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Handbrake always a big problem. With VW drums at rear plus large diameter tyres, VW cable handbrake will always be very marginal. A longer handle and finer (smaller steps) ratchet system might help or bigger ? Type 3 drums. Another option is to fit small diameter wheels for MOT. However on this car the rear brakes are discs and calipers from front of a late 80's Ford Escort so no integral cable handbrake system. On my previous Fugitive I tried rear disc brake calipers from a Peugeot (406 I think) GTI which had a cable handbrake mechanism. This was still puny however. Another alternative might be a proper rear disc kit for a VW as there are a few of these nowadays for VW beetles and buses which come with a handbrake mechanism. It might still be marginal with the large wheels though.
Anyway, the car had a hydraulic handbrake acting on the rear calipers bought from a rally spares shop. The problem was that to release it you had to lift a little lever that dropped sideways across the handbrake lever to lock it - needing 2 hands - not ideal for modern traffic. I had it mounted on right of car as well so you could hardly reach it. This clearly needs a rethink.
I have therefore kept the hydraulic mechanism but replaced the rally lever with a Citroen C3 brake lever with a proper ratchet and end-button from the scrapyard (chunky, short, narrow mechanism, "alloy look" button on the end). This has been cut down, the mounting shaped to fit and welded to the frame that holds the small master cylinder.
Space is tight in centre tunnel between seats but am in process of making a mount for it that allows it to just fit.
 Work in progress here. Gear linkage is just behind it and electrical cables etc can run in space beneath both.
  This mess of loose cables was removed later and whole car rewired.  April 2010. New wiring loom in car. All electricals in centre tunnel protected with spiral wrap. Where they pass under gearshift mounting they are protected by an alloy plate. Also in centre tunnel are pipes to/from handbrake cylinder, vacuum pipe from engine to brake servos in nose of car and the fuel pipe. Therefore there is quite a lot of kit to be packaged neatly so gearshift mechanism does not rub against any of it.
Gearshift mounting was removed for rewiring job then welded back in place over the cable bundle once installed (another reason for the alloy protection over the loom where it runs under gearshift mount).
Very old original quickshifter bolted in. Will look great when all polished up.
 Trial fitting of the glassfibre centre tunnel cover. Looks as if it was once red!
 I now need to make a handbrake gaiter etc to cover the handbrake mechanism.
 Rear panel behind seats, ducts some air into radiator.
 Slimline cover for handbrake mechanism
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