[DeTomaso] Brake Upgrade - Opinions?

[Brent Stewart]

Thanks Chuck - Yes, there was a bit of a pucker factor going around Thunderhill.  I was doing a lot of pointing people by me, even one crazy guy in a vw Scirocco!   But, lesson learned - get the brakes done right.  My intent is to do 2-3 track days / year in the car - it's main purpose is still show / sunday drives, but I want to be safe!


I've heard good things about the Quella setup from several on this list- i'll be giving Dennis a call tomorrow!

brent


________________________________
From: Charles Engles <cengles at cox.net>
To: 'Brent Stewart' <bjbstewart at yahoo.com>
Cc: detomaso at realbig.com
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 6:18 PM
Subject: RE: [DeTomaso] Brake Upgrade - Opinions?

Dear Brent,


            500 hp in a Pantera with stock brakes?   Man, you are braver
than I thought, to paraphrase Princess Lea in Star Wars after she discovered
her rescuers flew the Millenium Falcon.   You've got a troubled combination
for track use.


           I was frustrated for years taking my car to the track and trying
to get my brakes to keep me from smacking into the tail end of 911s in Turn
One.  I crept through the progression of brake upgrades from basic and on
to......the big "NASCAR" set up from Pantera Performance Center in the mid
nineties.  I was so frustrated with the brakes that I took the car to them
for Dennis Quella to fix.   The Mondo brakes, which I think are still
available, are big thick vented rotors up front with six piston front
Wilwood calipers and equally big rotors with a four pot caliper in the rear
connected to a twin master cylinder with balance bar.   Finally, big
improvement in the brake department with a big bill from PPC. These are on
seventeen inch wheels.  Rotors are about 12 1/2", IIRC. 


          There are *many* ways to do Pantera brakes just as there are many
ways to build Pantera engines, etc.  If you really expect to flog a high HP
Pantera on a track lap after lap and session after session, then I really
think that most people are best to buy a complete system from a reputable
vendor.  Good brakes will help you go faster at the track and they are cheap
insurance on the street.   My other Pantera has a hundred less HP than the
track car and it has a stock system except for an aftermarket master
cylinder.  I would expect that I could drive it about one or two laps, max,
at my local track, before I would become concerned that the braking would
begin to deteriorate.  


                         Warmest regards,  Chuck Engles



-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On
Behalf Of Brent Stewart
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 6:20 PM
To: Pantera List
Subject: [DeTomaso] Brake Upgrade - Opinions?

Not a lot happening on the list today, so let me post this -

A few of us took our Panteras racing a couple of weeks back at Thunderhill
(see pict: http://bit.ly/vmxDSv) - we had a great time, but what I quickly
realized was (as most of you know) that stopping 500+ HP requires a bit more
than a stock brake setup. 

So, i'm seriously look at my options for upgrade this winter and would like
to ask the collective their opinions.  I'm thinking some sort of Wilwood 4
caliper / slotted rotor combination for the front would do the trick. What
is important is that I don't want to mess with changed off-sets or clearance
issues for my 17" campy clones. 

Anyone have a particularly good experience with a vendors' offering?
 Alternatives that make sense? 

Thanks for your input!

brent
4328
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