Thank you for your interest in my disc brake conversion kits. I hope I can be of help and service to you as you seek to convert your classic Buick, Oldsmobile, or Pontiac to disc brakes. As a fellow classic car hobbyist, I wanted to put disc brakes on my 1957 Oldsmobile (shown below) - but I could not find any kits on the market to do the conversion. Necessity is the mother of invention, and out of the need for a kit and the lack of anything on the market, I created my very first disc brake conversion kit for my vehicle back in 2002. Friends and other fellow car hobbyists inquired if I could build kits for them - and one kit led to another, and to another, and today this has grown into a challenging hobby dedicated to providing improved braking for classic vehicles so these wonderful cars can get driven and enjoyed.
Currently available kits are listed below, and are grouped based on the compatibility of the original spindles from year to year.
Buick
- 1939 to 1953
- 1954 to 1956
- 1957
- 1958 to 1960
Oldsmobile
- 1940 to 1952
- 1953 to 1956
- 1957 to 1960
Pontiac
- 1940 to 1954
Here is an example of one of my kits installed on a 1940 to 1954 Pontiac:
NOTE: If a kit is not listed for your vehicle/year, or you have a unique "one-off" application you are interested in doing a disc brake conversion on, please contact me. I am always interested in expanding my coverage and helping out fellow car hobbyists. Generally, all that is needed is a set of original/unmodified spindles to use for mock-up and design purposes. There will be a reduced cost on the final kit in exchange for your assistance in helping me create it. Please contact me for details.
Kits start at $195 US (please contact for details on your desired kit), and include the following:
Cost for the remaining parts is estimated at around $600, and they can all be purchased from your favorite parts store - NAPA, RockAuto, etc. Parts such as rotors are heavy and expensive to ship, and to keep costs low, the kits have been specifically designed to not include anything more than is needed to get you started on a successful conversion. It will be far cheaper for you to purchase these parts locally than it would be for me to ship them to you, and I want to keep my kits as affordable as possible.
Payment is by cashiers check or money order.
Shipping to US locations is done via Priority Mail the day after receipt of payment. Shipping to any US location is $15. Shipping to any Canadian location is $25. Shipping to locations outside the US or Canada is extra - please inquire for details.
All kits:
Each kit is essentially a transplant onto your vehicle of a later model braking system from a "donor vehicle" of an equivalent weight to yours. Aftermarket parts substitution can be done at your discretion based on the "donor vehicle" information that is supplied in the kit documentation.
All components used allow you to use the stock suspension pieces with or without dropped springs. Dropped spindles are not recommended as they restrict the steering. All parts other than the hardware provided in the kit are "off the shelf" GM parts that can easily be purchased as new or remanufactured parts at your local auto parts store (NAPA, etc.). No extra custom machined or specialty parts are required. If something wears out or breaks, replacements are readily available with no waiting for parts to be shipped in from who knows where - go to the store, get the parts you need - and get back on the road.
Used parts are not recommended for this conversion - they are suitable for mockup purposes and in some cases for having a core to turn in when getting remanufactured parts. They are lower cost at first, but more costly in the long run. You are working on your braking system - do the job right the first time!
The kits do not include any changes to your existing master cylinder or power booster (if equipped). I cannot support this conversion if you want to use your old master cylinder. This conversion needs matching functions of all systems to work as tested, and that means you need to use a disc brake compatible dual-chamber master cylinder. A firewall mounted dual-chamber master cylinder and power booster that matches the donor vehicle for your kit and uses a "swing pedal" arrangement is strongly suggested for use with this conversion. I feel it is the most reliable, functional, "bleedable", adjustable, proven, and GM engineered configuration available for any car hobbyist to use. If you would like to retain the floorboard/frame-mounted master cylinder arrangement that was originally found on some vehicles, you can work with a professional "Hot Rod Shop" to get a functional system that will push the required fluid volume for the GM single piston calipers listed for use in my kits. You will be on your own as far as correct fluid volume and pressure if you pursue a floorboard/frame-mounted master cylinder arrangement as part of this conversion.
I am a 29 year member of the Oldsmobile Club of America - OCA #15766 and have many satisfied users of my kits, both inside the OCA and by professional installers. Referrals from existing kit customers are available upon request.
If you have any questions not answered by this site or would like to purchase a kit, please contact me. Any comments and questions are welcome. Email is preferred, but you can always call if you need immediate help or service.
Mike Pemberton
mike@discbrakemike.com
Cell 510-501-6299 (12 noon to 12 midnight, Pacific
time)
Fax 775-265-0716
Website design and hosting by Mike Rowand, another fellow classic car hobbyist.