Hotrodding Upgrade Parts And Products - New Products

Colonnade Cure
'73-77 GM A-Body Suspension
The popularity of 1973-77 GM intermediates--also called "Colonnade" cars--is on the rise. They make excellent project cars due to their large production volume (over 7.4 million were produced in five years), low cost, and good looks. We even picked one up as a project car (a '75 Chevy Laguna S-3), and we're having a blast with it. With that increase in popularity, more companies are joining the party with all manner of aftermarket goodies. In the suspension department, Detroit Speed and Engineering (DSE) has just entered the arena with a complete line of handling hardware for the front and rear.

In the front, DSE engineers have designed some new upper and lower tubular control arms that have the combined benefits of added strength from stronger materials and construction, and increased negative camber gain for better grip in cornering. As a system, DSE's front control arms also have extra caster built in, which gives these cars a much more contemporary steering trait with better self-centering. Of particular interest is DSE's unique Caster Tuning Bushing technology, which consists of inserts that fit in the cross shafts of the upper control arms (where they attach to the frame), and provide camber adjustment without the need for huge shim packs or special header clearance. Delrin bushings also reduce binding and friction, for more predictable, linear handling.

DSE has jumped into the wide-open...        read full caption DSE has jumped into the wide-open '73-77 GM "Colonnade" A-body suspension market with some beautifully engineered front suspension pieces. The complete front suspension as seen here runs $1,910.

The rear A-body suspension...        read full caption The rear A-body suspension from DSE features their Swivel-Link control arms that eliminate roll bind for a car that's really tossable at the edge. The complete rear package shown here runs $1,635.

Pat Tubrick of Omaha, Nebraska,...        read full caption Pat Tubrick of Omaha, Nebraska, is one of the many new-age hot rodders who has discovered the benefits--and the beauty--of owning a "Colonnade" A-body. With a big-block under the hood and a rollcage behind the wheel, Pat's '77 Malibu (converted to a '76 Laguna) could be turned into a 2-ton slot car with the simple addition of DSE's new bolt-in suspension system.

The DSE control arms make their debut with companion springs, Koni Classic shocks, and 1 3/8-inch hollow sway bar kit. DSE tells us the springs will give your mid-'70s A-body a 2-inch drop (no surprise, since there's plenty of real estate inside those wheelwells); three versions are available--one for a small-block Chevy, one for a big-block Chevy, and one for LS series swaps. If you've got Pontiac, Buick, or Olds power, we suggest you call DSE to find out which spring would work best.

Improvements to the rear of the Colonnade A-body are no less dramatic with DSE's award-winning Swivel-Link control arm system. A triangulated four-link rear suspension as found in the A-body has some very good natural strengths that can be easily improved upon through stiffer, stronger materials, harder bushings, and by building in some adjustability--which the DSE system does. But a four-link also has some well-known drawbacks, like rear roll bind. As the side load from g-force increases on a rear axle with a four-link, the control arms, bushings, and ears that hold the arms at the rear go out of alignment, and begin binding. The harder the turn, the greater the misalignment, and the greater the binding. The suspension no longer behaves in a predictable manner. The DSE Swivel-Link system allows the ends of the control arms to pivot freely while preserving the strength of the link and the mechanical connection. The end result is a car that can be driven at the edge with confidence and control.

As with the front, DSE offers a complete line of rear springs (for a 1.5-inch drop), Koni Classic shocks, and an upgraded sway bar. The DSE sway bar (1 1/8-inch chromoly tubing) is a step up from stock: it now pivots at the axle with a distinct fulcrum point, where the stock bar was largely ineffective--running uninterrupted from one lower control arm to the other.

The DSE suspension packages for the '73-77 GM A-body are priced competitively, and when installed as a complete package will make a marked improvement in vehicle stability, and performance handling. We're happy to see DSE explore this new hot rodding frontier, and we'll be looking for more mid-'70s Lagunas, Malibus, Can Ams, LeMans, Olds 442s, and Buick Regals to join ranks with other traditional Pro-Touring cars.
Source:
Detroit Speed, Inc.
704-662-3272www.detroitspeed.com

Precision Coachworks:
Custom Gas Cap Kits
Sometimes the right custom touch will make a car stand out from the crowd, and that holds true on track, at the car show, and out cruising the boulevard. Precision Coachworks--a division of Air Ride Technologies--was originally a high-end body shop that Air Ride owner, Bret Voelkel, acquired to do the huge volume of work on Air Ride's many show vehicles. Precision was known for classy details, and it didn't take long for Bret to realize that he could bring Precision's talent for custom touches to his regular customers without them stepping foot in the shop.

Soon, Precision Coachworks was cranking out custom parts for sale. The latest offering from Precision is this line of custom billet gas caps that takes its cue from race cars and high-performance aircraft. So far, Precision is offering kits specifically for '67-68 Camaro, and '62-67 Nova. These come in clear anodized and black anodized finishes. A universal kit is also available. Pricing runs $250 for clear, and $260 for black. Universal kits are $210 and $220.
Source:
Precision Coachworks
812-481-4990www.ridetech.com

Performance Pads
EBC Yellowstuff
EBC is a relatively new English company that has been silently perfecting brake pads, and the secret is slowly getting out. Based in the UK, and dedicated to bringing the best domestically-manufactured pads to market in the UK and the United States, EBC has concentrated particularly on the high-performance street and race market. It turns out, they make a huge array of products for classic muscle cars.

Part of EBC's success is due to a really cool, simple marketing plan: color code the product name to the use. That way, there is no ambiguity as to whether the product is right for your car. In the case of a take-no-prisoners track-day pad (which is also suitable for the street), EBC makes their Yellowstuff pad, an aramid-fiber-based compound with a high brake effect that starts from cold, and gets stronger with heat. Yellowstuff pads are not low-dust, luxury-car pads (like their Redstuff line), but like street pads, they do build up heat quickly. (Race pads tend to need lots of use to build up the necessary friction.) EBC Yellowstuff pads are produced in two compounds, DM1846 and DM1793. For more street-oriented cars that will see track use, EBC recommends the DM1793 compound, which is the running favorite in the Swedish Camaro Cup series.

EBC Yellowstuff is available from Summit Racing, and we priced a set for our '75 Laguna (part No. DP41145R) at $105.95 for the front axle. We plan on using a set due to the restricted space inside our 15-inch steel rims, and the stock single-piston caliper will have to do all the work. We've been looking for a miracle pad to work on the street and the track, and our Laguna will be putting the EBC Yellowstuff pads to the test on top of some upgraded rotors.Source:
EBC Brakes
www.ebcbrakes.com

Dash Of Class
Classic Instruments
If you love your Camaro like we love our Camaros, you probably spend just as much time behind the wheel staring at its gauges as you do staring at its exterior. Looking at a set of 40-year-old gauges in a gauge cluster that's faded and cracked--or even non-working--is a big letdown by comparison to drooling over that new paintjob, but it doesn't have to be that way. Classic Instruments has just introduced a complete plug-and-play instrument cluster that replaces your original.

The Velocity Series has brought competition standard instrumentation and a competitive look to street-going '67-68 Camaros with this pre-wired cluster. Large indicator needles have been painted with a specially formulated orange metallic paint, and housed in Classic Instruments' non-glare black bezel. Classic says their cluster comes completely assembled with sending units ready for installation. You can also get your new cluster in white-faced gauges if you desire. We checked the Classic Instrumentswebsite, and found the '67-68 cluster for sale at $1,150. They also make complete gauge clusters for early Mustangs too.
Source:
Classic Instruments
800-575-0461www.classicinstruments.com