so this article confirms what i knew years ago....K car brakes suck! reason i'm not just upgrading to bigger on my 86 K wagon, i'm going all out with 11inch 4 wheel vented disc setup from a 91 Spirit RT complete with 24mm master cylinder and prop valve.
but that little K pulled the second fastest 1\4 mile run, losing only to the Mustang, which it murdered in the slalom test. sounds like the special cop package might have been running some of the suspension bits that the public didn't get until the optional CS package was put on the 86 Daytona Shelby (big front sway bar and stiffer rear axle, etc). just think if that car had had better brakes and the turbo II inter-cooled power-plant (that sadly didn't arrive until 1987)!
Oh my gosh, you are so right. K-car brakes do suck! I have seen several K-car owners, even several club members, crash their K-cars in panic stops. I have had several very close calls myself. Lets not bitch about it, but how do we fix the problem.
Fix the problem? Why not just drive it like you're in an older car?
Leave a bigger space in front, and brake earlier - I do that in all my old cars from my '47 Plymouth thru. I don't have any problems stopping. Makes sense when you think about it. Drive to their limitations and accept that they are not modern cars.
If you want modern brakes (or anything else) just buy a modern car.
And to me, modern cars are nothing short of ... BORING! Yeah, wonderful technology BUT ... B O R I N G!!! (Just my opinion)