A set of drums can go a very long way if you happen to be a rock star, but face the facts. You’re not Tommy Lee. Besides, since there’s no modern equivalent of a ’80s Heather Locklear, the benefits of drums aren’t what they used to be, even for rock stars. For the average hot rodder, the only set of drums at your disposal are the ones bolted to your project car’s rearend housing, or gulp, to the front spindles. In either scenario, drum brakes aren’t a good thing. It wasn’t so bad back in the ’60s, when every other car on the road relied on such archaic technology, but the only thing you’ll out-stop these days with a set of drums is an 18-wheeler. Although most cars on the road today are mired in a perpetual state of plastic lameness and bear no semblance of performance, if your drum-equipped muscle car happens to be behind one of them as they stomp hard on the binders, you’re going to be in some serious trouble. Throw a ton of extra horsepower into the equation like we did with our ’68 Nova project car, and the problem becomes exponentially worse. Fortunately, Classic Performance Products has the perfect fix, and we were able to address the situation with a sweet four-wheel disc brake setup without breaking the bank.
All brake systems serve the same purpose of converting kinetic energy into thermal energy, or heat. Seal the friction material and wear surfaces off from ambient airflow in a big iron chamber like a drum, however, and the braking system’s ability to dissipate heat is greatly diminished. Furthermore, as disc brake systems have become universal over the years in newer cars, our driving habits have changed accordingly to take advantage of today’s shorter stopping distances. As driver’s now accustomed to the stopping power of late-models, stepping on the whoa pedal in a muscle car with drum brakes can feel downright treacherous. Our ’68 Nova was one of the worst offenders out there, as it came equipped from the factory with drums on all four corners. “The stock drum brakes on the Nova were just flat-out dangerous,” Hunkins says. “When you hit the brakes, you never knew if the car was going to pull to the left or to the right. It was a chore just to keep the car going straight even when stopping normally. I’m surprised I didn’t wreck the car before upgrading to the CPP discs.”
Many aftermarket front disc brake conversion kits use C5 Corvette calipers, but CPP takes things one step further. CPP’s big brake kit uses PBR twin 52mm piston calipers as opposed to the 40mm pots used in the C5 calipers. Additionally, the CPP calipers are stiffer than the stock Vette units, and feature pads with a larger surface area. The end product is up to 50 percent more stopping power over the stock C5 hardware.
The good news is that disc brake conversions are now so common that you can get some serious hardware for not a lot of money. Likewise, the popularity of disc brake swaps means that installing them no longer requires proficiency with a plasma cutter and MIG welder. CPP has assembled an entire catalog of parts with affordability and bolt-on simplicity in mind, which meshed perfectly with our Nova’s overall theme. The goal with this project is to build a car that can accelerate, turn, and stop as well as a C6 Corvette using affordable parts that anyone can install in their driveway. To that end, we’ve already installed a Dart-based 400ci small-block good for 523 hp, and a complete CPP front and rear suspension. What makes CPP’s big brake setup so appealing is that it boasts 13-inch cross-drilled and slotted rotors up front with two-piston calipers all for $999. That price includes a set of 2-inch drop spindles, hubs, caliper brackets, and brake hoses. CPP offers the same kit without the drop spindles for $200 less. The rear disc setup consists of 12-inch rotors, single-piston calipers, mounting brackets, new hoses, and all necessary hardware for $699. Due to the inherent similarities between X-bodies and F-bodies, either of these brake kits will fit both ’68-74 Novas as well as ’67-69 Camaros. Finally, to get the most out of the new front and rear discs, we matched them up with a new power brake booster as well. So for just a hair over $2,000 we transformed the braking ability in our Nova from horrendous to heroic in one afternoon. Thanks to Craig Chaffers and the crew at CPP for inviting us over to their shop and turning the wrenches.
Where the Money Went
Item: PN: Price: Front disc brake kit 6472SWBK-D13-R $999 Rear disc brake kit 6869RWBK-P12-RED $699 Power brake booster 6874BB4-11 $299 Stainless brake lines 6769LK-SS $99 Total: $2,096
