Beefing Up The '70 RestoMod Mustang's Brakes

(Tommy)>> You're watching Powernation.

(Tommy)>> Today on Detroit Muscle super sweet suspension and some gnarly brakes from EBC. Plus we get the 4-1-1 on Mustang resto mods coming up Detroit Muscle. [ engines revving ] ♪ ♪

(Daniel)>> Hey guys welcome back to the shop. We're about half way through our EBC Mustang giveaway project and today we've got a table full of go fast goodies that'll help this old hot rod handle like an Indy car, and some massive brakes that'll make it whoa almost as fast as it goes.

(Tommy)>> With our Mustang we have some big plans. So the engine, trans, all the worn and squeaky suspension, and the dated interior are getting upgrades. We want this thing to be a complete package. So it's getting the treatment. A four link rear, modern front suspension, and coil overs all the way around. For a power plant a hopped up Coyote is a must, coupled with a five speed manual gearbox to multiply the fun factor. Plus we'll install bigger brakes to handle all that horsepower and add some fresh snazzy interior to complete the package. Today we're feeling a bit ambitious. We're gonna be installing all of our new front suspension that we picked up from Summit Racing. It's made by Detroit Speed and it's gonna make that old Mustang handle like it's on rails. So with our goal I brought in a friend of my. Josh I hope you're ready to get dirty.

(Josh)>> Definitely ready to get dirty today with this Mustang. We've got to remove these shock towers along with a couple of different components here in the sheet metal, but to access the sheet metal and the shock towers we're got to remove the front fenders along with a couple of different components in the front end. I'm gonna be cutting, grinding, and welding, and I'm gonna have a good ole time with the Mustang.

(Tommy)>> Good ole time! Well I guess lets get these things off so you can start the square dance.

(Josh)>> Let's get to it. [ drill humming ]

(Tommy)>> We're planning on reusing this stuff. So it won't be hitting the trash pile. In fact we're taking special care removing these parts. We have a good bit of work ahead of us and we don't want to pile on more, and we definitely don't have plans on repainting anything. ♪ ♪ So taking the time to remove these pieces carefully is worth its weight in gold. ♪ ♪ And hey if you want to make your life easier there's nothing wrong with bagging and tagging your hardware. There's nothing worse than crawling around on your hands and knees looking for that one elusive bolt. Holy cow! Man this sucks! I found where some tin worm's been chewing on this Mustang. Is yours that bad over there?

(Josh)>> Never heard that reference but it definitely looks like there's some gaping holes in our frame rail on this side as well. Looks like we've got a little bit more work on our hands than we were planning on.

(Tommy)>> It ain't nothing we can't handle. Get them out of the way, make that repair a lot easier. So we might as well throw some more sparks.

(Josh)>> You got it. Now before we can get cutting on our Mustang we've got a couple of tools of mass destruction here. Got a few grinders as well as an air hammer, spot weld cutter, and a manual hammer for that good ole persuasion, but those of you at home may be wondering why I got a couple of different grinders here. The bigger one is for the thicker material and the easy places to get to. The smaller one is for the thinner material and the harder places to get to. Now with our Mustang I feel like I'm gonna be running into both, but a lot of these tools here are known to sling shrapnel everywhere and to protect us from that shrapnel as well as hearing I've got some ear plugs and some safety glasses.

(Tommy)>> Ripping through dozens of spot welds, a little pile driving, and throwing some shooting stars these shock towers come out lickety split.

