Hey guys, Im looking to get a front BBK soon since mine are on there way out. I've been looking at getting some new stop-tech's but I just came across this ebay item. I would love to have the brembo quality but they are just too dang expensive. Are these legit ?? Dont they normally cost over 2k for a brembo front BBK ? And dont they only make a 14" front BBK. This item say's that its a 13"... Im confused. They look new and I want to jump on this if its legit. Hopefully no one jacks them from reading this... I just need some confirmation from you guys that know your stuff. I wouldnt want to loose 1300 on a shady brake kit. Could they be just the front OEM brembos painted red ??? What the story on these guys ? Thanks

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/G35-3...QQcmdZViewItem

 

It looks like the kit actually exists: http://www.hopupracing.com/brgrtubrsyni.html

If this is a legit seller, then this is a steal.

 

As far as the auction itself, that's a tough call. The buy it now price is about 40% of the retail price which is a red flag for me. The "money order only" payment is also a red flag. However, the seller does seem to have a recent history of high dollar transactions. Also, he just sold another exact kit for $1,500 with buy it now, so it doesn't make sense why he would lower the price. I'd contact the seller and see if I could get a better sense of the operation and where they are located.

 

..and the fact that he is willing to ship it for free. ahhh weird! I just looked at the stuff he has been selling and it does not add up.

 

It looks kind of like a "too good to be true" auction. I agree with nate though - if you can get more info and it seems legit, then go for it. If the product ends up sucking, hopefully the seller will want to protect his feedback score and stand behind his product.

 

If the picture is accurate, it is not an actual Brembo GT kit. You can see that the calipers have an integrated bracket which the GT kits do not have. If anything, this is a set of red painted or powdercoated OE Brembos with some 2 peice rotors.

 

Thats exactly what I was thinking. Ahhhh I dont know what to do... I guess I'll contact the seller and take it from there.

Besides being kind of shady... does it look like everything you need is included? I see (2) OEM brembo 4 piston 13" see calipers, (2) 2 piece drilled rotors, ss lines and brackets. Is that everything I will need to install these guys ?

 

Try to find out where the calipers came from first. They have an external crossover tube so its likely they cam from an EVO which has larger overall piston sizes than the 350Z Brembos. Couple that with a larger rotor and you can add a lot of front torque which is not needed. While they will look better than stock, your stopping distances would likely increase. Youd be much better off getting a set of OE Brembos for the 350Z and painting them the color you want. They would look about the same and wouldnt decrease braking performance.

 

Thanks! The idea here is to improve braking performance. Im not focused on the visual aspect although its a bonus when getting a BBK. If the brakes im going to get do not help my braking ... well then I no longer want to waste $1500-2000 on a front BBK. I could definitely use it somewhere else. My moneys for function over appearance.

So... my new question is will a FRONT ONLY 13 or 14" BBK from Stoptech or Brembo improve my braking noticeably??

 

If you are talking strictly stopping distance, then it won't really matter on the street. The larger 4 or 6 piston caliper and stainless lines will improve pedal feel and modulation though. It will resist fade much longer on a track, highly recommended if you are into that sort of thing.

 

Heres what you can expect to see with one of our BBKs:

http://www.zeckhausen.com/Testing_Brakes.htm

The numbers arent that much better since the Z has near ideal balance from the factory. Tires will be the number one way to reduce stopping distances on your car. What the numbers dont tell however are the changs in the feel and responsiveness the BBK offers. Most people who say that a BBK wont do anything for a street car havent actually driven a car with a BBK and felt the difference they make with regards to pedal feel, responsiveness and the improved confidence they offer every time you brake. If you have the opportunity to drive a car with a BBK, do it...you wont believe the difference and you'll be suprised at how much softer and dead feeling your stock brakes are. This would even apply to a car that already has upgraded pads, lines and rotors.

 

When you say the the numbers arent much better are you comparing the Stop-Tech BBK's to stock Brembo's? or Stock non-Brembo's?

 

Both...the single stop performance of the standard brakes and OEM Brembos are nearly identical. If you go to the link provided earlier and scroll to the very bottom, all of the braking distances and rotor temps are listed.