Need advice on a 65' parking brake issue

I'm not as familliar with these older models as the 69' and trying to help a buddy out on his car. We are finding all kinds of previous owner decisions that have us scratching our heads. His parking brake never really has worked right and we aren't sure how to fix it or what is even incorrect. We just pulled out what looks like a rebuilt Dana 4 speed and you can see by this pic the old exhaust is a hand fabbed oddity that wasn't even the same size as the reducers to the headers so it's all filled up with welds.

Anyway, this is pretty much how the bracket was positioned before we removed it and I don't know if this a hand fabbed part too or how it supposed to be or what. The exhaust is being replaced with a new Magnflow 2.5" SS system but the 4speed is going back and we'd like to just fix this brake issue while we are at it if we can. Not sure if it matters but this car was a 6cyl automatic originally, actually the front clip is from a 66 as well, it's got all kind of issues that are being unraveled. I know he asked for my help but I'm not sure yet if he's now happy or miserable at what I've been bringing to his attention, lol.

Any and all help and or pics are greatly appreciated!

BarnStang said:

Yep, that looks right, the bar you're holding should slip into a bracket welded to the stock crossmember...then a spring to a hole in that bar going back to the passenger side frame rail.
Look at this crossmember:
http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?Parta~ShowPicTxt~Z5Z5Z50000016e~Z5Z5Z5EBOQH~Z5Z5Z51
Are the cables there coming from the rear backing plates? THey would go on each side of the bracket thats attached to the rod thats attached to the bar you're holding.

Click to expand...

I think that is a major part of the issue, I think they made a home brewed crossmember for that 4spd so there is no bracket to slip it into. Is the bracket the part that sticks out at the bottom of the pic you posted? I wonder if he can just get the proper crossmember and if it will fit the tranny.

We actually removed the rear cables ourselves, they were attached, we can hook everything back up the way it was, that's not an issue except that it doesn;t really work. The issue is how it is actually supposed to be.

Not sure why I didn't think of this before but I found a pretty good article at MM on it with diagrams and pics that help me envision what you were describing. I defintely think the culprit was the crossmember, I'll have to look at it again but I don't think it had a bracket to connect to for leverage, probably why it barely worked at all to begin with.

Does anyone know how to figure out what year and month an online article is actually from? I didn't see any real indication on this one and I have all the issues back 10 years at least. I did see they mention the 05-07 models and I see in the link where it says 0703 so I'm thinking maybe it is March 2007?!?!??!? Unfortunately I won't be home until tomorrow night to try and verify that hunch.

Ford Mustang Emergency Brake Repair - Mustang Monthly

Yeah I did notice that, odd since common sense would tell you to put the spring on the hole closest to the frame it connects to and not to cross it over the rod, go figure. I'll have to confirm what the crossmember looks like tomorrow and go from there. I notice they don't seem to repro that part except for modded versions for a T5, the reconditioned original ones for sale at CJ Pony that you posted seem to be the only source. Anyway, if he needs one then it's his problem, my problem solving job is done, thanks!

Can you tell by the pic I posted if that bar is actually supposed to be twisted and bent in that shape or not? In other pics I looked at it seems to be straighter.