(Josh)>> Man that's a lot of rust. ♪ ♪ When we found this rust in our Mustang we really weren't surprised, and unfortunately it's a common issue with these classic cars. This would practically be impossible to fix with the shock tower in the way, but since it's gone we'll patch this section in no time. There are a couple of different ways we can fix the rust on our frame rail. We can replace the entire rail, but that's just gonna cost us more time and more money, but since the damage is isolated only into a small portion of the rail we're gonna go ahead and patch it. Now seeing that the rail is structural it's thicker, roughly 14 gauge, and a good rule of thumb when making a repair like this is to match the base material. With a few measurements we can make our marks. And like in grade school, follow the lines. A little clean up on the belt sander, a 90 on the break, and we're ready to fit our patch piece. [ welder crackling ]

(Tommy)>> With old blue we can glue these pieces together. [ welder crackling ]

(Tommy)>> And then clean them up to make a seamless repair. [ grinder buzzing ] ♪ ♪

(Tommy)>> Well Josh bud I don't know if I need to compliment your welding skills or the grinding skills but either way that's pretty impressive.

(Josh)>> Thank you Tommy, I appreciate it. I knew it was nothing I couldn't handle. It was a great opportunity let me play with all your shiny tools in the shop, and with all this rust out you can move forward with all the shiny suspension parts and I think you're gonna have a good time.

(Tommy)>> For sure. I guess that's my cue to get started. Coming up John Kramen from Mecum Auctions gives us the 4-1-1 on Mustang resto-mods next on Detroit Muscle.

(Tommy)>> Hey guys welcome back to the shop. We're making some really good progress with the install on the upgraded front suspension going under our Mustang. We've also had John Kramen, a good friend of ours of the shop, stop in. What brings you to town?

(John)>> Tommy I'm never gonna pass up a chance to stop by this shop and see what you got going on.

(Tommy)>> Well what we have here is 1970 Mustang that we're building with EBC and we're gonna be giving this thing away.

(John)>> Looks like you're heading towards a full blown resto-mod treatment. I'm really glad to see that because this is definitely a great way to combine vintage components with those classic Mustang lines.

(Tommy)>> Oh yeah, we're going with some pretty gnarly power up under the hood, late model Coyote. It's gonna get a five speed with an extra pedal in the floor. That always makes things a whole lot more fun. Plus this trick suspension. It's gonna be a killer ride.

(John)>> You know dating all the way back to 1964 the Mustang has been one of the it cars for Americans in particular, and it's sort of gratifying to see that even the vintage rides, this one from 1970 are getting attention from a brand new market. Those that really enjoy blending old with new.

(Tommy)>> Yeah they are definitely popular, and saying popular didn't you guys sell a popular car a while back?

(John)>> Well the Bullitt Mustang sale got so much attention. It sold actually $3.74 million dollars. An all time high mark for a Ford Mustang, and it's just amazing the staying power that the Ford Mustang brand has as it transitions through different generations.

(Tommy)>> What did it feel like in the room, like play by play. I need to know.

(John)>> Indescribable, we had high expectations for a big dollar number. We knew it was gonna bring in the millions we just didn't know how many, but the place was packed like we never saw it before. There was a indescribable excitement and energy in the room that paid off with a huge sale. It was definitely one of our best moments ever.

(Tommy)>> It had to be. It would have been killer just to be there for sure.

(John)>> You know speaking of excitement you guys had a certain 1969 Dodge Charger resto-mod that had its own level of excitement at Mecum.

(Tommy)>> He's right. Our pride joy on that prestigious stage under those shimmering lights was a sight to see. The energy was kind of overwhelming, and with the slam of the gavel our car fetched six figures, making us feel proud of our creation, and confirm the hours spent for perfection didn't go unnoticed. That car is probably my most favorite that I've ever had anything to do with, and with this car I bet it's gonna be just as much fun but we're not looking to sell it. We're actually gonna give it away. Let me show you some of the goodies that's going in it.

(John)>> Sounds good.

(Tommy)>> First thing that I want to show you is this jewel. It's a brand new TKX from American Powertrain. It's five speeds of fun, and I'm curious are you a fan of ripping through the gears?

(John)>> I don't think there's any doubt that any car guys, old school car guy prefers a good ole fashioned three pedal traditional manual transmission. Today's automatics are great, don't get me wrong, but this is where it's at for me.

(Tommy)>> And are manual shift cars more sought after even in the muscle car?

