My 131 abarth (never ending) story 2013 season update

[miro-1980]

Few lucky brakes:

I got a hold of:

1/ gr 4 rear hand brake calipers
2/ 2.8 lock to lock steering rack

Still need gr 4 hand brake lever, though

More pictures of the rear and front suspension are coming.

Miro

[miro-1980]

Here are some (small) pictures of the front brakes:

[miro-1980]

Sitting pretty !

The car was put to sitting test on the new suspension.

The car lost a bit of clearance but it has never been sitting on the ground so pretty.

It looks like a full breed, hope it drives like one, as well... (LOL).

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Miro

[Guy Croft]

pretty indeed MM, fabulous paintwork..

G

[miro-1980]

pretty indeed MM, fabulous paintwork..

G

Talking about pretty - you should hear the engine roar. The Guy who build it forced us to match. Thus all out efforts to make it a complete project - with all elements as good as perfect as we can make them.

The project gets nearer and nearer to completion ... after 7 years of the "never ending story" it is about time.

Thanks

M

PS: I am sure we will find a reason to keep it going - like learning to drive it (LOL) - hopefully - as perfectly as my talent (of lack of it) and abilities (if any) allow. It would be a shame to drive such car like an amateur. Without learning to drive it real well the whole project would not be complete and indeed not really worth the effort.

[Guy Croft]

Yup. Fact is this: If you want to drive competitively you have to have some tuition from a pro.


You should get in touch with my friend John Woods at Brands Hatch Rally school, have a lesson or two. Or do what Mick Wood did and spend some time with your car with Bill Gwynne.

http://www.billgwynne.com

Mick is a well-known member here, for Woodsy pm me for his number.

G

[WhizzMan]

Don't be silly, you know you will always find ways to improve the car even more. Apart from that, it's being driven as it should so it requires maintenance as well to keep it in perfect shape for the next event.

There must be more places where you can learn proper rally driving, possibly even in Poland?

[miro-1980]

WhizzMan,

It is a never-ending-story, as you correctly pointed out t will require maintenance and always there will me something one wants to change, improve , etc., so I ma not afraid ... (LOL) .

Got couple of buddies that used to rally similar cars including Andrzej Jaroszewicz who rallied 124 abarth , so there is plenty of people to learn from locally ..

I am not really afraid the story will end after this season modifications ...

Rgds

Miro

[miro-1980]

Just could not resist putting up this picture , from a last weekend Rally of the Giants ...

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Miro

[miro-1980]

It takes time but progress is being made.

The rear brakes are installed.

Original Gr 4 ATE 2 x 38 plus original Gr 4 Brembo hydraulic hand brake.

The rear is full Gr 4 Abarth now : suspension , diff, shocks, calipers. disks (272 vented one piece disks ....

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The original gr 4 hydraulic hand brake pump and handle is worked on and should be installed in few days.

I also got hold of genuine Abarth front 295 two piece disks and 2x 48 ate calipers. If they fit as we expect we will order a remake the two piece disks for front and rear.

The front should be done in a week to 10 days ...


Miro

[miro-1980]

A light boot bonnet is also installed .

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Miro

[miro-1980]

Front brakes ...

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Miro

[TomLouwrier]

hi Miro,

These Brembos are not the 2x48mm fixed calipers you showed earlier (ATE's, common to the 911).
What specs are they? What discs are you going to use at the front? Still 305mm or did I understand 295mm correctly?

The rears seem to have changed as well with 272mm in stead of 252mm, still on the proposed 2x38mm fixed calipers.

regards
Tom

[miro-1980]

Tom,

Re front:

I still have a prepared installation of the front setup we made which is based on RS 911 ate 2x 48 calipers and adjusted ATE Ferrari disks.

Just bought the Brembos with two piece 295 disks which were reportedly taken off an original Abarth gr 4.
I do not have the Brembos in hand yet , but depending how it fits we might opt for this setup. I am not sure until I get the new hardware in my hands. As you remember our problem was the front disks , and what we came up with as a solution is adapted 305 Ate 5 hole disk. This is not a solution I particularly like. Using a two piece 295 disk appeals to me much better.

One possibility is to use the ATE calipers from RS 911 and use the two piece disk from the Berembo setup (if this works). I am not sure how original the Brembo setup is - hence how will it fit. I cannot find any homologated version of gr 4 with 295 disks

There are two issues : the positioning of the disk fricton area vs. pad of ATE calipers and if the disks are big enough to match the ATE pads. Note : I insist that the ATE calipers are mounted on original mounting holes (no distance /correction plates). So the caliper has a fixed position and it is the disk that has to match it. However if the disk fits (bell positions the disk correctly to fit the fixed ATE caliper position) and the problem is limited to friction disk size this can be easily solved. I can have this part made to order.

If the bells fit I hope to make a similar solution to the rear disks : copy disk bells and special order the friction disks to match my calipers and pads.

It is likely that we will install the previously planned setup and make some special order before the new disk can be installed.

With this car the brakes are probably the single most difficult issue one has to face.


Re rear:

The rear: ATE 2x 38 calipers and Brembo hand brake calipers.
The rear disks are are 252 not 272 , my mistake. I stand corrected.
The rear brake caliper setup is completely genuine gr 4.

Still fighting with the front ...

Miro

[Rallyroller]

Hi Miro

Interested in your brake solutions. I am still working on the brakes for my rally spider. Regarding mountings, the front Porsche callipers are so near to the fixing hole spacings of the later 124 Spider- but as so often happens, just not close enough. I think a new monting will be required.

Interested in your wheel spacers. What spacing do they give? I notice they bolt onto the hubs. Do you use very long wheel bolts through to the original hubs or do you use wheel bolts screwed into the spacers?

Regards


Nigel.