When I took the car in for its MOT before starting the kit it was apparent that the brakes weren't too hot. I replaced the seized handbrake cable but where the shoes mount on the pin & spring it was badly rusted on the back plate and I had to fit the shoes on a nut and bolt, not ideal.
To replace the back plate you have to remove the drive shaft and exhaust, an awful lot of work for a back plate. So some bodgering was called for. I cut the old rusty back plate off by cutting through it at the narrowest section, I was then able to bend it so it slipped over the flange. I cut the same slit in the new back plate and slipped in on in the same way. Bolted in on and clamped the cut so I could weld the slot up. Saved hours in labour.
New pads, shoes, spings, discs, backplate and replaced the brake piston rubbers. Although the brake caliper looked very rusty the old seals and pistons were in good order so I just replaced the rubbers. The back plate did need a little bending to stop any rubbing noises.
Looking much better
unnamed-53 by
jaguartvr, on Flickr
While I was at it I replaced the front discs and pads and then realised there were no dust shields at all on the front discs so have bought a pair yet to be fitted.
I knew the brakes weren't to good but got a bit of a shock of the state of the pads, all were in a pretty similar state
unnamed-52 by
jaguartvr, on Flickr
I reckon there were still a few miles left in them! When looking at them in the calliper they didn't look too bad, it was only when they were removed that the true state became apparent.