In order to make the car enjoyable...
In order to make the car enjoyable to drive, Muscle Car Restorations' John Balow opted for a traditional wheel and tire combination, including the use of Wheel Vintiques' 15x6 Comet five-spoke design and BFGoodrich T/A Radials-275/60R15s in the rear and 215/65R15s up front. If you are contemplating a disc-brake upgrade for your Mopar, consult SSBC about accommodating your specific wheel combination with a disc-brake conversion.
In the December '02 issue, we introduced you to a '67 Barracuda constructed by Muscle Car Restorations of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. In that first installment, we displayed the car that we began with-a '67 convertible that would be considered a solid driver.
This series outlines what is necessary to build a car that wins show trophies and, at the same time, is routinely driven and can perform at the drags well beyond expectations.
Of all three facets-driving, showing, and performing-driving gets top billing with this Barracuda. Our goal is to present you with a challenge: Prepare your Mopar for the '03 installment of the Hot Rod Power Tour. Details of the event are forthcoming, but imagine with us, if you will, Mopars showing up in force and invading the Hot Rod Power Tour.
To simply be on the Power Tour is one thing, but to have so many Mopars that the Hot Rod staff calls it an invasion is our goal. Yes, for one bright and shining week in late May, the Mopars will rule.
In this second installment, we'll show you how to build a car that is enjoyable to drive and stops reliably, thanks to a supple suspension, which was reconstructed using all new components from Performance Suspension Technology. Additionally, the original 10-inch drum brakes were discarded in favor of a reliable combination from Stainless Steel Brakes.
Follow along as we outline these details and further introduce the Invasion of the '67 Barracuda.
One call to Performance Suspension...
One call to Performance Suspension Technology was all that was necessary to acquire a Super Front-End Kit for the '67 Barracuda. The kit includes two upper ball joints (large, 10-inch drum variety), two lower ball joints, two inner tie-rod ends, two tie-rod adjusting sleeves, one idler arm, two upper A-arm cam-and-bolt kits, and control-arm bumpers. A full complement of PST's Polygraphite(r) bushings is also supplied for the control arms (four upper inner, four lower inner), the strut rod (two Polygraphite; some pre-'65 applications use OE-type bushings), the stabilizer links (two Polygraphite) and the sway-bar end-link kits (2-Polygraphite). For a complete list of components included in PST's kits, visit them online at www.p-s-t.com.
Our original upper-control...
Our original upper-control arms are the 10-inch drum-brake variety, which accommodate the larger upper ball-joint spindles. This is critical, as 9-inch drum-brake control arms need to be changed for the SSBC front disc-brake conversion.
Here, one of the guys at MCR...
Here, one of the guys at MCR installs the strut rod using Polygraphite bushings. Note that the engine is in place. We'll bring you the complete drivetrain installation.
With the upper and lower control...
With the upper and lower control arms in place, MCR is ready to reinstall the 10-inch drum-brake spindle. Note the position of the caster/camber eccentric washer. The PST kit includes new cam and bolt kits. Further fine-tuning will be necessary, but this approximate position gets us in the ballpark for our caster setting.
The early-style spindle is...
The early-style spindle is often an obstacle on disc-brake installations. However, if you have 10-inch drum brakes, Stainless Steel Brakes' PN A153 kit for nonpower applications is a bolt-on. The billet steel plate is provided; it bolts directly to the 10-inch drum-brake spindle-a provision for bolting on the calipers. SSBC is currently developing a power disc-brake conversion kit for use with their FX4 Force 10 four-piston caliper. The Force 10 caliper conversion for nonpower applications is available as PN A-153-2.
The SSBC front disc-brake...
The SSBC front disc-brake rotor/hat is an 11-inch diameter one-piece "Unicast" design. The rotor offers clearance for most 14-inch-diameter Mopar wheels and is available in both 5x4-inch and 5x4.5-inch bolt patterns.
PST was also our source for...
PST was also our source for KYB Gas-A-Just shock absorbers for all four corners. The moderately priced gas shocks are a favorite among musclecar enthusiasts, thanks to the wide variety of applications available.
Year One provided a new set...
Year One provided a new set of leaf springs. The PST-supplied spring eye Polygraphite bushing kits are shown here with the spring. We replaced the OE-style bushing with Polygraphite bushings to reduce deflection.
The SSBC nonpower front disc-brake...
The SSBC nonpower front disc-brake conversion kit comes complete with all hardware, including flex lines, rotor/hats, a pair of caliper mounting plates for large ball-joint 10-inch drum spindles, hard lines which must be bent to suit your application, 43mm four-piston SSBC calipers and pads, and a dual-reservoir master cylinder.
The complete front disc brake...
The complete front disc brake swap installed displays SSBC's fixed-mount caliper. The disc-brake pads can be sourced locally or through SSBC.
The SSBC rear disc-brake conversion...
The SSBC rear disc-brake conversion kit (PN A155) comes complete with 10.5-inch rotors, dust shields, caliper mounting plates, and hard lines, which must be bent to suit your application. The calipers are also equipped with emergency brakes.
New emergency-brake cables...
New emergency-brake cables were sourced from Year One. No modifications were necessary for use with the SSBC kit.
The emergency-brake hardware,...
The emergency-brake hardware, including the supplied e-brake cable bracket, attaches to the caliper mounting bracket. The only fabrication required is a mount for the rubber brake line.
The Moser-supplied 8 3/4 Custom...
The Moser-supplied 8 3/4 Custom Alloy Axles will ensure years of trouble-free holeshots. Fine Lines provided all pre-bent brake and fuel-line plumbing on Project Barracuda.