[tubman]

I have to agree with "another Merc guy". That car looks like it should be kept as original as possible. I know these cars had "hanging pedals", but don't know if power brakes were an option. I would do some research and see what other folks have done in similar situations.

As an aside, I have a 1951 Ford coupe that, I believe, has essentially the same brake system as this Mercury. In my opinion, my brakes work perfectly and don't require much extra effort. Sure , there is some, but I don't believe that it is excessive. I think you should do a couple of things before tearing into that beautiful car. First, drive it around a bit to get used to the "feel" of the braking system; you may just find that, once you get used to it, it will be completely satisfactory. If that doesn't satisfy you, I think an inspection and some general maintenance to the system should be performed to make sure everything is "up to snuff"..