2020 Product Showcase: SPEC Clutches For Two Very Different Projects

2020 Product Showcase: SPEC Clutches For Two Very Different Projects

Here at Ford Muscle, there’s always a new project in need of a new part. Lucky for us, we’ve got some friends in the industry, and they’re always on-hand to lead us in the right direction when choosing the right pieces to our puzzles. Such is the case with our friends at SPEC Clutch, who recently stepped in to equip two very different vehicles with clutches that will fit the individual needs of each.

The full stories on each project and the in-depth information and installation coverage is coming soon, but we thought we would give you a little taste to tie you over until we’re ready to share.

The first project is not actually of the Ford variety, but we think you’ll like it anyway. Bear with us here — it’s a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda. Don’t click off yet! It’s being equipped with a Coyote topped with a Whipple supercharger, and its owner, Eric Bardekoff, has named it Project MoFo (get it?). The ‘Cuda will feature all-Ford components and a T56 transmission, making somewhere in the ballpark of 800 horsepower. It will be street driven with occasional trips to the drag strip. This all had to be taken into consideration when choosing the perfect clutch, and SPEC’s Shelly Norton asked all the right questions to lead us to the SPEC SS-Trim Super Twin Carbon/Kevlar Clutch Kit (organic). We’ll chat more about why Shelly thought this might be a perfect fit for Project MoFo in the upcoming story, so stay tuned!

The other project is a Fairlane with a 2010 GT500 engine and transmission from a wrecked donor car. It’s owned by Shawn Brereton, whose father built the car in 2013, and the engine has only 30,000 miles on it.

“Surprisingly, 30,000 miles is an incredibly good distance on those stock twin-disc clutches they put in them,” Brereton explained. “Most were only good for around 5-8,000!”

Shawn will give you the whole story in his own words in a feature coming soon to Ford Muscle, but in a nutshell, when COVID-19 threw a wrench in his vacation plans, Shawn and his wife decided to take a long-distance road trip with the Fairlane instead! It was realized during the trip that the clutch was starting to fail. It got so bad, they weren’t sure they would make it home to Memphis, Tennessee. Fortunately, Shawn was able to limp it back home from California, but it was in desperate need of a new clutch.

The installation on Shawn’s Fairlane was done at SPEC headquarters, where it was uncovered that the old discs were totally shot with barely any material remaining on them. While the billet flywheel didn’t look too bad, there were definite signs of slippage. SPEC’s Dave Norton suggested a single-disc replacement clutch with a steel flywheel, particularly because this Fairlane sees daily driving duties. Twins would work well, but the steel flywheel affords “more forgiveness and smoother take-offs” as per Shawn.

Stay tuned to Ford Muscle for the full stories of each installation and the SPEC products chosen!

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About the author

Stephanie Davies-Bardekoff

Stephanie Davies-Bardekoff got her start in automotive media while attending Rutgers. She worked for Roush Performance for a while, before eventually landing here at Power Automedia. Her Coyote-swapped 1992 Fox-body drag car is her prized possession.
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