Help with Fred's SVO

[Chalky]

Hi All,
my buddy Fred, a Portland native, asked me for some advice on one of his SVO's. I told him to join and post here but he's not very computer savvy, in fact I don't think he could tell the difference between a modem and a toaster oven!!! He has 2 SVO's, an '86 he has owned since new that he wants to hot rod and an 86 5C Hertz car that he just completed a full resto on. It's gorgeous

Anyway, Fred wants to build a really nice cruiser/ show car/ occasional autocrosser. Somehow he got ahold of the Maximum Motorsports catalog and has already ordered and fitted a few things like a Panhard bar, adjustable LCA's, steering shaft, k member brace, CC plates, XL subframe connectors and H&R Sport springs. He's still working out whether he wants go coil overs at some stage, still stock SVO upfront, but has decided he wants to upgrade/ modernize his brake system.

Initially I suggested he go with the 13" Cobra set-up, utilizing SN-95 LCA's and 94-5 spindles but apparently he has some old school 16x8.5" Ronal LS that he got from some guy in Tucson, also named Fred, that he's very attached to so the 13" brakes are a no go. So, doing some research, I came up with this idea. How about the twin 45mm piston PBR caliper from the '99 up GT with a Powerslot rotor and a Hawk HPS pad. On the back, Cobra 11.25" vented rotors also with Powerslot's and Hawk pads. I'm not sure which MC will work best for this, the '94-5 Cobra 15/16", the GT 1-1/16 or the SVO 1-1/8". BTW, he's already got a built 8.8 with '95 up GT rears and has the Cobra brackets.

Obviously Fred is going to have to gut the proportiong valve, get an adjustable one for the rear hard line, machine the MC and order some special braided lines and adaptors from MM for the front calipers, but I think this would be a good set-up for his car.

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

[MikeFleming]

Or you could make up some custom brackets and install some Wilwood Superlites (4-piston aluminum calipers) and 12.2" 2-piece rotors. They will fit inside most 16" wheels.

Just sayin'.

[Chalky]

Nice idea, and big on the bling factor, but there are budgetary constraints, Fred's retired now, so he want's to use readily available parts.

[rickibrat2]

to bad he could not run 18 inch wheels have a set here that is suppose to be one out of 30 set made by weld racing i think would look bad on an svo

[Raven855]

Nice idea, and big on the bling factor, but there are budgetary constraints, Fred's retired now, so he want's to use readily available parts.

Don't you have a parts car now?

[Chalky]

This not for my car, it's for FRED's car. The inquiry is serious even if the pre-textis a little spurious

[Chalky]

Don't you have a parts car now?

The less said about that the better

[KevinK]

I think Lou used Corvette rotors on the from of one of his cars. I have not followed with all the required details about making things fit.

[MikeFleming]

Nice idea, and big on the bling factor, but there are budgetary constraints, Fred's retired now, so he want's to use readily available parts.

I just happen to have such a setup that I kept from my Taurus SHO if you need some parts to make it happen.

[Raven855]

[

I think Lou used Corvette rotors on the from of one of his cars. I have not followed with all the required details about making things fit.

I have a corvette caliper and rotor on the front of the track car. The Cobra used a 13x1.1 rotor with a 36/38 dual piston caliper. The vette C5 used a 38/40 dual piston caliper with a 1.25" rotor. The vette required an adapter to mount. Both calipers use the same pad. I don't know what Medina runs.

[dagenham]

If he's willing to use the sn-95 lca's then just get the plain gt caliper rotor setup and the m/c and prop valve for the same thing. All bolt on except for a few hard lines and easy and cheap to get and no modifications needed except to redrill a hole in the firewall for the one m/c mounting bolt.
He can still upgrade to better rotors and calipers and still keep the 16" wheels.

[Mike S]

If he staying with 16" wheels, then he only needs to upgrade the rotors to slotted, upgrade the fluid to Motorcraft, and upgrade the pads. I use Hawk blues on the front and EBC Reds on the back. With the Hawk blues on front, I have yet to have an issue with brakes on track days. Then he will have the cash to put the MM torque arm to complete the suspension upgrade.

[Meotchh]

[The vette C5 used a 38/40 dual piston caliper with a 1.25" rotor.

The Vette run's some pretty tiny rotors! I gues he could afford to even smaller on those fronts if the rotor is only 1.25" diameter

[MikeFleming]

1.25" THICK. Like your head Mitch!

[SVOJOSH]

chalky if fred needs he can try his ronals on my 84 with the PBR brakes!!!!!!I think the 16s will fit!!!!

[Chalky]

ok Josh. i'll let him know. I think he has them on his 85.5 7B BWD CP right now.

Dagenham & Mike S, thanks you for your input, both very valid points. I think he's leaning towards the modern stuff because it's easier to get, Powerslot don't make an SVO size rear rotor and more, and the big PBR are a bit more "blingy". Also, looking at the cost of things, once initially set-up, the cost of pads and rotor's, using Powerslot and Hawk HPS as the control, isn't much more than stock SVO stuff of a similar caliber.

[SVORob]

I had the PBRs on my old blue car for a while the stock wheels fit. I used the Motorcraft Disc Kit mastercyl it is off of an 86 Crown Vic had to change lines to the prop.valve it worked great. I later changed to the cobra rotors and that is how it sits today. the SN 95 lower control arms will have to be modified if you want to run the OEM Konis I had Roberto re worked SVO LCA's with sn95 ball joints. With the SN95 spindals you have to change struts or they hit the LCA. I have a lo mile set of cobra LCA's sitting here but they are really Dave S 's now.

[Jcamper]

I know you stated he is set on the 16x8.5 wheels. Those are going to want a 245/45/16 tire. Very little to choose from in that arena. I see Bridgestone RE-11s at 220 a pop? Everything else in that size is a race tire. I think the 225 width stuff is going to look a bit odd stretched onto 8.5" wheels. Basically I know this is not the answer/logic that you are looking for but I really think he either won't be happy with the outcome, or end up wandering down an upgrade path that just costs him time and money with no real benefit.

For his stated duties, his stock braking system is more than up to snuff. With good pads the stock brake system withstands track days and there was no mention of that. I am still driving on the same rotors and pads that I did a full track day in the heat with a few years later. If he still wants to upgrade his brakes to newer stuff, that is fine, but I would really think about those 16x8.5 wheels. Once he realizes that size doesn't make any sense, it opens up his options. Jeff

[8T6 SVO]

What about modifying the wheels? I've heard of the people making a 17" or 18" wheel out of a 16" pony or telephone rim. This way he could still have the 16x8.5 Ronal LS look (only is a 17" or 18") and get any big brake.

Oh - I saw Fred the other day - here he is in his Prius - It's Fredd, check out the license plate.
rsz_i_phone_pictures_-_1-16-13_145.jpg

[Chalky]

Jeff, he's currently running them on another car with a 245/50/16 and there are plenty of options in that size. He like the ride too. As for track days, he'll switch to his 17's. The switch to more modern brakes is about ease of maintenance and the easier availability of newer parts.

Greg, yep that's Fred's Prius!!! I don't think there is any chance of modifying them, there pretty rare and valuable so he wants to keep them how they are.

Oh, does anyone know the calculation for selecting the right MC by caliper piston size?? All I've found is gobeldy-gook, I was a literature major