disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

[Guest]

I just recently (10/9/2006) acquired a '60 hardtop, white w/black and white interior, 352.

She needs work and I'm currently getting the Oklahoma title converted to Texas,and it seems to be in fair/pretty good condition.

While surfing the internet for T-Bird info, I saw a disc brake (front) conversion, actually 2 of them. One uses GM parts, and the other uses Granada spindles and rotors, I believe.

Does anyone have any experiences and input on these???

Also, this exhaust system, that is pipes and mufflers is pretty rusty. Driver's side manifol has a crack, and so I 'm researching replacement.
Anyone have any suggestions or experience with the internet vendors like Bird's Nest or Pat Wilson, etc.???

Thanks for the help!

[Guest]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

Or you could go the route I did. I am running 14" wilwood rotors and four piston calipers on stock spindles. The only car I have that stops better is the BMW.

I was the first conversion the shop did, i forgot to ask what they are going to ask for the kit.

[Alexander]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

I got my exhaust parts from Bob's Bird House. I opted for stainless steel, since I don't want to do the job again. Also the car sits idle for months during the winter, so a regular steel exhaust is prone to rust form the inside.

The parts all fit together perfectly.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[byersmtrco]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

Do the disc brakes!!! Mine stops good too. Not like a BMW or our 04 Tahoe (4 whl disc) but like a car should (in a straight line too) Just do your homework 1st. I like that Wildwood kit. There are several now, including the Granada swap. Very easy. Cheap too. Just get V8 Granada parts (spindles etc) w/11" rotors. Add Hvy duty swaybars frt & rr and you have a good handling fun car that will stop too.


As far as exhaust . . . Yep I need to do that (next year) Mine's old.
Pretty much straight pipes all the way back with old cherrybomb glasspacks on the ends. Sounds goo though. Very 50's !!!

John

[byersmtrco]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

Good . . . Not goo. It's loud. I like it !!!

[Guest]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

I added front disc's, huge difference, was gonna do rear discs also but the company that I ordered the parts from said the tires would rub the skirts, so I held off for now. Need to research that a bit.

I also went with headers, 3in. pipes and a set smithy's mufflers. love the sound, very 50's.

I would agree also with the sway bars, the difference on those alone was well worth it.

That's my 2cents. Good luck!!!

Marc
59HT

[Guest]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

Where did you get the sways?

Are they 1 1/8 or bigger?

[byersmtrco]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

When I did the disc conv, I didn't do all my homework. I used the kit from Stainless Steel Brake Corp. Great kit as far as quality and so forth. The problem I had is, this kit uses the stock 60 TBird spindles. The calipers face forward. They interefered with the sway bar links. Since I did brakes and swaybars at the same time, we didn't catch it (until it was time to install the new swaybar.) At that point the orig one wouldn't work either. Basically (being screwed at that point) I had a local Hotrod fabricator retro-fit a bar for the front. We wound up using the HD bar for the 61-63 body style. Fits good, works REAL good. Hangs down (a little) though. The rear bar came from Larry's Thunderbird Supl. Only trick with it was, it mounts (above) the rear axle, not below like most bars. It did the trick. That car drives nice. Anyone familiar with Northern Calif knows (or knows of) Highway 17 (San Jose to Santa Cruz-AKA The Santa Cruz Grade). It's a little hairy. We FLEW over that hill last month. It was scary in that car before. Now it's nothing!! We rode the (posted)45 mph turns at 55 & 60 with ease.
Thunderbird Southwest in Texas sells the correct Ftr & Rr bars and knows all the tricks. Knowing what I know, I'd have sure called him first. Even if it meant putting the d___ thing on a truck and sending it to him.
Sorry this got long. It was an ordeal with the brakes and swaybars. but WORTH IT !!

John

[peeeot]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

Don't the squarebirds come with sway bars from the factory? We're talking about bigger replacement ones, no?

[Guest]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

Yes, mine was supposed to be all orginal when the guy gave it to me. It only has a very small front sway bar and nothing in the rear. It needs something bigger and better at this point.

[Guest]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

I picked up the front from Pat's. It is a heavy duty sway bar. Yes, I believe it is 1 1/8 or larger. It's a monster compared to the originals. Haven't played with adding the rear yet, but I hear it makes a difference.

[byersmtrco]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

Yes, the original was 3/4? Smaller than what a car that size needs.
The hvy duty repl frt is 1 1/8" . . . And so is the rear. Sq/birds had nothing in the rear originally.

[Guest]

RE: disc brake conversion and/or exhaust replacement

>Yes, the original was 3/4? Smaller than what a car that
>size needs.
> The hvy duty repl frt is 1 1/8" . . . And so is the rear.
>Sq/birds had nothing in the rear originally.

I can't say about the '59/'60 - the '58 came with one.