quote:Originally posted by Bosswrench:
I worked on iron-caliper Girling GR-3 brakes on a non-GR-3 car with Gotti 15 x 10" wheels running Hoosier tires. With different wheels/tires and aluminum Girlings (stock on Mangustas but not Panteras except GR-4s), you simply have to try it. I own a machine shop so yes- I COULD make the combo fit. It may not look 'stock' at the end but that word is never applied to race cars- or their brakes- anyway.
I did that with a set of Lincoln/Big Ford/Thunderbird calipers on my 68 GT350.
In order to get the calipers to clear the inside the wheel, they had to machined down to clear.
They looked beautiful and cleared but the first time I tried the brakes the caliper cracked through the casting into the piston bore.
It had been machined down so far that the hydraulic pressure from the brake system cracked the cast iron caliper.
Those aluminum Mangusta calipers are the same I believe as on the big block 427 comp Cobras.
Big bucks just for that reason.
Comes back to Wilwood or leave them stock. I would like to run 1.25" front rotors and go with vented in the rear with the hats over the flanges.
Using any kind of Girling brakes is just too expensive for little gained.
I don't need to satisfy the vintage racing rules.
I saw one US raced Pantera (pictures) with the 67 Tbird calipers and rotors adapted.
I'll go that route if I can find the aluminum calipers. So far they have been very elusive.
I'm not sure I like the configuration of the adapter they would need though?
Girling are 3" center to center and the KH are 5". That is actually so close it makes the adapter complicated to make.
Wilwoods are simpler, can be purchased with the right 3" bolt spacings and any hat can be made to use any rotor that they make.
Lots of weight savings there, just whether or not the calipers clear the wheels?
I, like Kid, like the "engineering challenge" to make everything fit and work.
We will see. Perfect time wise to do it. Temperature wise, the garage is too cold. I mean after all it is 18 F outside with 50 mph winds?
Radiant heat in the floor would have been perfect. Turn on the "happy light" and I'd think I was in Florida.
I could even dump all the glass bead from the blast cabinet on the floor and think I'm on the beach in Miami?
