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Read about the improvements made to the suspension and brakes of a 1950 Oldsmobile Fastback - Custom Rodder Magazine
1950 Oldsmobile Fastback Brake & Suspenstion Upgrade - Something Olds, Something New
 We shuttled the Olds over...  We shuttled the Olds over to KA Custom, in Huntington Beach, CA, so shop owner Kevin Francis could tackle the pedal and booster bracket fabrication chores. The Olds' original master was mounted ahead of the brake pedal, while the only open space to mount an updated master and booster was behind the pedal, farther back on the frame. |  Fortunately, Kevin had an...  Fortunately, Kevin had an old under-floor pedal and bracket assembly sitting around that he could cut apart to make the necessary pieces. Fire up the plasma cutter! |  Here's the front portion-the...  Here's the front portion-the pedal pivot-mocked in place on the frame's X-member. This placement put the new pedal in essentially the same location as the original one. |  Kevin also cut the booster...  Kevin also cut the booster mount off the donor pedal assembly and used it as the centerpiece for a bracket that was welded between the framerail and X-member. |  The bracket was carved from...  The bracket was carved from 3/16-inch plate, and positioned so it would mount the booster higher than the framerail's lowest edge to avoid possible damage. Kevin also welded a perpendicular top brace to the bracket to prevent flex. |  From there, it was a matter...  From there, it was a matter of mounting the booster and master cylinder, plumbing in the combination valve and necessary residual pressure valves (a 2lb valve to the front brakes, and a 10lb one to the rears), and building new brake lines to tie the new equipment into the Olds brake line system. |  It's a little difficult to...  It's a little difficult to see here, but the actuating rod required a slight S-curve bend (arrow) to properly link the pedal and power booster. |  Since the Olds originally...  Since the Olds originally had a 5x5-inch bolt pattern, and the new disc brakes use a more modern GM 5x4.75-inch bolt pattern, we had to round up new wheels to get it rolling again. Wheel Smith was able to quickly build a new pair of chrome wheels to our specs, which perfectly matched the existing chrome steelies in the rear. | |
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Wheel Smith
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Jamco Suspension
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Rare Parts
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Five Points Classic Auto Shocks
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KA Custom
17702 Metzler Ln., Dept. CRM
Huntington Beach
CA
92647
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The 1949-51 Mercury is the quintessential custom car. Thousands of them have gone under the knife in the last five decades, so it's a little surprising to discover how little aftermarket support there...
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With the recent surge in poker popularity-tournaments seemingly run round the clock on cable TV-it's little wonder the phenomenon has spread to the indoor car show circuit. Rick Perry, the promoter of...
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One of the original objectives of car customizing was to make inexpensive vehicles look more like upscale models. So what's a custom enthusiast to do when he bases his project on the so-called Standard...
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