Plumbing a street rod can be a time-consuming and sometimes aggravating chore. A large portion of that aggravation comes into play when re-plumbing an assembled vehicle versus plumbing a nice clean rolling chassis. That said, no matter what you're working on, you want to do it right and you want to do it once.
Doing it right, and once, has been made a heck of a lot easier on us all over the last decade or so thanks to the emergence of a handful of companies that manufacture components and complete brake line component kits for just about anything with wheels. These guys all know their stuff and offer you your choice of bulk supplies, fittings, and tools, as well as pre-formed brake line kits made to slide right into place-an offering that's saved countless hours, busted knuckles, and wasted brake line over the years.
Another bonus is the availability of all these brake components in stainless steel versus the OEM tin-coated steel used from the factory. Stainless, in street rodding anyway, offers not only a lifetime of hassle-free service but good looks as well. The smooth shiny appearance of stainless lasts nearly indefinitely, making it the obvious choice for a street rod, custom car, or classic truck.
Stainless steel is the generic term for grades of steel that contain more than 10 percent chromium, with or without nickel, molybdenum, titanium, niobium, and/or other elements. Stainless steel's most important benefit is that it resists corrosion, maintains its strength at high temperatures, and is easily maintained. The chromium in the steel combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to form a thin, invisible layer of chrome-containing oxide that keeps it looking fresh and shiny, even when exposed to the elements.