(John)>> Yeah there's no doubt in the collector car world the current trend is for any vehicle that was originally produced with a manual transmission to be very in high demand right now. Something about that driving engagement and fun to drive. That's what it's all about.

(Tommy)>> Well this thing coupled with that is definitely gonna have a lot of fun.

(John)>> Well look what we have here. Looks like a Coyote 5.0 liter Ford power plant with something special on the top of it.

(Tommy)>> Oh yeah that power adder definitely gets the job done. It makes plenty of power. It's got reliability, and whenever you pop the hood it's a piece of candy under there.

(John)>> Yeah since 2011 the Coyote has been really the go to engine in retro fitting Ford products. Keeping it all in the family's a good thing.

(Tommy)>> Well John with what you've seen how are we doing?

(John)>> Supercharged Coyote 5.0 liter, five speed manual transmission, lots of suspension updates, big EBC Brakes to slow it all down, that '70 classic Mustang fastback body style, you nailed it man.

(Tommy)>> Well that means a lot coming from you, and I have to say I can't wait to be finished with this thing sitting behind the wheel and I can't wait for the opportunity to see the person's face, the smile they're gonna have after winning it.

(John)>> I wish that was me. I wonder if I've got a chance to get in on this thing?

(Tommy)>> You can always enter. You never know?

(John)>> Wonder if they would let me win this thing?

(Tommy)>> Up next we hang this sweet suspension and boy does it look awesome. Plus we get our swerve on to complete the package.

♪

(Tommy)>> While you were gone we've been chipping away at our Mustang, punching a few holes here and there, a little grinding, a little cutting, a few pieces of hardware, and we had to stitch up a few things too. [ welder crackling ]

(Tommy)>> Yeah I know this may look like a lot of work, and it is, but great things usually take some effort. [ welder crackling ]

(Tommy)>> Well we're finally done whittling and welding on the nose end of our Mustang and it's time for us to start bolting in some of our hard parts. Now we're still kind of in the mock up stage because later down the road I'm gonna pretty up under the hood on those inner fenders and so on. So I also swapped out some of our hardware to just standard nuts because the kit comes with some mechanical locking nuts and there's no need to waste those putting this thing together right now. We're gonna start off by sliding in our lower control and bump stop. You can tell how well this is engineered by how quickly and easily everything slides into place. Heck I didn't even break a sweat. With our bushings installed we can slide in our splined hollow tube sway bar. Now it doesn't matter if you're doing a trick suspension like this one or just a restoration on your car. You can upgrade the sway bar and it really doesn't take all that much, but it drastically improves the way the car will ride, handle, and steer. ♪ ♪ It has a ball and socket end similar to what you would find on a late model muscle car, and it's easy to see that it's better than those old school setups with that extra long bolt and all those rubber isolators. ♪ ♪ It's time for us to install our rack. Now normally to slap this thing under there it takes a couple of bolts and then you just attach each tie rod to your spindle. Now this procedure that I'm wanting to do, before I put it in there, is called centering the rack. If you don't do this you may find that when you turn to the left or right you may go about a quarter of the way, and then when you turn to the other side it hyper extends. Centering this thing is super simple to do and will prevent that. To get started you want to rotate the input shaft until it stops all the way in one direction and either side is fine. Sometimes you can turn these by hand but depending on how tight the rack is setup you may have to use a wrench. I prefer to using an adjustable to a locking because that lowers the risk of damaging the grooves of your splines. Let's see where we're at. Alright once you hit the stop make a mark on the housing and then onto the shaft. Spin this thing back the opposite way, count your revolutions. Now take your mark that was on the shaft, put that on the housing. Now depending on how many revolutions you went. We'd only made two. So we're gonna go back half of those which is one. One and then take your mark on the shaft and put it between your two mark on the housing and that should do it. That thing's centered up. ♪ ♪ Now we just need to slide this thing into place, snug her down... ♪ ♪ ...and connect the tie rod ends. Man all I've got to say is job well done. This is only a drop in the bucket for the goodies that's going in this ride, and don't forget one of you guys will be the proud new owner. Coming up, they're big but they're beautiful. We're talking about brakes here folks. This Mustang giveaway will be one of the first to have a set of these.

