Any chance there is a detailed write-up, parts list, etc?  Better off buying everything new versus visiting a Pull A Part?

http://www.lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=48778

NEED a set of 72 Gran Torino SMALL bearing spindles then the caliper bracket and 12" rotors from a T-Bird, not sure the year off the top of my head but, all these parts are readily available.

You re-use your front calipers, Ford used the same ones on almost ALL their cars in the 70s.

the 12" rotor is a good upgrade and EASY!

 

As for the rear... it is a stock Ford 9" and you can buy disc brake conversions from almost everywhere on the web. They come in all shapes, forms, sizes and prices!

EASY to do in just a day in the driveway.

 

So calipers and brackets from a full size?

 

& check length on the flexible hydraulic lines at full turn & suspension compression/droop

 

a. you have a 72 so use your CURRENT spindles

b. use your CURRENT calipers and pads (they are the same)

c. the 72 T-Bird/Mark IV Rotors and backing plates

d. the caliper MOUNTS from the Donor T-Bird or one of the other FULL SIZE Fords from the 70s.

 

1. Remove caliper slide lock bolt(1/4" allen head) and the slide assembly

2. remove and hang caliper (do not undo the brake hose), save the brake pads

3. remove the Gran Torino's brake rotor(dust cap, cotter pin, lock ring, bearing adjustment nut and pull rotor off)

4. remove three bolts that hold the brake shield in place(1/2" socket)

5. remove two caliper bracket mount bolts (bottom is a 11/16" the top is 3/4")

 

re-install in reverse order with the T-Bird caliper bracket, T-Bird brake shield, T-Bird rotor, your caliper and pads... DONE! huge front brake improvement. You will need to make sure you are using at least a 15" rim to clear the bigger brake set up.

 

only $30 or so more than the 72 gran torino rotors

 

 

For this next part I am going to assume everything is stock and in like new condition. If not, that's top priority in every case.

If you are after pure street/track car performance and do not care at all about bling factor or superior comfort then to go faster it works like this...

#1 - Best tires money can buy on a wide 17in or 18in rim.

#2 - restraints (better seat mostly)

#3 - put a pro driver in the hot seat

#4 - gut it (here because it's the free'est)

#5 - lower it a bit by chopping springs

#8 - big hp and a good gearbox

... then start looking at major suspension mods and brake upgrades. (both things are very important too)

If in the interest of show car restomod bling that has some good performance (assuming the car is in like new condition)

#1 - 15in to 17in rims with fresh tires

#2 - lower it a bit by chopping springs

#3 - big hp

#4 - discs brakes all around (paint them so they look cool)

#5 - super nice paint job and functional aesthetics like HID lights and interior mods 

then start doing major performance stuff like dampers, limited slip, and suspension mods

In either case tires are essential. I believe, although some may strongly dis-agree, choosing to go with 15in wheels regardless of tire choice will always leave performance on the table in the handling department. The sidewall is far too big and no real-deal brakes can fit under the 15s. The tire is always going to be the biggest limiting factor for a 4000+lb car in every direction.

There is also no desirable aerodynamic aspects about these cars. My steering gets almost completely numb around 80mph. On my list of things to do is figure out a way to negate all the lift the front seems to be having at high speeds. 

I got away with rear drums for a good two years or so. I had the rears lock a couple times in the rain and they where a nightmare to service but other than that I had no major complaints. The fronts take so much braking duties I barely noticed a performance difference going to rear discs. I have no proof it helped or didn't. The feel is a bit more linear now but honestly performance still sucks compared to a newer high performance car. If I was at 60mph and had to stop in an emergency I probably wouldn't have enough brake control to pull the car in safely.

 

I agree that if you are looking for to push your Torino to maximum handling limits that 15" tires would be a limiting factor.  That said, it all depends on what you are looking for.  I went from the stock 70 series 14" tires to 60 series 15" tires.  Went to 245 width and 15x8 rims front and back.  These cars need a wide front tire to help the front end grip.  That along with Addco sway bars, CVPI coil springs, Bilstein shocks make my car an excellent handling with a decent ride while essentially appearing bone stock.  I am not into the resto mod look or the large wheel look.  And to be honest the setup I have is all the handling I need in this car.  It will keep up with modern cars and I have scared more than one passenger on some corners.  I would say the handling on the car is comparable to a HPP Crown Vic.

 

IMO to make these big Torinos handle well they need a lot of spring rate, big sway bars and good modern shocks.  The stock springs on these cars were just way too soft unless you had the competition suspension.  You have to decide how far you want to go in the handling dept.

 

As for steering, I recommend the Saginaw steering box swap.  These steering boxes can be built to a wide variety of ratios and the steering effort can be tuned your taste.  Plus it's basically a bolt in swap.

http://forum.grantorinosport.org/retrofit-hub-rotors_topic10451_post106094.html?KW=brakes#106094" rel="nofollow - http://forum.grantorinosport.org/retrofit-hub-rotors_topic10451_post106094.html?KW=brakes#106094

http://forum.grantorinosport.org/wagon-or-poliice-brakes_topic12875_post125610.html?KW=brakes#125610" rel="nofollow - http://forum.grantorinosport.org/wagon-or-poliice-brakes_topic12875_post125610.html?KW=brakes#125610

 

I just copied it to a Sticky topic in the HOW-TO section so we have it available ALL the time when people ask.

 

http://forum.grantorinosport.org/topic13965.html" rel="nofollow - http://forum.grantorinosport.org/topic13965.html