Re locate the master cyl.

[cherokee]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that someone moved their brake master to inside the car. (I think it was Jeff but am not sure) I am going to be doing the same thing in a week or two.

Does anyone have any pics, or advise on how to make this change.

Car is an Opel GT.

[West Coast GT]

Is this for street application? Or track?

[RallyBob]

Greg, just buy a racing M/C setup with a balance bar. They are really quite reasonable these days, about $175 for the pedal assembly/balance bar, and about $50-$75 for each master cylinder. About the same costs for Tilton or for Wilwood stuff. Not worth messing with the OEM cast iron junk IMO.

You can get a reverse-swing unit, which puts the master cylinders inside the car, facing the driver. Easy to check the fluid levels, and it doesn't get any underhood heat.

Bob

[cherokee]

Originally Posted by RallyBob Greg, just buy a racing M/C setup with a balance bar.

I was 1/2 of a step away from doing this, But do not have all the stuff to do rear disc's yet, and just spent brake money on wheels and one set of slicks and rains. I know I what I am going to do to the brakes, but I just want the car on the track enough this year to get my national lic. Over the winter I was going to do the brakes up the way I want....I just have SO much on the plate I was trying to take a short cut....and I know what happens when you take short cuts....I wonder if I can get a waver for this year?

I was trying to draw the line at something I had on hand.

Its only money, looks like I will be ordering some more stuff.

Wifes understand these things....right

[jeff denton]

The dual cylinder/single pedal/balance bar would be the ticket for sure.
Alas, I couldn't do that since the rules require "stock braking system"...
Well we certainly didn't need the vacuum booster, and I just didn't like the looks of that stock GT setup with the MC way up front in the crash zone!
Plus with my seat so far back the pedals had to move.
Some tinkering and head scratching made me think to just cut that whole area out of the firewall, all three pedals and all. The stock master cylinder adapts easily to the firewall cutout, and then the entire pedal assembly (clutch, brake and throttle) were mounted inside, mainly to the rollcage pipe that goes from the center of the dash to the floor/rocker area. The stock clutch cable worked fine, just had to be slightly re-routed. The throttle system was all Morse push/pull cable, the nice big stuff with 1/4" threaded rod ends. The master cylinder reservoir is two plastic remote ones ala junkyard Ford pickups (hyd. clutch), they are in the engine compartment.
This all worked out really slick, and was quite simple. It passed tech inspection somehow, and nobody has complained it isn't stock, as if they'd know... the argument would be that it is stock, just been kind of moved and rearranged! It is obvious that I have brakes, witnesses once reported smoke coming from all four corners as I headed into a for-sure total disaster of wreckage once... full story in the racing section...
But I'd rather have the nice balance bar system...

[cherokee]

Man I love my wife, She just gave me the green llight to get the stuff I need to do the brakes up right. So doing the quick math I am spending over 3700 just this weekend (now I know why I hate math), new wheels-slicks, brake setup, some gaskets and other bits. And that don't count the new fire system, new accusump or any of the dozen new bits that I have in my bacement still in boxes, not to even think about the time invested.

Make no mistake about it going racing is not for the faint of heart or wallet. Even if you can get used stuff for a good deal it is pretty spendy building a race car. But make no mistake, I would still walk down that road, I just would make some different choices along the way.

When I get it all done I will post up some pics of the new and improved Spot. (Spot is the name of the Opel GT)

One last question that is not brake related, anyone know where I can source a Lexan winshield for the GT? I can make the other "glass" myself but have no idea where to start on a windshield.

Thanks again guys.

[jeff denton]

Please send your wife over to have a little chat with mine, we need to get our financial priorities straight over here, too...
Congratulations. It's fun to do things right, instead of on an impossible budget.
Here we have a neighbor with a sign on his garage that says "Troy's Auto Glass" and he also has sheets of lexan in stock. He is a super late model racer, maybe that's why, but whatever lexan we need he always has. So try calling the auto glass companies.