If the Baer Track kit is basically the 95-96 C4 front brakes, then couldn't I get all the C4 components and use the same caliper bracket that Baer uses? I could get everything new except the bracket for under $350. What are the chances that Baer would sell just the brackets?

 

The Baer kit is the 96 Grand Sport spec caliper (a little stiffer than a regular C4 caliper), with 13" rotors, stainless lines, pads and mounting bracket. I don't know if Baer would sell you the brackets seperately, but you could always call and ask. It really doesn't make sense why they charge so much on the f-body kit as they sell the C4 Corvette kit for like $600 which is exactly the same except for different brackets. As to the kit itself, I used the C4 kit on my 92 Vette, and it was very nice. The rotors were much heavier duty than the stock C4 13" rotors and I found it to be very capable on the track. Considering the C4 weighed about 3400lbs, I'd say it should work just as well for an f-body. HOWEVER, if you can fit it, why not go with the C5 brake upgrade. I think total cost is under $700, and it is even better than the C4 brakes. The only problem is wheel clearance, I know the C4 kit will fit a lot of 17" wheels that the C5 setup will not.

 

First off, let me say thanks for the reply.
I called Baer and they are willing to sell me the brackets. They aren't cheap, but I think it's still the way to go. I might go with their kit, except it's six weeks out and I need to be on the track in about five and a half.
Is the Grand Sport caliper really different dimensionally than the 95-96 C4 caliper. I thought the 95-96 caliper was different than all previous but was the same as the Grand Sport and ZR1. Either way, I'm assuming that the Baer brackets should work..... is this correct?
As far as the C5 setup goes, I don't think I'll be able to get brackets.... unless you know of someone who has them available right now. I'm currently running Grand Sport wheels all around so clearance shouldn't be an issue.
So far I've been able to find the 95-96 calipers for $99 a piece and the rotors for $50 a piece.... all new.
Any more suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

I talked to Bob Bishop by email about his C5 brackets and he said they should be available by 10/22 and are $260/set. The rest of the C5 parts total up to $429 without pads, or $539 w/ Z06 pads.

What did Baer want for the pair of brackets? Also, make sure you specify that they are for the C4 calipers as I think Baer has a C5 upgrade kit for the F-body now too. As to the GS versus ZR1 spec calipers, it's been debated a lot both ways. The most any of us could ever figure out for sure was that there is more material on the GS calipers, which should make them a little stiffer. Will this actually allow the GS caliper to last longer without spreading, or better yet how much longer will it last?? Who knows, I never got any good info on this from anyone with experience. I do know that even the C5 caliper will spread if you abuse it hard enough, but it should last longer than the C4 unit. At a guess, I'd say the regular C4/ZR1 calipers should last a year of heavy racing before needing to be replaced. At only $99/each that shouldn't be too big of a deal, just make sure you factor it into your budget, or better yet just keep a spare set on hand.

 

Also, I almost forgot, C4 rotor cost is a lot more than $50. They usually go for around $70-$150 depending on the quality. If you are going to be racing, I'd go with the heavy duty Baer rotors if they still have them. They were the same width as the stock units, but had a narrower vented section so there was more mass, and a couple of other neet tricks to make them stronger. The ones I had on my Vette kit were not drilled or slotted, and made the stock 13" C4 rotors look really wimpy. And by the way, I upgraded my C4 from the 92 12" setup to the ZR1 13", and then to the Baer 13" setup. The regular ZR1 13" setup made the biggest difference, but the Baer setup did make a noticeable difference.

 

I may look into getting the Grand Sport calipers just for piece of mind then.
Baer was willing to sell me the brackets for $200.
Thanks again!