FR879vette

Purchased a 79 vette... paid around 6,500 for it.. the body and interior and crate engine are extremely nice.... Here is my problem..... the brakes got hard and went out completly! I have taken it to 3 brake places.... NTB, brake check, and brake spec. BAD BAD NEWS!!!! back right rotor is seized up.. says master cylinder needs to be replaced, all my callipers and rotors as well.... on all 4, and hoses too, along with pads.... Said to do it right... all places said $2,300-$ 3,000.... HOLY HELL! I cant afford that! What do yall suggest? Is there anythign I dont need to do or can cut costs? Im not wanting to do the brakes myself and I have nobody to help me in the austin area..... Please let me know if anyone has ideas....

Thanks people...

FR8

Alwyn678

U need to find a mechanic and Make Friends FAST... :lol: ....I am sure there is a corvette club in the area that would know some good vette shops that may be a bit more reasonable

Smokehouse69

Don't Freakout! The brakes aren't that expensive to fix. If you want to go fairly cheap, but reliable, rebuilt Stainless Steel lined Calipers are about $70.00 each at Autozone complete. Break pads are cheap, $15-$20 a wheel max. A rebuilt master cylinder isn't very expensive either. The work if done at one of those rip off shops (Midas, Just Brakes, NTB, etc.) it will be expensive.
If you have any experience at all with tools or working on things, you can do the job yourself, in your driveway.
There are a lot of people who will help you here on the forum. Tell you the manuals to buy, the tools you'll need and walk you through it if you need them to.
The hardest thing about working on brakes is bleeding the brakes to get the air out after you worked on them.
Stay Calm! You will get through this.

lbell101

If all that stuff is really bad, I can't think of a way to save any bucks short of doing it yourself. If you don't get into repairing the emergency brakes I would think the parts would cost $650 - $750 depending on the source. You might be able to save a few bucks by getting rebuilt or exchange calipers and MC.
Just do it yourself, it's not that hard to do.

Blue80

Lbell is right...do it yourself....'79 is not buy and drive forever, besides brakes are NOT rocket science....put them back together the way you took them apart

FR879vette

Thanks Smokehouse, and ther rest of you!! You gave me hope at the end of the tunnel. I was very worried about it.... I just need to do some research. Smoke Rebuilt callipers and rotors at autozone... Hmm... Never thought they carried that.... Thanks guys!

FR8

thejaf

:bs

How can the entire brake system need replaced if the rear right rotor is siezed? if that caliper is sticking, then replace it and replace both side's pads. $100 plus your time and buying the wife a dinner for bleeding the brakes. IMHO, it might not be your brakes at all.

Before doing ANYTHING I would take it to a REAL mechanic and get an honest opinion.

I had brake problems on the 1978, and not knowing a thing, I did end up repalcing the entire brake system because of air getting in the brakes. Turn out the brakes were fine, it was the right rear wheel hub was damaged, caused run-out. I listened to a parts-swapper rather than a real mechanic. Lesson learned. I now only trust a few professional local mechanics (1 really) and some friends with lots of experience.

thejaf

Yes, and master cylinder as well. New MC costs $10 more than the rebuilt one, and no core charge. I think it was about $70 for the MC, and rebuilt calipers were the same with core exchange. Other than some specifics, these are after all, really just old Chevies :chevy

Noel Carboni

It's already been said, but I'll say it again:

Do it yourself. You'll learn a lot about your car and save 80% or 90% or more of that outrageous dollar amount you posted. Brake work is actually pretty easy in the grand scheme of things. Be ready to get dirty. :)

FYI, I've been using Carbon-metallic (Performance Friction Z) brake pads for quite a while, and though they make a lot of black dust, they really work well. I like 'em.

Another recommendation: Upgrade to steel braided flex lines to the calipers.

-Noel

terryrudy

If you have to get new rotors then it can get expensive - they definitely aren't cheap either. I decided to be cheap and got my rotors turned and they ended up becoming worse than when I brought them in to be turned. If you get them turned, be sure to measure before you install. :)
good luck!
-terry

Vader953

Listen bud, I've had the same feeling as you more than once. Something about the rotor/calipers/master cylinder doesn't make sense. Listen, find the nearest Corvette Club and ask them for help. I just joined the one here in COlumbia, SC, and the guys are so cool, they helped me (ie. did 90% of the work) rebuild my entire front end, and install new brake lines/calipers/pads all the way around. Don't panic, you can find the parts for way less if you bargain shop, and the rest is history. Contact me if you need more help, I'll help you work through this problem because I just had the same one!!!

Smokehouse69

Chris,
I did some checking and if you have to replace every part of your brake system the calipers, rotors, master cylinder, pads, hoses (and the front bearings while your at it.) The parts should cost you under $750.00, before the core charges are taken out. Returning the cores would probably get you another $100 off that total. Like one of the guys said, it isn't rocket science.
There are some of the 'vette parts resellers who have special package deals that sometimes are cheaper than buying the stuff from a local parts house, but after you pay shipping (both ways for the core charges) it is probably better if you can find the stuff locally.
There are a lot of Corvette guys here from the Austin area, on the forum, get in contact with the Austin guys and get some opinions from them on mechanics that they trust. Take your car to one of them and find out exactly what is wrong with the brakes. Then only replace what is necessary.
You might be surprised, your calipers might have already been replaced with the SS lined ones and all you need is to bleed them, or replace the pistons and seals.) Your rotors might only need to be turned (I usually don't recommend this for 'vette rotors, but sometimes it can be done, if they are only slightly scarred.)
Before you start buying parts, verify that the parts are really bad.

R. Bruno

Ditto what others said. You might as well get used to the fact that on a 79 Vette you will have to do at some of the work or pay dearly in many cases to have someone else do it. besides, it can be fun.

flood

2500-3000 would buy you alot nicer brakes than what it has. For that price you could get a Brembo kit... In otherwords that estimate is waaayyy over what it should be. It took me and my mechanic about 2 hours to do (I helped where I could). Two bolts hold on the caliper and it just slides over the rotor and you attach the brake line. Once all of them are on you bleed the brakes. It really isn't rocket science.