JRitt@essex

Hi guys,
I would like to gauge interest on something. Over the past year and a half we (Essex Parts Services) have introduced a number of complete competition brake systems into the aftermarket which feature AP Racing components. We are the exclusive North American importer and distributor for their competition level products. So far we have covered C5/C6 corvettes, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII-IX, and Subaru WRX STI. We've had great success in all of these markets with the product, and the feedback from owners of these systems has been overwhelmingly positive. We've had numerous national level race wins with various organizations (SCCA, NASA, etc.), and everyone seems to love them. We've also been using an axial mount version of this caliper in circle track racing for years. The typical Late Model that runs them is roughly 2800lbs. and 550-600 horsepower, so we know they can take a severe beating.

We're now considering the development of such a system for the 350Z. I wanted to give some basic specs and see how much interest there was out there for such a product. I know many hardcore track 350Z's are still running stock Brembo's, but we've seen some pretty impressive results with Evo owners moving from their very similar stock setup to our system. Also, with the new spec Z series starting, the demand for used OEM Brembo's will likely increase. That means replacing them with something superior may be much easier financially.

The core of the system is a lightweight competition caliper, the AP Racing CP8350 (4.8 lbs. without pads). It comes with machined stainless steel pistons, anti-knockback springs, bleed screw and crossover protection, hard anodized finish...the list of features goes on and on. You can see details on our product page. There's an extremely detailed PDF Installation Drawing of the caliper with all of the dimensions....right below the short description at the top of the page.

There really aren't any other calipers out in the consumer market specified to this level. They are filled with the high-end components we use in professional racing. One of the best features about our systems is that the consumable prices are quite low vs. the competition. These calipers use an extremely common, inexpensive, 20mm thick pad (most competitors use a 17mm thick max). The best race pad compounds in this shape are typically only about $200 per set.

The discs we use are an AP Racing CP3908. They are a 70 vane, heavy duty, J-Hook racing disc in the 325x32mm size that is a great match for this caliper. It is derived from the discs we're using in NASCAR Sprint Cup. The metallurgy on them is incredible, and they take an amazing amount of abuse. I still have some Corvette guys running their original discs for 1 1/2 seasons. They are also quite reasonably priced at $250 retail per iron disc replacement. Despite having 70 vanes, these iron discs weigh 15.4 lbs., so you'd be looking at 17lb.s when a aluminum hat as added. On an Evo, our system saves 7 lbs. per corner vs. the OEM package!

Another nice thing about our system is that it has excellent wheel fitment. Despite the large pad volume, the caliper is much more compact/lighter than something like a Brembo or StopTech four piston caliper. It fits behind a stock 17" Evo wheel with about 7mm of caliper face clearance! I am confident it will easily clear the OEM 350Z 17's. A lot of the kits out there now use ridiculously large discs and calipers that carry a huge weight penalty in addition to any performance improvements they provide. Also, solving problems like heat soak in the brake fluid (SS pistons), pad knockback (springs), cheap race pads, terrible caliper color changes under high heat (painted and powder coat finishes), and dust boots that turn into a fried mess have never been addressed adequately by competitive systems.

After seeing the parts we sell to pro race teams on a daily basis, it seems like all of the top quality racing brake hardware has been withheld from the average enthusiast for one reason or another...primarily price. We've been using these bits to open up that door and solve some issues on the other platforms I mentioned.

We should be able to put a complete race-grade kit together and retail it for under $2500. You can see lots of feedback on these systems for other vehicles on similar forum threads here:
Evo feedback
Corvette feedback
Subaru feedback


So here are my questions:

1. Would you buy this complete system if it was available for your 350Z for under $2500? Again, I'm not asking if you would like it or not...I'm asking, would you actually buy it if we offered it to you tomorrow? That would include everything for the front of the car: AP Racing Calipers, AP Racing two-piece fully floating discs, Spiegler SS Brake Lines, all brackets, mounting hardware, etc. The package would look like this:


2. Is there anyone in or near Charlotte NC, interested in letting us measure your car if we decide to move forward with this?

All feedback and questions are welcome. Let me know what you think guys. Thank you very much.

Here they are on a Subie:

JRitt@essex

I forgot to say...on a personal note, I owned an '03 350Z Enthusiast for 3-4 years, and tracked it heavily during that time. I was the sales mgr. at StopTech during that time, and was the one pushing the development of their various big brake kits for the 350Z (you can see plenty of those posts on this forum under my personal screen name, J Ritt). I'm intimately familiar with the car and its brake demands with sticky tires, etc. Our goal with this system is to surpass the spec of everything on the market, while maintaining lower long-term running costs for the serious track user/racer. That's why the components in our system were chosen...light weight, durability, long wear, and cheap replacement so you can keep some pennies in your pocket for fuel, tires, hotel, and entrance fees.

suprasam

I don't mean to redirect your thread but is there any chance for us with the 14.25 CP7041 caliper system getting j-hook disks??

jerryd87

iTrader: (4)

i wouldnt buy it right now but when i do my brakes i would definately buy it, would love to be able to run 17's vs 18's

Flo-ridaZ33

iTrader: (60)

Very impressive.

JRitt@essex

No worries at all on the redirect. Those are technically street calipers, and we only deal with AP's competition line of parts (AP Racing has a separate street distributor that deals with those parts). At the same time, the J Hook disc is technically a racing/competition design, so we (Essex) deal with those and the street distributor does not. Therefore, the two aren't sold together. I wish I had better news for you. Sorry!

Good to know. Thank you. Yes, 17's are definitely nicer on the wallet and the scales. I always ran 17's at the track on my Z.

Thanks!

mw9

iTrader: (51)

I would be interested, but it wouldn't be till next track season, spent all my cash for this season

Chebosto

iTrader: (43)

hi jeff.

JRitt@essex

Chestoooon! You deserve some kind of award for perseverance and patience my friend...still rocking the 350Z!

I hope all is well. My life is crazy...two kids and a dog...and all I can afford for a track car is a '92 Miata. My 350Z and Z06 went bye-bye lol.

Chebosto

iTrader: (43)

Ahh. no more Z06?

well i have a daughter now (with a pug), and the Z is the garage queen since i can't put the child seat in it....

glad to see you're still around! always room for more quality brake parts for Zs.

jsan2007

I agree with you

ac419

iTrader: (10)

very nice! how much for a front set?

JRitt@essex

Our systems for the Corvette, Evo, and STI retail for $2599, but we'd likely run an introductory offer at a price of something like $2295.