i have read many other post about the stock brakes, the bmw and 911 brake conversion. my car is going to be my street car, with autocrossing and some spirited canyon driving on the weekends. how much of a difference does the 911 brakes make. can i fix up the stock brakes to do a good job even if i have to use soft pads and replace them more often, or should i just bite the bullet and spend the money for the 911 setup.

even i have read all the threads and found enough info on it already.. use the search engine we have here...

sincerely

the swedish maffia

no. thats why we all do it

its a relative thing.....

Disclaimer: I swear that i am not the original topic starter, nor do i have any relation to or with the original topic starter.

Sorry, had to say that as the first post seemed as though it was copied and pasted from my past and recent inquires.

Good stock brakes are probably okay in your application.
The 5 bolt conversion is better when you need to get more braking capacity for track use when you are always on your brakes, and the additional cooling is required. It is the ability of the vented rotor to dissipate heat that is really valued. The vented rotors are heavier and take more HP to spin up, so for AXing that is not so good. Canyon running is not too hard on brakes. Also, the 5 bolt permits a wide range of brakes and rims to be used. The 15 inch tires today are not near the leading edge of technology as they used to be. I do like the vented rotors, front and rear, for my own car.

Dave nails it.

I would say... for your application...

It's a cosmetic choice. If you like the look of 5-lug Fuchs (and who doesn't? ) then make the decision to switch over. If that really doesn't matter to you then just make sure your brakes are in tip-top condition.

I think most of the complaints about 914 brakes I've read over the 20 years I've been here on the club... , have been old, poorly maintained systems with bad pads, old fluid, bad lines, sticky calipers, leaky master cylinders and the age old air in the p-valve.

Make sure you have all those problems solved and you're good to go.

i likw mine...but it has been so long since i drove it...and even longer driving on the four bolt setup

I agree with the above...

If you spent $ on tires, pads, hoses, rebuilding stock calipers, etc..

I'm guessing you would notice NO difference over 911 brakes for mostly street use and a little bit of track/canyon use...

In fact stock brakes can ROCK on the track! and are actually lighter and thus make your car faster in some conditions!

If you ever get a BIG motor, LOTS of track time, or into endurance racing then the pendulum will swing over to needing more brake mass, and vented rotors.

for your useage its probably more a cosmetic and taste thing.

brant