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1971 OEM brakes!! Need some advice.

pantsterapantsteraMember
I got a quote to have my brake system redone and it is costing around $3000.00. I checked the price the mechanic was charging for the parts, and except for a couple of items that were very overpriced, the prices are in line with what I am finding. That said, all the parts are very expensive compared to the American muscle cars I am used to. I'm capable of doing the brakes myself, but the real expense seems to be the parts. Does anyone have any advice regarding replacement parts, brake system upgrades, or a better way to skin a cat?

Many thanks,
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italforditalfordMember
There is no really cheap way to rebuild the brakes. Do it all yourself. Buy rebuild parts and rebuild your own calipers etc. The pads are available from Porterfield and the rest of the parts are avilable from the vendors. Call around. The flexible hoses can be make from generic brake parts but you may need to re-flare the ends. Turning the rotors is easy. Getting them off the car is hard especially the rears. Can you post your estimate?
joulesjoules"Racing is Life, anything before or after is just waiting" - Steve McQueen
When you say 'redone' that is stock brakes rebuilt with new pads, seals and rotors skimmed correct?

Caliper rebuild kits are $30
Pads, probably $175 front or rear aftermarket
Turning rotors maybe $25 a rotor (good brake shops can turn the rotors on the car)
66 Mustang rotors can be substituted up front for around $175 a pair (slight opening of lug holes required) if yours are too worn to turn.

Even with tax & shipping that's less than $750 + labor.

For $3K you can get a nice aftermarket brake upgrade with calipers and rotors. Be aware that if you still run 15" wheels some calipers are too big, talk wit the vendors or it might become a $3K wheel upgrade too.

Good luck,
Julian
pantsterapantsteraMember
quote:
Originally posted by ItalFord:
There is no really cheap way to rebuild the brakes. Do it all yourself. Buy rebuild parts and rebuild your own calipers etc. The pads are available from Porterfield and the rest of the parts are avilable from the vendors. Call around. The flexible hoses can be make from generic brake parts but you may need to re-flare the ends. Turning the rotors is easy. Getting them off the car is hard especially the rears. Can you post your estimate?


Hey, thanks for your response.

Here's the quote. I cross-referenced these prices through PI Motorsports; most are pretty in line--I found the braded hoses on CL for $65.


Replace brake master, brake booster,
hoses, rebuild calipers,
bleed system, turn rotors;
Labor: $100.00 x 12 .........$1,200.00

1 brake pad set: ...............$370.00
1 brake caliper rebuild kit: ....$300.00
1 brake hose kit: ...............$300.00
Brake master: ..................$255.00
brake booster: ..................$265.00
Shipping: ........................$42.00
Tax: ..............................12.69

total .........................$2,852.69

Thanks for your opinion!

Kerry
4nhotrod4nhotrodHe who dies with the most toys is dead
Real simple. Here's the deal...
The best dollar for dollar upgrade you can do for a Pantera is the Porterfield brake upgrade.
Order the Porterfield RS4 pads and the SS flex lines and your're good to go for a few hundred bucks. I did this on my last car and I could lock up the oversized Michelins at will.
No need to spend thousands for decent braking.
Will
garth66garth66"When speed is the only thing that counts"
Pads and SS lines (also available from Porterfield made to order for about $25 each, or $150 a set from Hall) will be the best $300-$400 you could spend on your car.

That $2800 quote you got sounds awfully high. I think one of the vendors sells a brake kit with late model Corvette brakes for that kind of money!

Get the Porterfields and braided SS brake lines before sinking the rest of that dough into a stock brake rebuild. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
joulesjoules"Racing is Life, anything before or after is just waiting" - Steve McQueen
Good advice from all on the Porterfields and SS lines.

For anything else I guess we should ask the question; What if anything is wrong with your brakes currently that you went and had the quote?

It's a bit more labor, but for the $100 the caliper rebuild kit (01001A front & 01001C rear) cost from Wilkinson, I'd do that while I had the system apart.

Julian
rmccallrmccallMember
Pantera Performance sells a very nice brake kit with (front and rear)Wilwood 4piston calipers ,front rotors,braided lines,brake fluid, brake line adapters ,master cylinder etc... for almost exactly what you were quoted.
It keeps the stock rotors in the rear and the stock rear calipers are retained for the park brake.