(Tommy)>> Yeah no kidding. Now we've been making some really good progress and now it's time for us to move on toward the brakes. We've unboxed our goodies and James this is one impressive kit.

(James)>> Thanks Tommy yeah. We got them all ready in time for you guys and air freighted them over, and I hope you like them. I hope you like the experience of just opening the box.

(Tommy)>> Oh man the packaging was impressive and then you get the product out and it's really impressive. So I can't wait to get these things on. Now I know this isn't just some run of the mill setup is it?

(James)>> No that's right. So you see the rotors right there in front of you Tommy. So they are fully floating cast iron rotors with aluminum hubs, which are all milled just about 10 yards from me next door here, and they're hard anodized and then laser etched, and then very carefully assembled and checked again for balance. So they're absolutely perfect coming out of the factory here.

(Tommy)>> Oh man they look really close to perfection that's no lie at all. Now I know there's a lot more that goes on to the brakes. Like the calipers that we've got, we've got a six piston and a four piston for the rear.

(James)>> That's right, so the four piston for the rear they've been out for a little while. We've been selling tons of those recently. That's called our Apollo four part caliper and that's all cast aluminum, and then all stainless steel hardware goes into it. It's all pressure tested on site. They've gone through many, many dyno tests. They've got through heat tests and even freezer tests to get to the stage where they are for selling to the consumer there, and the six parts on the side they're in fact a brand new product from us. So those two they're actually the first ones to go on a vehicle anywhere in the world. Don't worry, they've all been dyno tested and all the other test gone through, and we're just putting them on to other tests vehicles over right now as we speak. So they'll be released to the market place in a couple months time, but again it's a massive step up from the four part. I personal think they look fantastic.

(Tommy)>> Oh man they're a good looking caliper, and huge in size which normally means massive brakes.

(James)>> It means you're gonna stop well.

(Tommy)>> And sitting behind those are your iconic yellow brake pads.

(James)>> Yeah we find yellow brake pads are perfect for fast street use. I mean they've got a lovely progressive feel to them. The more you push the more you get. They're not snatchy at all and the other advantage of the yellow of course because they're an organic material base they do produce some brake dust but literally you can just wipe clean your alloy wheels with a soft cloth, and they're perfect again.

(Tommy)>> Well James it's time for me to get back after it and man you're gonna have to come see us here before long.

(James)>> I can't wait to come and see you guys and see all those brakes fitted on that amazing car.

(Tommy)>> Well we'll talk to you shortly.

(James)>> Cheers Tommy! ♪ ♪

(Tommy)>> If you guys have been following along with our build you know that we haven't been holding anything back, and EBC Brakes is helping us continue down that path. These brakes are ultra high end components that have been developed for EBC's racing line. Their products have been engineered from extensive r&d utilizing high performance alloys and aerospace materials. With their all new six piston caliper complimented with their yellow stuff brake pads you could say with this kit EBC has just set the bar for high performance brakes. ♪ ♪ You know it's not a bad idea to go ahead and torque all your suspension and brake hardware to the recommended specs even whenever you're at a pre-assembly mode like we are because that helps to ensure that everything is where it needs to be and it helps to reduce fit issues later down the road, and this is a process you want to do with precision. Matco offers several torque wrenches to help you accomplish the task at hand, like this half inch drive fixed torque wrench. It has a range from 50 to 250 foot pounds, a dual scale in standard and metric readings, and a retractable locking ring to ensure accurate settings. Overall today has been a great day. We've got quite a bit accomplished, and it was practically Christmas unpacking these massive EBC brakes. Building this car has been a true joy and just think. One of you lucky guys before long will be able to take this project home. To sign up to win go to Powernation TV dot com and while you're there you can check out our project pages where you can keep up with this build and check out all our episodes.