So 66Dvert you paid just as much or more than I did for a simple kit and still need or needed to replace the brake lines which cost how much more? I replaced all the brake lines also as to be safe and now driving a car with a dual master cylinder system needs seperate front and rear brake lines. Correct? One can do it either way, but in todays world I would rather do it right the first time than have to do it again and spend the money twice. Not here to argue or say you are incorrect, we all have different ability and ideology, I am a keep it simple stupid person so I like a kit to help ME do it right the first time! Just my own opinion! KISS methodology specialist aqui! Oh Mi Habla espanol por trabajen con mis amigos tambien!
65Cudalover
not to start a pissing match. or piss off anyone. if "ya gots" the checkbook and want it go for it. I've been wrenching for over 45 years so I went the other way.
I was disappointed with the wildwood setup and quality on my friends 65 that I put on for him. over a grand for the kit. and the summit kit for his camaro was cheap @ 459.00. (still worried about his rotors and pads though). it had cheap bolts I had to upgrade all the connecting hardware to grade 8. works ok, but it's a trailer queen. less that 1500 miles on it in 3 years.
but if that what you like to do go for it.
and I'm not having to do it a second time. it'll be right the first time but take a little longer because of the money budget.
I went the scarebird route due to not having a large budget every month to get parts with. and I'm not to worried about all mopar parts only. My theory is if I have a mopar car and engine with toyota/chevy/yugo whatever parts on it that works and is safe or makes it stop or go better I'm all for it since I know I can get the parts (maybe not yugo parts) almost anywhere.
of course you are not mopar only with a kit either.
and cost's almost as much as the Kits,sort of.(wanna tell me where you got a kit for 330 or so?heck 380 woulld be killer too!) I can sell em all day long at that price! summits was the cheapest that I saw starting at 459.00. (yep you had to buy lines there too!,so add cost) but that was for a chevy(camaro kit, see above statement about kit). as for doing it right , if you look at the kits you'll see that the adapter looks like a scarebird adapter. rotors are rotors,unless you want bling or huge (really on a small a body?) I can haul the 65 plymouth B Body with a built 440@3500lbsor so down from 120 in nothing flat using scarebirds with the 11 inch previa rotors and celebrity calipers and pads and it stops straight MULTIPLE times. anything bigger for an mildly modded small block or big block is just bragging.
Calipers. well yeah I didn't get dual pucks like the wildwoods. but a few million chevy's out there with the same calipers can't be that unsafe or wrong, can it? yeah I know chevy and previa parts, but where did wildwood and summit get their rotors and caliper design from? chevy!
rubber hoses I'll put new on any car I drive. just cause.
proportioning valve? I got a disc/drum one for a small A body so it has the correct bias. I also have set up adjustable valves(a little touchy to adjust right) and either work good.
dual master cylinder ummm if memory serves me right you had a single pot on the 65 didn't ya? so you had to change to a dual also in the kit(wildwood did have the extra line but for a grand it better have). I just have a choice of how hard I want the pedal to be. big or small bore.(no choice in the kit) same with the rear wheel cylinders. I wanted safe and was able to choose the rears to suit the car's actions.(dang you didn't get that in the kit did ya. let me remove the prices for the rear rubber and wheel cylinders) remember safety first! so take away 45-50 or so for the rear rubber hose and wheel cylinders and I'm in the lower 300 mark. there isn't a kit out there that you can get for lower 300 mark. even scarebirds kit costs more @ 495.00 complete.
yeah I ordered new lines but didn't need to since the lines had been replaced by the previous owner with SS lines(those go on the wife's dart, I get regular steel lines that I coated with clear)
actually when I added the dual pot MC all I did was remove the existing distribution block and put in the new(used) prop valve and added a short line(looped) from the master cylinder to it. (done deal!) total cost of 23 inch line $8.00. I'll eat that extra cost all day long. even if you do an adjustable prop valve you only need a short one to run from the new master cylinder to the prop valve that's connected to your rear line. maybe a 32 incher looped to fit cost maybe $12.00 or so.
the kit that would fit mine cost $746.00 on sale from $849.00 that extra 280(330 or so if you don't add in rear wheel stuff) or so can go into other parts. only converts to 5 on 4.5 so you DON'T have a choice to stay small bolt pattern. oh yeah you STILL gotta order replacement rotors/pads from summit and I have not been able to price out them yet(found em $133.00 VS $28.00 (mine)for rotors SBBC, not found the pads yet). that means wait time and the car's going to be sidelined until you get the parts from them.
BUT I can go to a parts store and get replacement parts anywhere in the US pretty much for all the parts for the scarebird setup. again since I'm going to be driving this car as much as I can and it will go on a power tour or 2 along with a couple of 1200 mile trips from Florida to Michigan and then to Oklahoma,Texas and Vegas I want an easily repairable car.
just my take on the situation. I like the KISS solution also.
pro's for me were
1. I didn't have to change my spindles or upper control arms (did put on new front suspension just cause it OLD!)
2. can use with 9 or 10 inch drum brakes.
3. I can go to any parts store and get replacement parts CHEAPER
4. choice of SBP or LBP.(drill hub's for LBP once or rotors each time for SBP when replacing rotors)
5. choice of stopping performance (hard pedal,soft pedal,ceramic pads , larger or smaller bore rear wheel cylinders ect..)
6. can be bought in stages when money is available.
7. the newer adapter and pieces fit inside a factory steel rim. my stock 14's SBP would have just barely(yeah really close as in paper clearance width) cleared them if I had stayed SBP
Con's
against it for me were
1. I had to drill my hub for the large bolt pattern front and rear. total cost for drilling hubs and axles was 97.50. $40 for the front and $57.50 for the rear.
2. I had to file off a little casting from the calipers(only one side for some reason the other cleared).
win/win for my situation. others may vary
again if you have the money for a kit go for it, if you want a kit go for it. if you want huge calipers and rotors go for it. but as for safe and right either way works and works well.
