19Fordy, The beginning of my post is a quote that someone made on another post that I did not want to muddy up.
I am planning to keep my mechanical brakes on my '36 unless I cannot find parts at some point in the future. Just putting this out there so others thinking about making the upgrade understand and can make a better cost versus benefit decision.
As Kube points out, I think a lot of money is spent unnecessarily because people get convinced that things are better, when in fact, that is not necessarily the case, or they don't understand how to fix what they have.
If stopping safely is the concern, there are other options like:
1.) Minimize freeway driving to minimize exposure.
2.) These cars are old, don't drive them like today's cars. Drive to the right. Slower
3.) Increase tire width to get more tire on the road, also make certain tires are not dried out and therefor less flexible.
4.) These cars require us to be present, don't let yourself be lulled into that state your modern high tech transportation allows you to.
5.) What did we learn years ago in driver training...drive defensively
6.) To the best of your ability, leave a safe distance between you and that guy in front of you.
7.) Don't just get there, enjoy getting there
I am not lecturing, just saying be careful and enjoy the ride. Some "upgrades" may not be worth the time or effort, and/or leave the driver with an inflated feeling of improved safety.
While these vehicles are expensive, unnecessary "improvements" can easily multiply the cost of ownership and discourage some of those who might truly enjoy the hobby.