Reply to "Wilwood Brakes - Component #'s??"

Ron, as far as when you think you need the Wilwoods depends on the usage of the car and how lucky you feel.There are many variables. The Panteras are approaching 40 yrs old.I think for tooling around the streets replacing the flex lines with steel braided, rebuilt calipers,master cylinder,fresh high grade brake fluid and new pads will work fine.Even rebuilding the hydraulic components with new seals has to be suspect. The poor brake system has to be the most neglected sytem on any car and one that is taken for granted.Most people don't flush out their system annually to rid the brake fluid of moisture. Over time the sleeves become pitted and rusted from moisture accumulation over the years.Especially if the car sits for long lengths of time in storage. So even with new seals you have to wonder how well those new seals will withstand pressure within pitted sleeves.

It also depends on the track you take your car on,how often and how aggressive of a driver you are.Take a track like Pocono where you have long straights and infield turns. The long straights will give your rotors and pads a chance to cool before the infields which in result will keep your brake fluid cooler.Are you coasting off the straights into the next corner or are you waiting to the last possible second and stomping on your brakes and diving in? Are you aggressively on the gas and then on the brake? Take it on tighter tracks like Watkins Glenn or Lime Rock your stock brakes would be toast within two laps.

I'm presently finishing up a ground up restoration on my car.I have alot of time and money in the car but most importantly I value my life.It was a no brainer. My car only had 17,000 orig miles on it. As I inspected each component of the original brake system,the small heavy iron unvented rotors, 2 piston calipers,dry rotting of the flex lines and saw the rust and pitting in the cylinders I declared it as junk for my intended purpose. I wanted peace of mind.Lets see, do I spend $2500 on nice bigger, thicker vented rotors, 4 piston light weight calipers,new pads,steel braided flex lines/stainless steel hard lines and new master cylinder or risk wrecking my car, me or taking out some innocent person.To each his own.

Dan