Projects Mid Life Crisis 62 Vette

What master Jim ?

 

Making purists cringe is a way of life

I haven't figured out the master cylinder yet...might try the stocker, might try the Mopar dual, or see what else is available.

the brakes I'm getting have a drum parking brake inside the rear hat.

 

So you’re putting corvette brakes on a corvette? Use a corvette master cylinder.

 

They're not Corvette brakes, they're aftermarket. The 60s-70s Corvette disc brake master cylinder isn't quite so easy to adapt to the early cars, as you'd hope. It has a three bolt pattern, and is recessed into the firewall a ways.

 

MoPar master cylinders are pretty easy to adapt to any build and if you go power disc their boosters aren’t huge either. Some people put Hemi’s in their Vettes so a Master Cylinder should be acceptable.

 

The booster would have to extend out a ways, and I'd rather not run one if I can avoid it. The late 60s dual Mopar MC will adapt by trimming the flange and drilling three holes in it.

 

Sounds like you have it all scienced out. Hope the calculations for bore size and stoke make a booster unnecessary. Of course we expect pictures and a review after install, like you always have.

 

Nice, never cared for that cork screw set up of adjusting park brake.

 

My coupe has C3 disc brakes on the front and they are two piece and they leak (at the seam) and squeak. So I hope you went with aftermarket brakes.

I’m about to jettison them in favor of something more modern.

 

I didn't want the weight of OEM brakes from the 60s-70s....

 

Probably based on the Ford Explorer rear discs, that's the design Ford used. Those calipers with the built-in parking brake are a PITA to work on. That's why I got rid of the 9" Versailles disc rear axle I had... more trouble than they were worth.

 

Another factor, 62 has king pins at the spindle so how does one adapt C2 and up braking to the front?

 

There are quite a few varieties of kits for brakes for these things, they include brackets to mount the caliper to the spindle.

 

I’ve got the modified MOPAR unit on the 57. It’s pretty simple to mod one

 

True. But why stop there on a C1 if you get what I’m aiming toward by using later Vette braking components.

 

Jim, did you look at what Master Power Brakes has to offer?

I use their stuff regularly.

No bling, nice quality stuff that actually fits.

mpbrakes.com

Bill

 

There ya go. Your car and your fun!

 

Here’s why it’s hard to use a common master cyl on these cars. The mopar cyl has a larger 4 bolt flange with room to adapt to the vette pattern

 

That's a nice looking install.
Did you engineer the mounting and modifying
of the master, or is it store bought?

Bill

 

Thanks, i bought an auto parts store master and had a machinist buddy cut it up with plans from the corvette forum. It’s a fairly popular swap

 

Understood and agree it would look better without it. May Check out the Mopar 1973 Dart (A Body) Master for Manual Disc Brakes. I've used it on several projects with great luck.

 

Thats whats on my Vette, Scotty sent me the drawings I did it on my lunch break at work.

 

What bore size MC did you use?

 

I believe it’s 1” bore

 

Following this great thread as I just purchased a ‘61 Vette , 2 top , 4 speed , 2-4 bbl car that hadn’t been driven in 30 years . Looking to end up with a good driver , originality is secondary . Thanks Jim , for documenting your build .

 

Nice buy, do you have pics to share or another build thread started? There is a 62 near me that probably hasn’t moved in 40 plus years, I would love to get them to sell it to me or trade it for my OT Vette so they would have a driver and I would have a fun project.

 

I don’t want to hijack this thread but when I get over to where the car is stored then I will take some pics and post them .

 

Sounds like something that should be printed on a HAMB T-shirt . . .

 

Can't agree more; my avatar, with the big block, 4 speed and 3:73 geared 9" but original brakes was a blast to drive up to 100 mph+, but trying to stop quickly and straight was definately a "Skid Marks in the Skivvies" moment. Scared the hell out of myself more than once. Wilwoods will definitely extend the life of the Fruit of the Looms.

 

My car is full of one-off parts I made along the way. The benefits of having a machine shop on site are staggering.