1963 Chevy Corvette Project Car - Split Personality, Part 3

A stock, '63-style, parking-brake... 

   

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A stock, '63-style, parking-brake arm was used with cables from Lokarand a custom mount to the frame.

Boost System ::: We've used vacuum-boost systems in the past, but wanted to try something different this time. We had heard of a new system from ABS Power Brake, www.abspowerbrake.com. It's an electric/hydraulic unit, and the power unit mounts remotely on the frame, which allows more space on the firewall. The package comes with a billet master reservoir, polished booster pump, accumulator, and a hydraulic stop-light switch. The accumulator stores power should the unit fail.

For mounting it to the frame, a plate was made and welded in place low on the driver side. Lines were run to the front and rear brakes, and the pressure line runs from the pump to the master unit. The electrical connections are straight forward: battery, ignition, and ground wires.

Parking Brake
Since we are trying to retain as much of the original appearance as possible, we chose to keep the original, pull-style, parking-brake lever. To do this, we had to adapt it to the '96 C4 rear-brake calipers, which have an integral parking-brake mechanism in the caliper. We used the underdash parking-brake housing from a '64 Vette because we like the way it mounts, and its pulley mechanism allows the cable to run closer to the firewall. A stock parking-brake arm mount was welded to the new frame in the same location as the stock unit. A stainless-braided cable from Lokar was used to make the connection from the parking-brake handle to the arm on the chassis. From that point, Lokar braided-stainless cables were used to run to the calipers.

So Here We Are
Photo 20 will give you a good idea of where we are at this point in the project. We couldn't resist mounting the wheels from Mid America Motorworks on the chassis for a look. There are also many other things going on simultaneously, such as the bodywork at Corvette Center, interior work at Interior Motives, machine work at Mark's Machine, exhaust work at Patten Cycles, and the daily UPS delivery of countless parts.

Chassis with wheels attac... 

   

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Chassis with wheels attached.

Next Time
In upcoming installments, we will get into more detail on several systems (exhaust, cooling, heating/air, and so on), as well as the body and interior. Since we are writing the articles as the car is being built, there will be a few month's adjournment while we complete more work on the car. Building a car is similar to building a house-the frame seems to go up quickly, but it's the interior plumbing, electrical, fixtures, and so on that take the majority of the time.

We hope what you have seen so far has been of interest and help if you are considering a similar project. In the meantime, you can find additional photos and links to sources on our web site at www.corvetteforum.net/c5/richs7/.