JayEstes

parkerizing will leave it a dark color and it can still rust.
 
the high temp cast iron paint you brush on then bake is one of the better deals.
 

Jay, just a reminder; don't forget to disassemble the MC before powder coat as the rubber seals inside might get damaged when they bake it.
When I put in a new MC last year, I used one of those spray can paints that is supposed to resist the brake fluid, kind you have to bake after applying. It is silver in color and I disassembled it and baked it in the kitchen owen (while wife was at home). It has some discoloring now where brake fluid touched but it is in decent shape after 1 year.

This is a really good question - I hope people have some good answers for you.  I am facing the same problem with trying to maintain a cast look on the master cylinder, but nothing I coat it with can take the brake fluid it inevitably winds up seeing.  I thought I had a really good solution by using clear 2 part epoxy (the shiny coat over epoxy floors) - but even this material in continual contact with brake fluid breaks down and comes off.  I cleaned/stripped/derusted both the booster and the MC, and they looked pretty good going back in - and the booster has held up since little to no brake fluid gets on it - but the MC looks like hell already.  Here is what they looked like BEFORE going back in:
I am ready to take the MC out and go get it powder-coated since I can't think of any other way to treat the MC that can hold up.  I'll be looking forward to the replies you get.
I'm only sending because I think in areas where there isn't a huge amount of heat NOR brake fluid the 2 part epoxy can work.


 
 
 
 

If you get the harness re-work done by Midlife, you get a nice wirelist that tells you where every color goes!  Its a deal man!  I swear he's not paying me for this...

I used a Dynomat style sound deadener/heat barrier as the others mentioned
In other areas of the car I have used the heating duct insulation that Danno mentioned.  It is cheap compared to the Dynomat.  You can get it a Lowes or Home Depot.
 
 
zi used 

Oh the irony of having an engine so big that you can't put in good brakes!.....  Good luck - without the extra pressure created by the booster, you're going to need an entirely different kind of MC.  Not sure I have seen one, but there must be one out here somewhere.

That darn Global warming  LOL.

Notwithstanding wether it's a hoax, I wouldn't trust Snopes to drive my shivy. If I owned a shivy.

That would be my wife, Michele :)

Hey, just because I'm on a beach in Florida for 6 weeks doesn't mean I don't work LOL

I can hear it rusting already.

my understanding is only harbor freight tools work on Chevys
 

you sure your tools will work on a Chevy 

Don't those require  metric LOL.

What projects have you started while "sheltering-in-place" during the pandemic?  I'd like to know: whether Mustang or something else.
For me, my harness business is booming, as folks are apparently taking the time to refurbish their Mustangs and are sending in their wiring for refurbishment.  Since everything comes in by USPS, UPS, or FedEx, social distancing is a no-brainer.  All of my supplies are likewise mail-order. 

The wife and I use a dedicated credit card just for gas. I just got the bill for April ... $25.69

Thanks Barnett! Say, I wonder if you might know.... I believe my car came with 1.75" wide rear shoes. I do see however that 2" is available, as are the drums. If my car came with 1.75" shoes and drum, would there be a problem in going to 2" shoes and 2" drum?
Thanks,
John

Sam, take a gander at this WCCC video:
 

I headed north from Dallas and the closer I got to Oklahoma the prices dropped. Started in The Colony $1.15, between McKinney & Sherman it was $1.13, Around Texoma, $1.07...

Thank you gentlemen! After looking at things and evaluating the use of my car, am thinking I'm going to stick with the stock setup.  

Here is my not-so-popular take:  If you can rebuild and adjust the back  drums and mash the parking brake and lock them up, what more braking power do you really need in the back?  I hate drums brakes more than your average guy, but I've got my front discs dialed-in for almost no pedal, solid feel and back brakes adjusted carefully to provide maximum assist without dragging.  I've got more brakes than I need.... however, I've just a driver, not road racing.  The road racing is the biggest differentiator - but are 4 wheel disc really required?  If you don't have more weight in the back than my stock car, how can you get much grip back there?  The ass end of these cars weighs next to nothing, and I don't feel like rear-disc is required.  

I used Dynamat, with the 1/4" Dynaliner on top. Same for the roof. On the floors I'm using the 1/8" Dynaliner ontop the Dynamat. Not driven the car yet, but No doubt it's going to be a lot quieter inside.


 

Heres my advice.  Just pull all your wiring and send it to MidLife for rework.  All the connectors will be original (AND THEY WILL WORK). buying rewiring kits, and mainly the BS associated with making them work is stupid as long as MidLife is around.   Don't re-wire you car - just get MidLife to fix it.  Probably less cost... 1000% easier!

Check this out.  Alvin, TX (half way to Galveston from Houston) yesterday:

I know Jay, and I've thought about what you said prior to posting. I've never really been disappointed with the factory equipped brakes, it's just that I need to replace everything. My booster, which I will keep, needs to be rebuilt. The MC, wheel cylinders, calipers, rotors, drums, all need to be replaced and/or rebuilt. If I've got to do that, I might as well look into a slight upgrade and discs are not that much more than drums from what I'm finding. The conversion appears to be easy, though I'm a bit uncertain about changes needed for the MC. Thanks!