Inexpensive brake pads for 1985 GT5 Girling brakes?

Contact Porterfield. They have pads in their street sport compound (R4S if I recall correctly)for the GT5 and GT5-S. The cost is very reasonable, and the Porterfields perform much better than the insanely expensive factory pads - if you can find them.

I will post the specific pad numbers for the front and rear as soon as I get to my other computer where I have that information.

- Peter

The original GT5/GT5-S/Gr4/Gr3 factory brake pads are Lucas Girling 01014B and 1014D. If you want factory pads, Larry Stock at Pantera Parts Connection has a set. The cost for the front and rear pads is, altogether, $1150 USD, and the parking brake is $92.40. You can reach Larry at (775) 856-7011.

If you are looking to interchange the pads to another manufacturer then, according to Roland Jaeckel, for GT3, GT4, GT5, and GT5-S Panteras, the front pads cross reference to an Aston Martin DB5, the rear pads to a Jaguar XJ6, and the parking brake to a Rolls Royce Silvershadow 2. This advice is consistent with most other experts I have spoken to about this.

However, why would you want factory pads with their outdated compounds when you can buy new technology pads that perform much better – and for a lot less money?

For aftermarket pads, some people have recommended EBC as a company to go to for GT5/GT5-S/Gr4/Gr3 pads. When I looked into this last year, their web site listed them as being out of stock. Perhaps you will have better luck. Be careful, however, because others have advised that the diagrams of the pads on the EBC web site that are supposedly for the GT5/GT5-S do not, in fact, match the factory backing plates:

http://www.ebcbrakesdirect.com/default.asp

Regardless, at $735 USD – for the front 4 pads only! – plus shipping from the UK, plus duties, plus brokerage fees, plus exchange fees, the EBC pads are even more expensive than the factory pads.

The other (and best, in my view) alternative is Porterfield:

Porterfield Enterprises 1767 Placentia Ave Costa Mesa, CA 92627
800-537-6842 949-548-4470

_www.porterfieldbrakes.com_ (http://www.porterfieldbrakes.com)

Call and ask for a lady named Wendy. She has GT5/GT5-S/Gr4/Gr3 pads in two standard thicknesses, .670" and .980" (including the backing plate), but can make them to any specification on request. I had the exact thickness of the factory original pads and had her make mine accordingly. When they arrived, they did not fit so I had to have the pads shaved down slightly (easy and cheap to do).

Front: FRP 105 $139.95 for all 4 pads
Rear: GD 557 $79.95 for all 4 pads

Incidentally, she confirmed they can bond new pads onto your existing backing plates if you prefer, but that it takes 6 or 7 weeks to turn them around. Therefore, they prefer to sell the new pads which ship right away.

So, in summary, I ordered a new set of Porterfield pads in their R4S compound for my GT5 and, despite the pads being a different shape than my factory originals (the backing plates were the same) and my having given Porterfield the incorrect pad thickness specification for my car, after I ground them down they fit perfectly and have been working fine ever since. Total cost: $219.90 plus shipping.

Now, if someone could find a cheap source for the parking brake pads, we’d be all set!

- Peter

PS: Below is Porterfield's diagram of the FRP 105 pad:

Here is Porterfield's diagram of the GD 557 pad:

[QUOTE]
Now, if someone could find a cheap source for the parking brake pads, we’d be all set!

- Peter

Peter - I paid $50 for a pair a parking brake pads for my GT5-S. They were for the above-mentioned rolls royce, and I bought them on e-bay. The Swedes subsequently bought a bunch more from the same seller (dealer).

I'll send you the reference in a PM...

Thanks, Charlie. Great information.

The Swedish club seems to have a lot of foresight in acquiring all sorts of hard to find parts in bulk, and subsequently making them available to their members. They are pretty much the only source of 15" tires for our wide bodies now, for example. I just wish there was a North American DeTomaso club that was doing the same thing.