I have a "70 442 w/ non power 4 wheel drum brakes and I want to convert to front disc. Will the front brake set up from a car w/ power front disc brakes be the same? keep in mind I want to maintain non power brakes.

 

The spindles/calipers/rotors are the same for manual and power disk brakes, as are the hoses, hose brackets, and metering valve. Of course you'll need the correct manual disk master cylinder.

 

Joe - I may be ig-ur-int, but I always thought front disks were only available with a power booster, never as a manual setup. Your post looks as though that's not the case.
I'd be interested to know more about non-power discs on A-bodies, and how often they are seen.

- Eric

 

My 1970 W-30 4 spd has manual disks from the factory. I believe that manual disks were first available part way through the 1969 model year, as I have been told of 1969 W-30s that were built that way.

 

In 70, did any of the 4-spd. W-30 cars have power brakes? I read somewhere that only the automatic cars had it. I do not know the correct answer to that one. Joe?

 

No. The 1970 W-30 4 spd cars all got the 328/328 cam, which did not generate enough vacuum for the power booster or A/C. A/T cars got the less radical 285/287 cam (same one used in the 1969 H/O), which did allow for the use of power brakes and A/C. How the automatic trans W-30 cars made the same HP as the manual trans cars with this smaller cam is a mystery of the marketing department.

This is one reason why I don't believe factory HP ratings.