Why can't the gods of e-commerce smile on me just once?!?!?!

So the FiST is in for annual inspection. The dealer tells me that the brakes pass, but are pretty close to used up. With an event in one week, I say let's replace the pads. It will take them a few days to get the OEM parts, so I decide to order an upgrade. Of course, not one online reseller has front AND rear pads. Nothing from Hawk, EBC or anyone else. Some places have the rears in stock, like Tire Rack, but don'y carry the fronts. That's right, Tire Rack doesn't sell front brake pads for the FiST, only rear. And the ones who have one of what I want, don't list actual inventory or shipping times. I can pay for overnight shipping, but they won't actually put it in a box for another 5-6 days. Argh! After much searching, I find a mixed set front to rear on Amazon, with photos and descriptions that don't match the part numbers, and hope the shipping is as promised and they deliver the part number and not the photo.

Everything arrives, they go to install them today, but suddenly there is a problem with the rotors. @^!%!$#& They can only get some cheap crap from Napa, not the OE Ford rotors. SO I once again wade into the online abyss, only to find several promising options that no one can deliver to me in time. I have 3 full days, but not one retailer can promise me anything no matter how much I pay for shipping. So I am hitting the track with Napa rotors, and while I may not have much stopping power or cooling, at least they are cheap and I can toss them afterwards.

Can't someone stock FiST parts?!?!?!?

I feel your pain. No shame in running NAPA rotors though--countless other track cars do.

Porterfield is your friend when ordering performance brakes online.

Nothing wrong with NAPA rotors. Napa stuff is as good or better than OE stuff.

Friend set his brakes on fire in his FiST last summer. As recall it was out of service for 2 months waiting for parts to repair the brakes. Pads took the longest.

Consumables on new, low volume specialty cars sometimes take a little time to get in to service. I had a guy today ask me about exhaust upgrades for the Fiat 124 Spider and prices for a 200 hp upgrade. We took delivery of ours - the first one in our area code, I'd wager - a WEEK AGO.

Keith Tanner wrote: Consumables on new, low volume specialty cars sometimes take a little time to get in to service. I had a guy today ask me about exhaust upgrades for the Fiat 124 Spider and prices for a 200 hp upgrade. We took delivery of ours - the first one in our area code, I'd wager - a WEEK AGO.

so you're saying you'll have the package ready for inventorying tomorrow-ish?

dean1484 wrote: Nothing wrong with NAPA rotors. Napa stuff is as good or better than OE stuff.

FALSE. NAPA sells nearly the same aftermarket parts as everybody else (Monroe shocks, Federal-Mogul/Moog suspension, Fel-Pro gaskets, Airtex fuel pumps, A1 Cardone steering, etc) and vastly inferior parts (brake parts, they are literally made by whichever overseas/Chinese manufacturer can deliver them cheapest) with their name on the box.

Javelin wrote:

dean1484 wrote: Nothing wrong with NAPA rotors. Napa stuff is as good or better than OE stuff.

FALSE. NAPA sells nearly the same aftermarket parts as everybody else (Monroe shocks, Federal-Mogul/Moog suspension, Fel-Pro gaskets, Airtex fuel pumps, A1 Cardone steering, etc) and vastly inferior parts (brake parts, they are literally made by whichever overseas/Chinese manufacturer can deliver them cheapest) with their name on the box.

That's what I am afraid of, and why is the dealer not able to get the Ford OE rotors in day? (I tried to order genuine Ford parts online but their site is so confusing and apparently does not work on Chrome, Firefox or Safari.) I am doing an SCCA track night, and while Pitt Race is hard on brakes, three 20-minute sessions on new rotors shouldn't be too bad. I'll turn off the traction control just in case.

I am ordering good rotors to swap out the Napa ones after the event and before the fall autocross season starts. Any opinions on EBC vs Hawk vs Stoptech vs Centric?

You just learned a few important lessons: "always do your own work" "always have ALL the parts sitting in your garage before doing an upgrade" "never trust the Internet"

Javelin wrote:

dean1484 wrote: Nothing wrong with NAPA rotors. Napa stuff is as good or better than OE stuff.

FALSE. NAPA sells nearly the same aftermarket parts as everybody else (Monroe shocks, Federal-Mogul/Moog suspension, Fel-Pro gaskets, Airtex fuel pumps, A1 Cardone steering, etc) and vastly inferior parts (brake parts, they are literally made by whichever overseas/Chinese manufacturer can deliver them cheapest) with their name on the box.

Yeah, I have to agree. When i ordered replacement rotors for my SAAB from NAPA one was a beauty of OEM like quality, and the other, in an identical box, looked like Autozone garbage, and weighed noticeably less (mass is good when it comes to cast iron rotors).

I'm pretty unimpressed by thier pads lately too.

Back to the OP's situation, look the rotors over carefully and compare them to the OEMs. They may be perfectly good, or not.

I use the Centric premium stuff and it looks like Rock Auto has front and rear in stock. I would go with those personally and not look back.

Hummm never had those issues with Napa but it has been a couple years since I have got anything from them