Reliable Brake Shop

**Sonic Cobra** · 07-18-2004, 11:12 AM

I am looking to upgrade front brakes before I go to mountaineer madness in august.Just Hawk HPS pads, SS braided lines and flush and repl fluid (ford hipo dot 3). Anyone have recommendation on best place to get it done?

**jv84venom** · 07-24-2004, 09:06 AM

I can take care of that for you. Let me know if I can help.

Thanks,

Joe Volpe
Mustang Motorsports
609-319-2672

**Mike Kievit** · 07-24-2004, 09:25 AM

That's what I was going to suggest....Have a qualified club member help you out.

The main thing about changing the lines and bleeding is not to let air in the system, or it's off to the dealer.

Better yet. Have your SVTOA dealer rep set up a brake day at the dealership with their dealer expert. Use your car as the demo piece.

**tntcbra** · 07-24-2004, 02:40 PM

Look around at what's available for brake fluid. Check both dry and wet boiling temperature. There is a lot on the market for reasonable prices.
After boiling the stock DOT 3 at Waterford, I started using ATE Blue with Hawk pads in my '96 Convertible (HPS rear, HP+ front, stock rotors.) I love the stuff. It's not DOT rated because of the color (they make blue and amber - easier to bleed the system!)
I hammered the brakes at Beaverun (I have a blistered tire to show for it) and had zero problems with brake fade or fluid boil. I will say that I do not like the HP+ for the street, they are just too noisy. But, as easy as pads are to change on the front, I'll keep them for track days.

Tim

**Sonic Cobra** · 07-24-2004, 04:54 PM

Thanks for the replies. I was going to go with the ford dot 3 fluid, 550 degrees dry boiling point.My thinking was, as long at it is fresh it would be ok for the on track event. Its my first time so I don't think i"ll be boiling my fluid. I had heard from many that the hawk plus pads were noisy, so decided to go with the hps.I'm not a race driver so just looking for 10 or 15% improved braking to at least match my limited mods.My ford dealer (Haldeman Ford) wouldn't do the upgrades and I don't have the time or even the tools to do it.I believe I'll call Joe on monday.

**tntcbra** · 07-24-2004, 05:42 PM

Yeah, that sounds like a smart approach. The Hawks do make a big difference.

Check out this link for fluid specs:
http://www.shotimes.com/SHO3brakefluid.html
The only thing to watch with the Ford fluid is the wet temperature. If you keep it fresh, you're okay, but the bp goes down quick.

That's too bad the dealer won't help out, but you're probably better off with a fellow enthusiast doing the work!

See you at Summit!

Tim

**NJStangFan** · 08-06-2004, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Sonic Cobra

My ford dealer (Haldeman Ford) wouldn't do the upgrades

Stay away from them!!!!!

**Sonic Cobra** · 08-07-2004, 03:40 PM

Thanks for the advice Jamie but may be too late. I had them replace bad fuel sender in gas tank under warrenty. Since then I noticed a dull pop from the back when I make a left turn on uneven surface.Had no such problems for 1st 15000 miles till they got their hands on it. Or so it seems anyway.Took it back and they did the TSB for retourquing rear suspension.Still have the pop so brought it back again and they say its the rear sway bar end links- replacement parts on order. Since all this is tying up the car and I want it 100% for mountaineer madness I had them flush the brake lines and install new stock pads for now. Will deal with the upgrades when I have more time. I'm curious to know the basis for your warning. Can you email me

**NJStangFan** · 08-09-2004, 05:07 AM

I'll post right here

:

When I first started shopping for my Cobra back in August of 2001, I went to Haldeman Ford of Hamilton Square, NJ. This was going to be a tough deal no matter what since my wife didn't want me to get it and she was fighting me the whole way. I told her that things were going to be easy and that we'd get a good deal on the car since it was almost the end of the model year and that they'd be trying to get these things off the lot. Our nearest SVT dealer was Haldeman Ford on Route 33 in Hamilton Sqaure, NJ (outside of Trenton). We went there one night, got to talk to the sales manager, talked to the finance guy and finally got to meet the SVT lead salesman. I told him that we (I) was interested in a 2001 Cobra coupe in black, but he didn't have the color on the lot. He said that the transport just dropped the car off late that afternoon and they didn't add it ot their inventory yet. We never discussed price the first night, nor did I do anything other than look at the vehicle and drool. The next day at lunch time, I drove back to the dealer to start pricing negotiations. Their first quote to me was $8K OVER STICKER!! Yeah, right. I told the salesman to get the sales manager back in the office so that I could tell him exactly what I thought of him. He went to see the manager and came back with $6k OVER STICKER!!! I was enraged. I wasn't going to spend $1 over sticker let alone $6k OVER STICKER!!! I told him that he was on crack and that I'd shop around and find one for what I wanted to pay and that I'd bring it back and do a huge burnout in his lot. He said, "Yeah, right" and I was on my way back to the office. When I got back, there was a message for me from him saying that he'd been able to "...get another $500 off the price" for me.

Yeah, $5.5k over sticker. Right...

I was now on a mission to find what I wanted for sticker or less. Two days later, I put a deposit down on my car for 1.5% over dealer invoice. Two weeks after that, I left some nice rubber in Haldeman's lot as I showed off my less-than-sticker price Cobra.

Moral of the story is that they tried to "F" me. I don't like to be "F-ed" unless it's on my own terms.

I will never buy a vehicle from that family of dealerships nor will I let any of my family, friends or co-workers as long as I can prevent it.

To quote Jack Nicholson, "You f***ed with the wrong Marine!"

So, SVT should tell their dealers that even though this is a free economy and capitalism rules, don't be a bunch of jack-holes and try to screw your customers. Some of your customers will come back to screw you.

**Sonic Cobra** · 08-09-2004, 05:37 PM

I know the feeling. I decided to get an o3 cobra about august of 2002. The first production run of some 4000 cobras was just about complete with an planned second production run of about 8000 for a total of about 12000 units. I went to Haldeman and asked to speak with the SVT guy and they sent me a young woman named Alice.Not only did she know less than I about the car they were asking MSRP +$3000. I told her I wouldn't pay over sticker and she said they were charging a premium because they weren't making any more cobras. I laughed in her face and walked out.I went to every SVT daeler between Ramsey and mount laurel and could't do the deal for msrp.I wound up ordering one over the phone from an SVT dealer in Vermont. He had only 7 cars allocated for the entire model year and 4 were already sold., all for msrp. Had to wait 7 months and took a train up to get it. and had a wonderful six hour drive home to get acquianted with my baby.. Don't regret any of it. Its a great story.Maybe we can bash ford dealers while at summit point. See you there. Paul