'54 Ranch Wagon Parking Brake Handle

[51504bat]

The parking brake handle on my my wagon is a bit raunchy. 2 questions. First, before I try to remove the handle which is a real PITA according to other
threads, does anyone know it a handle from a later Ford similar to the one pictured off a Falcon, can be modified to fit? Yes I know that its not the same but close enough for me. The shaft diameter of the current brake assembly is 1/2". And second, does anyone have any removal suggestions other than drilling out the pin that goes into the handle from the bottom? Thanks.

 

[Dobie Gillis]

How about cleaning up the handle you have? You'd still need to drill the pin to remove it but you know it fits the shaft and all that's needed is some elbow grease, paint and a new pin.

 

[Daves55Sedan]

The 54/55/56 Ford parking brake T-handle was painted gloss black at the factory. The letters "BRAKE" are recessed into the front of the handle and are painted white.
A lot of people wear rings on their fingers. When you see an old car that has the paint scraped off the rim of the steering wheel and off the parking brake handle, it may be due to the rings people wear.
During the time when I was rebuilding both my '55 Ford cars, I refreshed the parking brake handle with Rust-O-Leum gloss black paint (thinned out a little bit with paint thinner. First I feathered down the edges of the remaining black paint that was still stuck on the handle, then sprayed grey metal primer on the handle. Once it was dry, I wet-sanded with fine sandpaper to a smooth finish, then brushed on the Rust-O-Leum black. It turned out real nice. I also had an old bottle of Testors white model kit paint and re-did the white letters with a modelling brush.
Both my steering wheel and the parking brake handle still look good after the new paint job they received decades ago, but I never wore rings on my fingers.
Could be that the grey primer helped too.

 

[KULTULZ]

How about cleaning up the handle you have?

The replacement handle you show was frequently bent during use and needed to be replaced on a regular basis in many instances. If you can save the original handle consider it.

 

[51504bat]

For the time being it will stay just as it is. Down the road a repaint might be in order. Thanks for the replies/suggestions.

 

[KULTULZ]

The handle shown was a part of the PARKING BRAKE 2780 ASSY (complete ratchet).