bmwe21.net forums

I'm not suggesting you've wasted your money. Merely that I feel I have gone for the best option for my pocket. Even a pair of old Alfa calipers would have cost more than the Volvo calipers have and the braking performance would have been the same!

i still like my 323i calipers with green stuff pads.

jimi, if the pistons are free and the seals dont leak, 30 years old or not. they will work. and you can rely on them!

As I posted in Pistonheaders brakes thread, 323i calipers with decent pads are perfectly good enough. I have some alloy alfa type ones on the Baur project (no engine yet but getting there), they were on the slug for a couple of track days and worked fine. I upgraded the slug to Wilwood because I could, rather than had to. The braking with the wilwoods is immense, but I used a whole set of fast road pads in one trackday. I have some race pads in now, see how they last. I suspect that the alloy alfa/323i calipers with ds2500's were not that much different in terms of stopping power, but the difference is in the hydraulics and the pressure/pedal movement which works better with the 4 pots meaning the pedal feels better and I use it more effectively.

For a standard car there's no problem with standard brakes, upgraded standard brakes (volvo) or any other brakes. Do what you like or can afford and be happy with them. My advice is ferodo DS2500 pads whatever standard calipers you go for.

Do Ferodo give off much brake dust Jim? I stuck with EBC this time because the dust is minimal and they worked well in my standard calipers. Since I treated my alloys the dust seems to stick less though anyway. Are the race pads carbon metallics?

DS2500's didn't seem to make much dust.

I've got Wilwood race pads now, see how they last!

drjim wrote:DS2500's didn't seem to make much dust.

I've got Wilwood race pads now, see how they last!

Just make sure you protect your wheels first. The racepad dust eats into two pack paint.
Tommi gave me some supergaurd which seems to wotk on my 13's

super guard for freeeeeeeee

just send me your postage monies and any beer tokens are welcome

Cars back Thursday! Yay!

Going to catch the train in a couple of hours and get my car back from the workshop.

There's been quite a few changes made to the suspension and steering plus fitting poly bushes from Superflex throughout. In fact mods are as follows.

2.7:1 ration steering rack & poly mounts

Fully refurb'd Volvo 4 pot brake calipers, EBC Greenstuff pads and E12 brake master cylinder.

Custom TCA bushes

K-mac adjustable top-mounts.

''Wonder bar'' bracing front ARB mounts.

I've also bought a new engine stroked to 2.7 which is going to be combined with a Dastek Unichip and live tuning that on the dyno. I'm also going to fit the 6 branch exhaust manifold to the new engine. Hopefully, I'm looking to have the new engine fitted in about 6 weeks which will give me time to source the bits I still need like M30 3.5 injectors. I already have a Schrick cam but I also want to match the inlet manifold to the ports etc. My aim is to reach 220bhp. I'm not entirely sure how realistic that is but it's gotta be worth a try.

I think 220 brake is very realistic with the spec you have in mind.

The engine's a good'un, the rusty hulk where it currently resides is not! Might see if I can get time to liberate it next week.

Should be a different car when you get it back, hope it's as good as it sounds!

Total transformation!

Brakes are awesome, especially as I've got the poverty spec upgrade! I was never able to lock the fronts before but now there's just so much more bite. The pedal feels great with the e12 master cylinder too!

The steering is really direct now. Obviously heavy at parking speeds but once rolling it feels perfectly weighted. A blast through the lanes in Essex was great and combined with the top mounts it feels even better than I'd hoped.

Once your able to get the lump out Rob, Dave @ RPM said he'd collect it on my behalf and get it ready to drop in, in the next month or so.

I'd forgotten just what it's like to drive my car!

Congrats! It was worth the wait after all then!

I'm just glad to have it back anyway, but the new brakes and steering are a world apart from how it was before. The ''wonder bar'' mod' is one I would suggest everyone does. It costs peanuts and helps rid your car of the old ''50mph shimmy''.

K-mac adjustable top mounts, quick rack and ''wonder bar'' along with custom TCA bushes from Jason and polybushes throughout whole car.



E12 master cylinder was given a refurb and had all new seals once rebuild kit arrived from ze fatherland.



The Stevie Wonder yellow paint job has gone and calipers were painted black and fully refurb'd with stainless pistons. The brakes are just so much better than they ever were. EBC supplied pads.



Replaced the old cone filter with a good quality foam one which I plan to shield using aluminium sheet.