Retrofitting, Adding brake transmission-shift interlock?
 

I have a few cars that don't have this safety feature (yet at least!) I'm thinking of retrofitting them to add it. How can this be done? Cars in subject: Two 2000 Dodge Caravans (3.0 and 3.3 Litre) and the other two cars in my Garage section - 1984 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Sedan and 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis Wagon.

Why?

^Took the word right outta my mouth.

I have a 95 town and country, and he's probably got the same issue - it's an automatic, and for some reason, you are able to pull the shifter out of park without the keys in the vechicle, ignition locked!

The interlock would require key on, brakes engaged to be able to get out of park.

Big safety concern with little kids who can't help but pull on things and push buttons, etc...

My 2005 Grand Caravan does have this feature (brake-shift interlock), and I am putting a lot of thought into ripping it out.

Is that really necessary?

If kids ride in it at all, I would say yes.

As a father of 4 kids, I would say no. Those that would rely on mechanical junk to keep their kids safe, instead of... oh, I don't know... maybe actually SUPERVISING their children in the first place, should not either drive or have kids.

I have a brilliant idea.

How about Americans start using the parking brake. You know, the little pedal on the left side. I still haven't figured out why people never seem to use them, even if they are at the top of a steep mountain road.

I'm not saying all American's don't use them, but I have yet to see any that do, and I scanned my memory a good bit before writing this.

Obviously, a kid could pull the release handle... Keep the kid out of the driver's seat...

I know that with manual parking brakes, you can pull the handle up hard enough that one has to either be very strong to push the button, or very strong to pull up on the handle to easily push the release ratchet button.

Another option is wheel chocks. If I remember correctly, they have worked quite faithfully for several centuries... maybe millennia.

Doing this on a regular basis will ruin the handbrake cables. Some newer cars have reverse springs in the park brake mechanism to prevent over tensioning.