Research vs Work....

I have not made much progress on the car itself since my last post, but I have done what feels like days of research on what I am going to do and how to do it.

I found out that the brake kit I have been favoring from PST is actually a Stainless Steel Brakes product, just with their name on it.  A buddy at work put the SSBC brakes on his 67 and did not like them due to the rear calipers leaking around the parking brake lever.  Got no satisfaction from SSBC, so he swapped them out for a Baer brake setup which he apparently really likes.

So I checked into Baer brakes.  Their website is down (has ads on it that I would not want my kids to see) so I called them to discuss my goals and desires.  Chuck at Baer was extremely helpful.  He looked up the kit options available for me, and discussed pro's and cons of each.  We also talked in depth about master cylinder and power booster options.  He said he would email me the part numbers and some information.  He did that, plus included a complete set of pictures, drawings, templates and installation guides.  Wow - score one big point for Baer and their customer service!

Next was Wilwood.  I keep seeing their name pop up all over the Mustang forums.  I did some research on their website and found candidate kits.  I then called them to discuss the kits and to make sure that I am looking at the right ones.  I forget the tech's name, but he did good.  Although not as good as Chuck at Baer.  The guy at Wilwood answered my questions, but could not get him into a dialogue like I got from Chuck.  So adequate customer service, but nothing too exciting.

Next I called SSBC.  I never got to a human, just stuck on hold for about 15 minutes before I gave up.  Guess they don't want my money.

So based on customer service, it should be Baer who gets my business.  Unfortunately, their stuff ended up a bit more expensive than Wilwood.  In fact, quite a bit more.  The complete Wilwood set, front and rear, is going to cost me about $1700.  The complete Baer setup for roughly equivalent components is $2050.  Hmmm, what to do now?  $350 is about two wheels, or an intake manifold.  Do I spend the money and reward better service?  Or save the money for other parts?

So, trying to balance all the variables, and looking into the future, I am going to go against my nature and buy the Wilwood setup.  Sorry Baer!  But hopefully someone else reading this blog will now give you some consideration, and some business will come your way as a result of your willingness to spend time with your customers.

I also did a bunch of research on suspension and handling components and upgrades, but that is a subject for a later blog.

Tomorrow I go watch Alyssa play in her ensemble and solo competition in the morning.  After that, it's home to work on the fence some more in the backyard.  Then its clean up and organize the garage.  Then, if I have energy left, I'll work some more on the car and perhaps start ordering parts.