68 Rear Disc Brake Package

[SMS]

This just keeps getting more interesting.

[Nikke]

[bcmiller]

That’s an early 68 Z28, note the 302 emblem on the fender.

[bcmiller]

That article isn’t fully accurate.

There was never a factory produced dual quad 302. And four wheel disc brakes were not a factory production option in the 68 model year.

[69Z28-RS]

If anyone has EVER seen an auto magazine article that was 'fully accurate', let him please inform us all now... 

I don't recall reading in that article that those parts were 'factory installed'...  but the article implied that the parts were available for retrofit, BUT in the case of the disk brake rear end I'm not aware of the '69 JL8 rear being available OTC during the '68 model year (not even at the end of it which is when this article was written)...   The dual quad setup (carburetor package) WAS available OTC as I understand it...

The OP in this thread was asking about 'details' about the disk brake rear available during the '68 model year, and the ONLY one that was available to my knowledge was the SD rear, and that one was NOT very well known or publicized, as it was basically information/parts passed along to known racers/race teams.  I'm not sure when the SD rear was available OTC, but I believe by summer of '68 it was available (if one knew someone).   If someone has more/better information on the Service Duty rear either details or when it was available to race teams like the Donahue/Penske team, I'd sure like to know, whether this was what the OP was asking or not..

[maroman]

Does anyone know how much shorter the disc brake housing was then normal?

[bcmiller]

It was shorter than the B body (Impala, Bel Air, etc.) but probably the same as standard Camaro width.

[69Z28-RS]

Does anyone know how much shorter the disc brake housing was then normal?

WHICH disk brake housing are you asking about?    JL8 width is same as regular 12 bolt Camaro housing AFAIK... and the SD housing is the same or very close...  ( I have one I can measure if necessary)...

[bcmiller]

Of course the dual quad setup WAS available during 'the 68 model year for the Camaro Z28. 

Actually, no it was not.  It was available over the counter and could be put on ANY small block Chevy engine.

You may say "semantics" or "taken out of context", and you may be right.  But I am just tired of hearing about factory installed dual quads on Z28s.  It NEVER HAPPENED! Just like the three deuce setup never happened on Camaros.

Yes, magazine publishers have always been more concerned about selling magazines than making sure the facts are 100 percent accurate.  That is why it can be dangerous to use magazine articles to document things without corroboration.

Gary - I do agree that the article was probably on a test vehicle, possibly for JL8 but that did not actually become a production option until about Feb to May of 1969.  Don't quote me on that timeframe because I am going by memory on that. It is obviously a "mule" and probably was testing other things too.

I also agree that 4 wheel disc brakes (even over the counter stuff) were not widely known to the general public and also not known very well by a lot of regular dealerships.  Performance dealerships with guys that were into racing knew, but not regular dealers.

See attached clip from the article, which is not correct.

[maroman]

OK, I reread the first page. Is it true the SD was a shortened full size car housing down to Camaro width?

[Kelley W King]

It may be many variations out there. Since serious racers used Traco engines, had several third members and gearboxes I wonder why they would even use a real Z28 since they did not need anything but the body. I would bet guys like Penske made their own out of whatever 12 bolt was easy to get. With only what? 216 factory JL8,s we may never have a actual this is what they ran.

[SMS]

.......

The OP in this thread was asking about 'details' about the disk brake rear available during the '68 model year, and the ONLY one that was available to my knowledge was the SD rear, and that one was NOT very well known or publicized, as it was basically information/parts passed along to known racers/race teams.  I'm not sure when the SD rear was available OTC, but I believe by summer of '68 it was available (if one knew someone).   If someone has more/better information on the Service Duty rear either details or when it was available to race teams like the Donahue/Penske team, I'd sure like to know, whether this was what the OP was asking or not..

Part of this thread is just to be well informed, and part of it is just wondering if I could replicate the 1968 OTC SD rear disc package on my 68 Z28 to be different, and at least be able to have it a period correct kind of thing, and something you'd never see at a show or cruise in.  "Yeah, you could pick that up in the parts department after you bought the car."

And if I did that, it would be nice to know that any old 12 bolt housing from 1968 would have potentially come in the package, because if it's true that a narrower housing came with that, I'm not cutting up a correct date and code housing for this novelty.  But if it seems the OTC kit did not have a parking brake but the 69 JL8 option did, that kinda complicates my idea.

[bcmiller]

SMS - (Would be nice if we had a name) - you would be cutting up a full size housing and there were hundreds of thousands of those from 65 to 70.  Not a huge loss.

And actually I am following this thread because I may be doing this in the future.  I have 3 or 4 big car 12 bolt rear ends and Corvette disc brakes.  So it is just a matter of time...

Currently my car does have 4 wheel disc brakes, but the rears were added in the 90s.

[Nikke]

http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.php?topic=10786.0

[SMS]

SMS - (Would be nice if we had a name) - you would be cutting up a full size housing and there were hundreds of thousands of those from 65 to 70.  Not a huge loss.

Bill

Thanks