A new series on Yahoo Autos is called Riding Shotgun with Michelle Rodriguez. You know her best as Letty from the Fast and Furious franchise, and much like her character she is all about the musclecars. In the series, she seeks out unique or special cars that she can take for a spin on a racetrack – and who wouldn’t want to share their favorite ride with this beauty?
In the latest episode, Michelle takes on a 1968 Pontiac GTO that’s been in the same family for nearly 50 years and she hits the track. Anyone who has driven a car with drum brakes knows that a racetrack is no place for four wheel drums. Disc brakes made it to the options sheet in 1967, but many low-optioned GTOs in that era had four-wheel drum brakes. This particular GTO did have the disc brake option, but even the OE brakes can be improved upon.
Fortunately, for Michelle and the vehicle’s owner, John Romano, a better disc brake upgrade is available from Master Power Brakes. If you notice the wheels on this GTO, they’re stock, and many aftermarket disc brake conversions require larger diameter wheels. That alone can make your brake upgrade another $1,000+ more expensive when you add in the cost of larger diameter wheels and new tires.
But Master Power’s Rallye Series front disc brake conversion kit upgrades the OE drums or factory discs to a four-piston fixed caliper and vented disc. The discs are slotted and drilled for better cooling and the entire kit will fit behind most 15-inch factory steel wheels. The high quality billet aluminum caliper and mounting brackets make the swap a simple conversion without replacing the original steering knuckles.
The Rallye Series disc brakes will provide enhanced performance over the Legend Series, which is a sliding, OE-style brake upgrade. The Rallye Series includes the hub/rotor, calipers, wheel bearings, braided brake hoses, mounting brackets, and all hardware. You can find the Rallye Series at the Master Power Brakes website, along with other braking components to upgrade your car, including master cylinders, boosters, and rear disc brake conversion kits.