Red06

I got the pads on-line through THMotorsports. They were the best price I could find and seemed to be good folks to deal with. The set was $400 shipped (they rounded down). You can also buy direct from Cobalt Friction but the cost was higher. The Cobalt folks are interesting to talk to once you figure out their goofy phone system.

The pads are expensive but my deal is I don't want to have to change pads at the track. My initial impression from driving around on Sunday was the cold performance is very good. Only slightly worse than my previous EBC Yellowstuff pads. The grip hot was excellent. Way better than the EBCs. I didn't want to overheat anything out of the box so I don't know about fade yet. I'll find out Saturday & Sunday. I went through the normal bedding procedure, let things cool down on the expressway and did several 100+ to 45 MPH slowdowns. They were rock solid. The grip is so good I’ll have to relearn my heel/toe technique to avoid over braking. At least initially, light pedal pressure is all that is necessary to stop very quickly.

The new rotors I’m using are OEM (New Takeoff). I'll see how they last. There seems to be a couple camps regarding rotors. Buy cheap and buy often. Cheap rotors are usually of unknown origin and seam to warp and wear faster and don’t provide venting (slots or cross drilling). The other is to buy expensive US/Western European/Australian origin. They offer venting, most claim better cooling and seem to hold their shape better but it is hard to say how much longer they last (wear wise). You can get into exotic metal treatments like cryogenic conditioning. The theory is they last longer but cost even more. It’s hard for me to say which way is better. Unless I find issues with the OEM rotors on the track and they are available fairly cheaply from new takeoff, that’s the route I’m going.

In talking to Cobalt, they said their pads don’t use the traditional binding agents (can’t remember the term) and don’t off gas under use like organic or semi metallic brake pads. Therefore, the venting provided by slotted or cross drilled rotors should not be necessary.

Red06

I ran two sets of HPS pads before the EBCs. The EBCs are really easy on the rotors but are not up to R-compound tires. I switched to Nitto NT 01s last year and the EBCs would exhibit pad fade 2/3 through a 20 min session even with ducts. I bet they’d be ok on street tires but they are not up to a heavy car on R-comps. My buddy who drives a supercharged Miata loves them.

Calabogie is amazing. It has everything to offer in one place. Elevation changes, 4-5 100+ MPH straights, blind turns, off camber turns and beautiful scenery to boot. It’s a long track (a little over three miles I believe) so it took me all morning before I felt like I linking corners and driving a line. That was with watching several videos on YouTube.

The only issue is logistics. It’s in the middle of nowhere. Last year the only gas station in town with premium ran out on Saturday. Luckily I had my tuner with me and I ran regular on Sunday or I would have had to travel 20 miles or so to get gas. They were talking about having gas at the track but I can’t tell from their web site if they did. The track is in a resort area so they want to provide the local establishments with as much business as they can to keep the peace. They have some pretty vocal opposition to the track. In fact, it’s the only place I’ve been to where you have to pass a noise inspection before they let you on the track.

Here are a couple shots from last fall:





I have some video but can't find the time to get it off of the camcorder. We were running with a bunch Ferrari Challenge cars and that was interesting...

Red06

I'm sure we'll go again next year. I'll let you know when we have a date.

Ken drives a home built tube frame car. He also has a 30' fifth wheel trailer pulled by a silver Dodge Pickup. you can't miss either one. He's a heck of a nice guy



My buddy in the Miata is thinking about driving on Monday so there is a good chance I'll stop by to have a look around. If I do, I'll look you up.

Sleeper_08

Be glad to meet see and if you want you can go for a ride!

Argonaut

Joe - what engine is in that home built? That thing is pretty crazy looking.

Red06

Brad,

It's a small block Chevy with (I believe) a Corvette transaxle, front and rear suspension. Aside from the logistics of having to design shift and clutch linkages in a home built car, I think there were other issues that kept him from using a manual trans. He's been having software issues with the engine and trans (shift points and gear selection) that keeps the car from its full potential. The auto trans also hinders the cornering benifit of a manual trans by not being able to use the drive line for control. But, I can tell you it's wicked fast and corners like a beast. Even with the automatic transmission. The only things we've encountered this year that were faster were a couple Formula Atlantic cars that came out for our first event at Gingerman Raceway. Those were scary fast...

Here's a link to his build page on the 3Balls site if you're interested (lots of interesting stuff):

http://www.3ballsracing.com/index.ph...id=875&catid=3

Here's a video from Waterford Hills Raceway in June. This is the second part of a Group 1 session (most experienced group) and I'm the first one he takes down (not too many others passed me that day). You can hear the issues he's having with the trans but you can see how well the car handles even with the handicap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgTaU2mO24A

Joe C

Argonaut

Thats really cool, it must be very satisfying to build and drive your own car. It certainly has some aceleration and handling. Thanks for the post.

Red06

You have no idea... He was nursing a '69 Vette for the first couple years. It saw more black flags than checkered. He's like a kid in a candy store.

14901490

Anyone else able to compare Cobalt Friction pads to HT 10.? I hear good things about the CF however they are a little hard to get & SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive - like over $100 more on the front set.