[DougA]

Hi Everyone, My first post:

I need 4 new calipers for the 69 C3 that my wife has - she got it from her dad. Sat in the garage for 10 years. Its running, but the calipers are in awful shape. Can't be rebuilt by me because there's too much pitting and corrosion.

Its not a race car, just a basic weekend, short trip car. So, should I buy the Vette Brakes (www.vbandp.com) set or get the rebuilds from Autozone, Advance Auto Parts etc?

Have you had good luck with plunking down $400+ with VB&P or not?

Thanks

 

[SmokinBBC]

I went with VBP and am satisfied.

 

[redvetracr]

the "upside" to buying calipers from Autozone is you walk in with your cores and walk out with a fresh set of calipers, have a problem...take the problem caliper back to your local Autozone for a swap...the "downside" to VB&P is the double shipping (once to you and then having to send the cores back) on top of having to wait for your core charge to be credited back to your credit card.....
....redvetracr

PS: personally I like the boys (Ken & Kason) from Lonestar.....

 

[big2bird]

Tough call. I will add I have only had good luck with VBandP. Lot's of bad luck with Autozone. The shipping is an issue.

 

[DougA]

Thanks

Thanks for the insights. As soon as DC approves the photos I uploaded, I'll link them to the thread. Photos are of the pitted calipers and ugly pistons.

 

[gtr1999]

Just about all the places are selling lonestar calipers and they have worked well for me. I buy my brakes from Justin at Muskegon, they put together a nice total package at a fair price.
You're going to need calipers, hoses, copper washers, rear caliper SS lines,pads, and completly flush out the old BF.
check the bearing endplay and get the rotor runout under .002" and you'll be ok. Get a Motive bleeder as well.
Check the sticky post for rotor dial in.

 

[DougA]

I don't think I can clean these up and re-build them.

Here's the caliper pistons, rather ugly

And, here's one half of the calipers.

 

[big2bird]

Yep. Seen that before. The brake fluid is hydroscopic. Absorbs water over time, then settles down at the bottom and results in that pitting. That's why they use SS sleeves to rebuild them. :thumbsup:

 

[DougA]

These were sitting on the car for about 10 years, not driven at all.

Thanks to everyone, especially for the run-out discussion in the sticky section. I'll need to work on this a bit.

These are a little more complicated than the old jeep CJ's that I've worked on.