$18,500 for Brakes???

OK don't flame me on this....


What is so great about these brakes ?
Granted the look cool.

What about replacement parts for them??

Why are they so damned expensive ??

 

You would think for $18.5K he would clean them up.

 

here's a set

 

Yes! That's a great piece of advice for all of you who don't know a thing about Kinmont's. The name of the magazine slips my mind right now, but it's an obscure car magazine from the early Fifties! that features a 1934 Ford with Kinmont's on the cover, and they described Kinmont's as super rare and that's when they were almost new!

If I had the money I'd be buying them. Can't confirm it, but I believe they were standard brakes on all Tucker's. They been discussed a few times on here before.

 

Ok First, these were the first truly available 'disk' brakes, and were manufactured by the Kinmont Manufacturing Company in LA starting in 1946-47. These same brakes evolved from the Milan brakes (set also on e-bay for $10K), which were first used prior to WWII at Indy. Are you starting to get the Hot Rodder tie in? Kinmonts also ran at Inday after the war, and helped several big names out-break the field.

After the war, these brakes were the hot lick bomber brake set-up, and you see them on lakes cars and racing roadsters. They were on the give-away 1932 roadster at the First Hot Rod Exposition in 1948, where Hot Rod Magazine debuted.

The brake patterns were sold to Bell Auto Parts, and they continued to sell the brakes and brake parts. The 40 Ford shop truck had a full set of four.

They did and do work, but are not up to modern disk brake standards, but beat the crap out of the 40-48 Ford stuff. They have a very different pedal feel, as you are essentually applying a clutch to slow the rotation of the wheel.

See The Rodder's Journal #7, as there was a full story, as well as Rod & Custom November 1973.

The money has gotten crazy on these. If I could afford them, I would own them, but not at $16-18.5K. Realistically, I could justify $6,000 for a set of 4, but I will have a long wait. There are hordes of brakes and parts out there, and there are people working to reproduce them. The pricing of the repros will likely dramatically impact the over-inflation of prices. At least I am hoping.

For the absolute traditionalist, this is the ultimate break set-up.

Hope that helps,

Jay

They made something less than 400 sets of these brakes.

 

Payne,

That was Speed Mechanics Magazine in 1954 I think.

Jay

 

Payne,

Also right about the Tucker. Tucker had a version of the Milan brakes on the prototype chasis, but Kinmont could not get them ready in time for the Tucker pre-assembly, so all the first 50 cars have standard drum brakes.

 

The guy on EBAY has a huge amount of bidders too, .....ZERO!

The starting price is $16000.00, if you hurry and bid you could get at least 10% off his buy me now price. What a deal!

 

I've got plenty of old mags at the homebase and even though I have HEARD the name, I didn't know any details behind justifying that kind of money, so why rifle through all my old magazines looking for info on something that really was more an issue of curiousity than necessity, when I'm just a few key strokes away from the endless knowledge of folks like you.

Just yankin ya buddy. You started it. See ya soon, save a soda for me.

 

I think if its your money and you can buy it and want it ,its your bussiness.Ive never heard of them but love the look,and if the lotto,s # came in my favor,,,yes id get em just for the WOW factor.Like the 241 Red Ram Hemi i have low hp but the valve covers say WOW.......................YG

 

Yeah, that sounds like the correct name of the magazine. Thank you for sharing your knowledge about Kinmont Brakes. I agree with you, they are the ultimate set of brakes for a hot rod.

 

Wilson Welding and Machine
2224 Sleepy Lagoon
Flower Mound, TX 75022
Phone: 214-662-9483

 

These are extremely rare brakes, made just after WW2, and there weren't a whole lot of 'em made. You guys that "know it all" should give the others here a break. Shoot...not even many old-timers know a lot about them. Here's a really good thread started by chickenridgerods a little over a year ago. There...now we can all know somethin' about 'em.



http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=318921&highlight=kinmont+brakes+sure

 

I saw a guy who had a full set of 4 out in his yard in the rain, but would never sell them

 

Ok, I think the success of Kinmonts at Indy is debateable... The story I heard was that they didn't work that well and that's why they didn't have a long run on indy cars.

They were not common on Hot Rods or Lakes cars in the post war era either... Lakes cars weren't that concerned about braking performance given the fact that they had like half a mile to slow down... And many of them only ran rear brakes... Generally 40 ford brakes... Or whatever came on the rear they were using.

I've looked at hundreds of vintage pics and I think I can count the number of Kinmont cars on one hand.

I've also talked to a bunch of big name Hot Rodders from the 40s/50s about Kinmonts. The general consensus was that they sucked. They were thought of a show-car material... No Go...

They were always hard to get parts for and difficult to keep in good adjustment. And after all that, they didn't really out-perform a set of properly set-up bendix brakes on your average, light hot rod.

Another drawback I've heard is that they are actually quite a bit heavier than your standard drum brake but I have no idea about that... I've had a set in my hands before but didn't have a set of drums to compare them to. They were heavier than I thought though.

That's complete BS...

They may be the ultimate for a Traditionalist that's into pissing contests and bragging rights.

But if you define a Traditional Hot Rodder as someone trying to build cool cars like they wer built in a given era, Kinmonts don't even rank.

And this is why Kinmonts aren't that traditional...

If they'd been the hot setup, there would have been more than 400 sets made... And you would have seen more than a handfull of Kinmont equiped cars in the thousands of old pictures we all love.

The Lincoln Bendix brakes are the ultimate performance brakes for a Traditional rodder that actually wants to drive his car regularly.

However, 40 Ford brakes were the most common setup by far... So much so, that they were almost standard equipment for a vintage Hot rod. They work just fine if properly setup on a light car. In fact the only real drawback to them is that you have to adjust them from time to time... Something a real hot rodder from the era wouldn't have had a problem with.

Remember, even 40 Ford brakes were designed to stop something way heavier than your average hot rod...

So from a purely "TRADITIONAL" standpoint... Good old '40 to '48 Ford brakes are the 'Ultimate'...

To quote Flava Flav... "Don't believe the hype"...

 

They kind of look like the optional disc brakes on the early 50s Chryslers.

 

it's funny. i read the title of this thread an immediately though: "must be kinmonts." i know where there are 4 sets sitting in a garage in sac. that auction might be his motivation to move 'em.

 

Holy batshit!

 

no bids, hmmmm

 

This is kind'a funny,....

The best functioning brakes (Disc) are the least expensive,.....
*But not Traditional*

The next best, early 50's ford truck Bendix drums,... are a little more expensive,..
*Acceptably Traditional*

The next best (or worst) 1940-1948 Ford cost about the same as Bendix listed above.
*Very Traditional*

The most questionable The Kinmonts, Have always been more expensive than they were worth (IMHO)
*The Holy Grail*

Maybe they were rare because the Hot Rodders in the day ("Trying to put the best brakes they could on there Hot Rods) felt that the added cost wasn't worth the modest performance enhancement.

Maybe if they had the disc brakes that we have today,... they would be the first to flood to the market to get some to put on there original Hot Rods,...... ( cheap and efficient,.. isn't that what they were all about ?)

Once again this proves the old saying,....

"MONEY DON"T COME WITH INSTRUCTIONS !"


I love traditional cars,... BUT, I have no problems with upgrades on steering and brakes,( I have used and will continue to use Drum brakes on a lot of cars) on a car that will see a lot of road miles. Updating cars with the best components,.....Huh,...
Sounds like Hot Rodding to me.

 

Too much Drama for Tech week.

If you think they are too expensive, dont buy them...