Ron
markcharltonmarkcharltonOld enough to know better and still young enough not to care. My '71 Pantera
quote:
Originally posted by Pantstera:
Will,

Thanks for the advice, I'll look into that. But you only mention the pads and lines--does the upgrade kit come with calipers etc?

Thanks,

Kerry


Kerry,

Does your car actually NEED all that work? Are your rotors warped or seriously scored? Are the callipers binding or failing to clamp-down properly? If all is functioning reasonably, I would do as several have suggested (and DID in fact, on my car a few years ago with dramatic improvement) and change the pads to the Porterfield R4S and replace the old, stock flex lines with new braided stainless lines. Pick your vendor but note that Pantera has unique ends not as standard as they look but the Vendors all have the right stuff. If you can handle the rebuild labour yourself and the rotors are in good shape, you'll have awesome brakes for a few hundred bucks. Like Will said, I have zero trouble locking up my big fat Pirelli P-Zeros (335/35/17) with the stock Girling callipers. Good luck.

Mark
italforditalfordMember
I even went a bit further and cut off the unique ends and re-flared the lines for the standard male fitting. I was then able to purchase standard off the shelf brake flex lines from my local Hot Rod Shop. Saved some money and since the flex line is not generic with a -3 on both ends I can buy it anywhere in the future. Food for thought.
pantsterapantsteraMember
quote:
Originally posted by Mark Charlton:
quote:
Originally posted by Pantstera:
Will,

Thanks for the advice, I'll look into that. But you only mention the pads and lines--does the upgrade kit come with calipers etc?

Thanks,

Kerry


Kerry,

Does your car actually NEED all that work? Are your rotors warped or seriously scored? Are the callipers binding or failing to clamp-down properly? If all is functioning reasonably, I would do as several have suggested (and DID in fact, on my car a few years ago with dramatic improvement) and change the pads to the Porterfield R4S and replace the old, stock flex lines with new braided stainless lines. Pick your vendor but note that Pantera has unique ends not as standard as they look but the Vendors all have the right stuff. If you can handle the rebuild labour yourself and the rotors are in good shape, you'll have awesome brakes for a few hundred bucks. Like Will said, I have zero trouble locking up my big fat Pirelli P-Zeros (335/35/17) with the stock Girling callipers. Good luck.

Mark


Mark:

Yeah, the brakes are in rough shape. The rear calipers are locked, I'm sure they all need rebuilding; I have "new" (un-used) rotors, but they have been sitting and have surface rust. Not sure if the master and booster are bad--but the car hasn't been driven for 20 years, so it's a good guess.

Based on that, it seems like the work needs to be done. But do those prices seem right? As I said, with the exception of the braided hoses, the prices at PI motorsports seemed to match.

Anyway, thanks for the advice re: pads. I'll definitely do that.

Kerry
markcharltonmarkcharltonOld enough to know better and still young enough not to care. My '71 Pantera
Kerry,

Another thought is to hunt around for some callipers that someone has removed recently. Check with PIM and the the vendors. Guys are constantly upgrading and you may find a set for reasonable money that will be easier to rebuild than your seized units. The prices (except the calliper rebuild kits which seem very high) seem in-line with what my costs were, except that my labour was free of course. That will be your biggest area for savings along with some of the suggestions others have made. Remember that one of the great benefits of owning a Pantera is the free scraped knuckles, blood stains and pride in doing the job yourself for a small fraction of what an F-car owner pays for service. Wink

Mark
dave2811dave2811Member
quote:
Originally posted by Mark Charlton:
Kerry,

Another thought is to hunt around for some calipers that someone has removed recently. .........

Mark

That would be me! I have a set of calipers that just came off a '72. Were fully functioning (except for the parking brake) when removed. Also have booster and master. One component was causing the pedal to be very spongy. Not sure which.

PM me if interested.
pantsterapantsteraMember
quote:
Originally posted by garth66:
Pads and SS lines (also available from Porterfield made to order for about $25 each, or $150 a set from Hall) will be the best $300-$400 you could spend on your car.

That $2800 quote you got sounds awfully high. I think one of the vendors sells a brake kit with late model Corvette brakes for that kind of money!

Get the Porterfields and braided SS brake lines before sinking the rest of that dough into a stock brake rebuild. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!


Garth, you have any more info on that corvette brake upgrade?

Thanks,

Kerry
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