As the Holley Project Road Runner nears completion, the installation of the suspension and finally getting the Road Runner down on all fours made a big impact on us. Most of the credit must go to Muscle Car Restorations and the long list of vendors who have helped make this project a success!
We're getting close. Very close. The pent-up enthusiasm about the Holley Road Runner has apparently created quite a stir. In fact, folks approach the Holley roadshow trailer at NHRA and Hot Rod Power Tour events asking where the car is.
Well, as we prepare to write this article, we are mere days away from delivering the Hemi Orange B-Body to Bowling Green, Kentucky, the home of Holley Performance Products. In fact, we'll soon be traveling there ourselves to gather the final images that will grace an upcoming issue.
For us, however, seeing the suspension, brakes, wheels, and tires on the car proved we were finally getting close.
In this segment of our coverage on the Holley Project Road Runner, we'll document how John Balow and his crew at Muscle Car Restorations have been true to the concept of musclecar-fat rubber, big power, and wild hues. At the same time, John has used the best the aftermarket has to offer by upgrading the brake and suspension systems to modern-day performance.
Holley Performance Products, Inc.
Holley(r), Lunati(r), and Hooker(r) brands
Dept. MPRM
1801 Russellville Road
P.O. Box 10360
Bowling Green, KY 42102-7360
(502) 782-2900
To find a dealer near you: (800) 2-HOLLEY
www.holley.com/
Project and induction, ignition, fuel management, engine components
ARB Air Locker
Dept. MPRM
20 S. Spokane St.
Seattle, WA 98134
(206) 264-1669
(888) 427-2872
Air-locking rear differential
Baer Incorporated
Dept. MPRM
3108 West Thomas Rd.
Suite 1201-MPRM
Phoenix, AZ 85017-5306
(602) 233-1411
Fax: (602) 352-8445
e-mail: brakes@baer.com
www.baer.com
Disc brake conversion
BFGoodrich
1 Parkway S.
P.O. Box 19001
Greenville, SC 29602-9001
(865) 458-5000
Fax: (864) 458-4585
Radial Tires
Baer Serious Street 12-inch Front Rotor ConversionUp front, the system Baer provided is a derivative of their "Serious Street" 12-inch diameter rotor conversion.This version is Baer's smallest and the only system compatible with our wheel choice. The system includes a direct-replacement master cylinder with the proper volume for the system's requirements (it can be used manually or as Baer prefers, with booster); a pair of PBR aluminum D.O.T.-legal calipers (NOTE: The larger Sport or Track systems employ a PBR caliper with the Baer logo); a set of billet-aluminum hubs which arrive preassembled with U.S.-made races, bearings, and seals and are even prepacked in Red Line(tm) synthetic grease and then capped for shipment; a pair of billet-aluminum intermediate mounting brackets (attach to stock locations on factory disc spindles); a set of Teflon(tm) -lined, braided stainless steel hoses and appropriate fittings; a full complement of required hardware, instructions, and even a clear plastic bleeder hose to make that process easier.
First, remove the OE brake hardware from the spindle, wipe it clean, then bolt the side-specific intermediate mounting brackets with the hardware provided (NOTE: All critical fasteners are treated with VibraTite(tm) coating at Baer prior to shipment) and torque to 100 lb/ft. Next, uncap the billet hub assembly (ours came with optional ARP NHRA legal studs because of our need to use a spacer), slide it onto the spindle and with the new spindle nut and related hardware provided, tension as detailed in the instructions. The rotor fits to the hub, and the caliper slides onto the rotor and is torqued to the intermediate bracket to 85 lb/ft. Under the car, the last operation is to install the braided-steel brake hoses that are complete with adapter fitting that connect them to the stock OE steel hard lines. Back on the topside, we bolt the new master cylinder in place and then complete the install by bleeding the brakes.
Pay attention to safety and get assistance if you need it. Test the system in low-speed conditions!
