No matter what the car, seems like there’s always something that could be a little better or a little better for your individual taste. Well, to cover some of the issues that are very popular these days, we have Matt Edmonds from the Tire Rack.

Goss:Hi, Matt.

Edmonds: A pleasure to be here.

Goss: Okay, brakes are always a big issue, upgrading them. Explain a little bit about what we have here.

Edmonds: Well, what we have is this is a full brake upgrade from Brembo. It replaces your front rotors, your front calipers, a full system. Some of these others are just power slot rotors and improving the rotors, pads from all sorts of different manufacturers, Satisfied, Akebono, Hawk, that will improve performance as well as improve dusting.

Goss: Yeah, well dusting is always a big issue, and you can really cut down on it with the right type of pad.

Edmonds: You replace some of the components in the pad itself with some ceramics is what most of the manufacturers are doing.

Goss: Okay, now, if we want to do a real high-quality upgrade like the Brembo here, what are we looking at price wise?

Edmonds: Cost wise, you’re in the $3,500 range for just the components. I mean obviously we would recommend that this be installed by somebody, a professional, so you’re going to have a little more installation costs with something like this. It’s really not a do-it-yourself project because of the safety issues.

Goss: Okay. Well, now that’s not for everybody. What about just upgrading rotors and pads?

Edmonds: Upgrading rotors is something that’s quite simple and easy to do for a lot of people, but rotors you’re looking in the $40 to $60 range for some of the entry-level OE replacement rotors.

Goss: Something for everyone.

Edmonds: Absolutely.

Goss: All right. Next is suspension. You know, cars never seem to sit quite right. So you offer springs.

Edmonds: We offer springs. They add a change in ride quality as well as lowering the vehicle, getting rid of that fender gap. You put in a nice set of tires and wheels, and now you want to lower it a little bit and make it look even better.

Goss: Yeah, nothing uglier than a car with this great big gap over the top of the wheels.

Edmonds: Fender gap, absolutely.

Goss: All right. Visibility, always an issue. You have some wiper blades. What’s the deal here?

Edmonds: These blades are made by PIAA, and they’re actually silicone impregnated, so that as they’re cleaning the windshield, they’re also putting down a silicone layer that’s allowing the water to get off the windshield as well as preventing dirt from clinging to the windshield.

Goss: Do they last any longer?

Edmonds: They last about the same as your original equipment, but you get a much better durability, or a much better product in the end from them.

Goss: Okay. You see better.

Edmonds: Yes, absolutely.

Goss: Okay. Matt, thank you very much.

If you have a question or comment, write to me.  The address is MotorWeek, Owings Mills, MD, 21117.