometimes can be a life saving mistake if the driver is a newbie

[Jimbob]

We tried this on the father in law's C3 picasso last night, and it wasnt easy, but we could recreate the issue.

We got best results when your toes were effectively on the upstroke, seemed to be rotating a pipe.

only did it stationary, not on the move, so didnt get to feel the full effect.