I have a 62' bel-air- pretty well stock right now- BUT i'm looking to give it a few "modern" upgrades. Like power disc brakes at least on the front, power steering, maybe airconditioning. now- i'm on a very tight budget- and i've grown up around motorheads/gearheads- i'm one of them. i've always heard guys talk about the spindles and brakes and such from say an old nova will bolt right up, this A/C system can be fitted, etc. etc. etc. just looking for some competant advice-i've found some actual conversion kits for say disc brakes and stuff- gimme a break- I'm not Donald Trump or Bill Gates!!! that stuff is outrageous- of course- if i was rich obviously wouldn't be a problem. Thanks- Dan  

I've never heard of Nova brakes bolting up to a full size Chevy. Spindles are way too small for that much weight.

I'm thinking your best bet is to find a '67-'72 full size chevy with discs, the spindles from those years should bolt up to your '62's control arms. Best way to find out is go to a salvage yard with a Hollander manual and see what it says for compatibility.

The power steering's gonna be tricky. Factory power steering in '62 was driven off the back of the generator. To put late model power steering on your car, you'll have to change up the accessory drive system to make room for the late model power steering pump, and you'll also have to bolt in a later model steering box that'll work with the power steering. Again, a '67-'72 full size is gonna be your best bet if you're gonna go the course of salvage parts.

Now, Late Great Chevy has a reasonably priced front disc conversion kit for your car, here's the link:

http://www.lategreatchevy.com/product.asp?pf%5Fid=562154&dept%5Fid=2162

$689.99 may sound expensive (believe me, I work on a budget too!) but for what you're getting it's a good deal, and all new parts.

Your best bet for A/C is an aftermarket bolt-in kit if your car didn't originally come with factory A/C. Check out Vintage Air, their stuff is good.

I'd say start with the front disc swap so you have better stopping power, making the car safer to drive. From there, you can get by with the factory manual steering (As long as you have a factory size steering wheel) and look at installing A/C to make the car more comfortable to drive.

What motor does your '62 have?  

I'm pretty sure the suspension including A arms and spindles completely changed in 65. I know that they changed again for 71. They went to a 5 on 5 inch bolt pattern. The 68 to 70 fullsize discs had 12 inch rotors and are really getting expensive.

In reality, buying a setup from a junkyard really doesn't really save any money anymore. By the time you rebuild, fix or replace all the worn out parts; you right back to what it costs for a new setup. I went through all this on my 65 Impala. I even bought my 70 Caprice so I could get the disc brake setup off it. I never switched it over because the Caprice became a reliable second car. I have since replaced both calipers, master cylinder and all the rotted hoses.

On my 65 Impala I ended up with Classic Performance Products disc set up. It bolts right onto your stock spindles and has all new parts. New. On my car, it uses 68-72 Chevelle rotors, pads, and calipers so you can go to any Autozone, etc and get replacement parts. The cost with the upgraded cross drilled, slotted rotors was still less than $700.