upgrading brakes

[Tom Wells]

Having said that, here's why and what I did (actually, am doing, since the car isn't running yet!):

I want to do some driving schools. Standard 11" brakes probably wouldn't be adequate, so -

REAR: CWI vented rotors, Jag calipers. Mike at CWI talked me out of the Wilwood rear calipers, saying the Jag rears are commonly used in England for racing, the rear doesn't really get stressed as much since the fronts do most of the braking, the pads are harder to change on the Wilwoods since they sit to the rear, sort of tucked up against the gas tank.

FRONT: Baer 13" rotors and Mustang/Corvette PBL (?) calipers. I went for the 13" since they are vented, and Baer makes an aluminum center for the rotor as well as an aluminum hub, saving eight pounds or so per side. Not cheap, but used on the Bondurant Racing School Mustangs (I checked) and should have gracious plenty stopping power. I'm using 17" wheels, so you may want to use the template Baer supplies to check wheel clearance for your 16" wheels if you decide to consider this route.

The Mustang II/GM rotors just didn't seem like enough. I once said to an SCCA racer that you can't have too much horsepower. He immediately replied you can't have too large a set of brakes either!

Hope this helps,

Tom