Back to Drum ( 57 Speedster ) ?

[Wyvern]

I have the 57 Speedster advertised and almost every "looker" is turned off by the fact that it has been converted to disc.

My question .
Is this a bargaining tool being used by prospective buyers to pick apart an AMAZING car ... ?

OR

Should I get the needed parts / do the reversal to drum... ?

Sounds crazy but my dad and I actually drive the car and stopping is a good thing.


Thanks for any input.

Link to ad
1957 speedster

[Flieger]

Maybe they want to run the wheels without hubcaps, the kind that just bolt to the drum?

[id10t]

Well set up drums work as good as discs... until they get waaay to hot.

That said, the drums would be original and if they are looking for 100% correct and original, they will use it to talk down your price...

[Wyvern]

Thanks ... The Disc conversion was done years ago my dad and I did it maybe 16 years ago) and back then it was the "thing to do".

I am going to first at least source the original parts as the conversion is not permanent or irreversible.

If needed will change it out . My thought was that a bolt on mod that REALLY does help the car stop MUCH better , and represents less than 2% dollar value ... just kinda ... lets say, intrigued me.

[Les Paul]

It should add value but the concours judges probably want original. If someone is whining about drums why aren't they whining about the webers? I'm am going from drums to disc this week. I will be going over, through, and in to some serious mountains in the next month. The last thing I want is having to pull over to cool the drums if they start fading.

[racer]

I'd imagine most 356 buyers in the $150K range want a car to be "perfect" in an original sense. Therefore, DRUM brakes.

As a "driver" car, then yes, discs make a huge advantage to actually stopping the car. So too do radials (vs Bias Plys).

My dad's '55 pre A had 16"s with, iirc, 3.5" wide rims, bias plys and drums and stopping was always a concern, even after brake overhauls.

Perhaps understanding the buyer will help you sell your car.

[Les Paul]

After replacing every component in my 63 the brakes are fantastic. It is those rascally hairline cracks that are around the lug nut holes. Rebuilt relined drums 700 a pair or a new disc brake system. I'm going with the later. I would say my fronts are for sale as they are as new except the drums.

[lilacRS]

I would leave the discs, it goes with the rest of the car. Your Speedster has enough other mods to it which would turn-off the originality weenies.

You have a beautiful car but i think its the other non-original pieces beside the disc brakes that are causing your potential buyers to balk. The biggies: the later 741 transmission which is better, but instead of using the 644 nose piece so you can have the original crappy shifter, it has the entire 741 and the later "C" shifter and heater control. The 912 motor with the webers are obviously non original, but the extra power and disc brakes should make the speedster a great car to drive.

Minor stuff would be the basketweave vinyl and the smaller diameter Nardi.

If it were my car, I would throw on a set of 15x6" fuchs with the polished paddles and drive it everyday. I know the market is soft on cars which are not perfect, so I wonder if $150k is too much for a non-original Speedster?

[piscean911/914]

nice speedster - leave it as is - lower the price, and it will sell - brad