I've had a few people drive my car other than me, and they have actually had to call me up (one was a shop) to ask how to unlock the parking brakes? Ugh.

Ideally, I'd like to have more control over the parking brakes, just like you would in a lever action setup in a console mounted brake. Ive had to use the parking brake twice now to help turn the car around, or save my rear from going off the road. But the fact you have to push down on it again to release is annoying, and tricky to do if you actually have to use it to lock the rear wheels for a second.
If I could take the locking mechanism out of the pedal, and hook the locking part into a handle (similar to the older GMs) that would be great. I'd switch to a lever handle, but with a 60/40 bench in the car, there is no room to put one within reach.
Anyone have any ideas?
When did GM switch to the funky double press pedal, anyhow? All previous GMs I have driven with a foot activated brake have had a handle to pull to release it? Could it be possibly (with some work) to use an older pedal setup instead?
With my first encounter with bad weather on Monday, I can easily see the need to be able to hit and release the e brake without a hassle, or having it get stuck. I use it every time I park the car, so it is in great working order. I just don't like the stupid idea of the double press pedal.
Anyone have ideas how I can make this work?

Only complaint I have about the e-brake is I broke my hood release last winter when I had to hit it to keep from hitting another car. Funny thing is my grandpa broke the hood release on his LeSabre the same way when he engaged the parking brake too fast and his foot slipped. About the only thing I'd want to do with my e-brake is move it to the right a bit

It'* a parking brake, not an E-Brake. That'* why it has the design that it does.

Do what I do, before you need to use it, push it down just enough that it clicks once. Then the next time you press it, it will just go down and come right back up.

Works just like an e-brake when ya hit it though

Granted, but I'm sure GM didn't expect our cars to be needing an "E-brake" for that kind of thing. If you need to mash it for emergency stopping, ok. If you're using it drift though, you're using it wrong.

I'll honestly admit I've done both. Had to use it to keep from hitting a parked car (started to turn in a parking space and the wheels just lost all grip, car kept going straight) and that was when I broke the hood release. I also had a little fun in an empty parking lot after a large snowfall once. I know, stupid. But hey at least I don't do it while other cars and people are around.

Check this out

http://www.jefflilly.com/Fabrication...rake/page.html

Well, I live in upstate NY, and drive 60 miles a day on twisty roads, and snowfall season is close (Monday was just a freak of nature storm). So, even if GM designed it as a "parking" brake, its gonna get used as an e-brake anyway. If you saw the road/hill/turns I had to make just to get up the hill where I live, you would understand why I would occasionally need it. Our hill is high enough, steep enough, and the road is narrow enough that usually only one car at a time can drive in a direction (though its not a one-way, just narrow enough to be one) they can't get a school bus up here, and the kids either walk downtown, or get parents to carpool them into school. So you can imagine they aren't in a big hurry to plow when snow falls up here.
Getting up the hill is all about momentum. So slowing down for the tight corners isn't always an option, hence you have to drift them if conditions are bad enough. My last 2 cars before this were both 5 speeds, FWD, with hand brake. I never had a problem with either getting up this hill drifting the corners. Neighbors end up parking downtown and walking sometimes. Its that bad.
Guess I just gotta practice my footwork then... .

??? I like the Parking brake as is and feel it'* an improvement over the old ones that go thhhhhhunk!!! when you release them. And I bet they will prove out to last alot longer. You only need to be smarter than the system your working with.