BOOSTER BASICS
ORIGINAL BOOSTER
PLATING
What did brake boosters actually look like when they were brand new? Some “experts” claim they were never shiny or that they were not zinc dichromate. But these photos of boosters with their original plating still intact speak for themselves. As you can see, they were zinc dichromate and are a good representation of nice plating on Delco Moraine boosters. In fact, we’ve posted this letter from the Delco Chassis Division on various GM discussion boards stating that the plating used in 1969 was definitely zinc dichromate!
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Granted, they didn’t always look this nice. At Brake Boosters we’ve disassembled 14,000+ boosters over the last few decades, and we can assure you GM wasn’t always concerned about having just the right plating hues!
1970 Chevelle
1967 442
1969 Camaro
1965-1966 Vette
COMMON BOOSTER TYPES (RESTORED CONDITION)
Used on Many 1964 - 1966 GM Cars
Used on Many 1967 - 1979 GM Cars & Pickups
Used on Many 1971/Up Full Size & 1977/Up Mid Size GM Cars
TO RESTORE OR USE
A REPRODUCTION?
Since the introduction of Chinese-built reproduction brake boosters, there's been debate about whether to restore your original booster or buy one of the millions of reproductions available to GM Muscle Car owners
Some complain reproduction boosters are easy to spot on your beautifully-restored GM car. One telltale sign is the triangular-shaped impressions. The originals have much smoother contours whereas the lines on the reproductions are sharper. (See photo at right.) In addition, the Delco Moraine stamps don't match the originals.
Another complaint is that reproductions tend to have a high failure rate. Some owners have gone through several repro boosters trying to find one that works, and since vendors don't usually offer warranties on them, they're out the expense each time. In contrast, restored boosters almost never come back to Brake Boosters because they work!
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Admittedly, there is a price difference between a reproduction and the cost of restoring an original, but we believe it's important to have the right part for the job. It's your brake system, after all! Ultimately, we recommend you do some homework before making a decision.
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REPRODUCTION
ORIGINAL
MORE RESOURCES
Learn more about classic auto restoration from some of our partners.
GTO Association of America
Detail Plating (Our Sister Business)
