Southern Belle

[Nvy]

Looks like the MR2 pads can be used!!

For 1 kg each side id be all over this. If we can get anybody to draw a rotor hat so that we can fit floating discs I can look into making them locally. We can save some more weight for sure.

[Petrus]

For 1 kg each side id be all over this. If we can get anybody to draw a rotor hat so that we can fit floating discs I can look into making them locally. We can save some more weight for sure.

Moddifying the hats will not pass technical inspection here.

It looks to be 1.2 kg each side so ám all over it 
An adventurous mishap is hampering my athletics a bit so no rolling on the drive     which means some extra patience till I can get Belle on a bridge.  Apart from deleting more weight I am véry amxious to get a hybrid part on the nearly classed historic car but a week will fly by 

As to the long term effect I think they will be ok on a little much lighter cabrio. More so because the brackets stay OEM and take the wear and tear of the pads.

Lasty the reduction of unsprung weight improves road contact = improves safety.

[Petrus]

Right.
Paint, dry, fit, drive.

[Petrus]

Brakes done, fuel ´modded´, oil checked/topped up, vibrating culprit (I think) tweaked, OCDcleaned windshield. Ready for a spirited drive.

What a foresight: The gf for this evening/night said she´d lóve me taking her for breakfast at a new place at lake Iznajar. 
Hmmm. That dampens the spirit of the drive, so ; ´only if you wear the ´gipsy´ dress (hardly) nó underwear.´ "Ok." Well that is spirited too 

[Petrus]

Yes, drivers heaven here. The car was perfect too. Well almost; the vibration is something else, but that´s a detail.
The route going roughly south east the charming company had the sun in the face, perfectly comofortable on a garden seat cushion in the seat holding her firmly in place.
With the fresh front rubber absolutely perfect, I could drive the lines as I intended, controlled sliding even without needing to correct.
The tarmac being generally in good condition, the corners and exhaust note combined into an almlost hypnotic rythm.
Me enjoying the quite hard ´work´, my companion... DOZING OFF!!!! 
About half an hour on, stopped* at a Venta and asked if she enjoyed her nap.
An unashamed giggle; ´yes I know we had great sights and that we were zápping the road but I can just relax in this seat and your smooth driving. The warming sun did the rest.´

* Stopping the car in front of the terrace there were some kids standing about eating sweets. The oldest an about 9 year old boy staring literally agape at the car.
Came to a haltpractically at his feet and thought to give him a treat; révved the engine, which resulted in an impressive roar reverberating under the roofed terrace. He júmped! Really jumped 
After letting the engine tick over a minute, got out and waved him closer for the school boy routine. Showed the Pokeball, opened the engine lid etc. His mum, granny, aunt and a gaggle of nieces hurried over too. Mum asking if she could take photos and started snapping jove knows how many.
The boy remained wide eyed flabbergasted, ´floating´ round the car. The girls skipping and laughing when they caught eyes of Hello Kitty, mum taking close ups. The band aid ´repair´ gave  the adult women a laughing fit. Again close ups     
I was parched so egoistically desired water and did not first offer the boy to hop in behind the wheel. Alas, it happened they were just leaving so thanked me and climbed in the clapped out C15 designed to seat 3 less 
Yess, the playful manga theme ´is´ (personal opinion)  só much more enjoyable than (too) serious blokes enquiring about horse power and top speed.

Meanwhile the drinks and carne in salsa de almendras charming had ordered arrived.
Ahhhhh, the good life.




 

[jvanzyl]

So... what's the opinion on the brakes???

[Petrus]

So... what's the opinion on the brakes???

Would prefer to have @JB21 share the more specific back to back experience first. I am just a forrinner pottering about see 

[JB21]

Not had a chance to fit them yet, need to order a replacement steel piston to match.

[Petrus]

Not had a chance to fit them yet, need to order a replacement steel piston to match.

Best not prejudice you then.

[Petrus]

Significantly reduced unsprung weight... It's gotta be good!

Added another 1.2 kgs of lightness per front corner @shnazzle so 2.4 in total.

I find it über   to have aluminium hybrid car calipers. More so as I appear to be the first and for the moment only one in the western world    The latter is entirely ephemeral ofcourse.
The hybrid thing is subjective and appearantly polemic but Í think it hilárious.
Well, and the lightness ... nuff said    

This while F1 minimum weight looks to go úp again per 2026 rules changes. This, like the silly big wheels, being entirely EV/hybrid marketing makes the Prius calipers on the MR2 even more fun: In mý entirely personal opinion of course.

[Petrus]

next...






depending a bit on how/what should  not be good for deleting much if any weight but the goal is learning to work with the stuff and any weight shaved a bonus.

[Joesson]

next...






depending a bit on how/what should  not be good for deleting much if any weight but the goal is learning to work with the stuff and any weight shaved a bonus.

Just make sure it's "in date" and don't go deep sea diving with it!

[Petrus]

Just make sure it's "in date" and don't go deep sea diving with it!

That sub thing is all media hype bs. In UK traffic there´s almost 5 fatalities per day in traffic which is basically risk we cannot avoid, do in general not chóóse.

Anyway nuff said. The carbon stuff is little more than a strong version of grp. Vacuum infused good quality yes but not proper high temp cured stuff.
Mostly fun learning and the brackets I am looking at may be half the weight. Or not.
Depending on how it goes and how strong it turns out may buy another kit and replicate the cross brace behind the seats. Thát should save weight; big íf...

Right, meanwhile having great fun top down under the sun. Currently enjoying a cool drink on a terrace in Linares. Another 250 or so kms of lightweight fun to go 

[Petrus]

The invisible lighter brakes mod.

[Petrus]

For the technically curious:

Conclusions Thus the results of the calculations conducted allow to conclude that the reduction of unsprung weights has  a  positive impact on the drawing, dynamic and fuel economy characteristics of mobile vehicles,  their stability and maneuverability,  the load on the wheels,  tires and roads. 
It also has an insignificant effect on the operating conditions of springing and dissipative elements of the suspensions as well as on the smoothness of the ride. This contradicts the generally accepted opinion stated at the beginning of the article.*


- On the impact of unsprung weight of mobile vehicles
March 2020IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering 747(1):012113
DOI:10.1088/1757-899X/747/1/012113

* my note: this refers to the (today very much underlined; rara why...) opinion that heavier wheels give a ´beter ride´ because they are less affected by undulations.

[JB21]

For the technically curious:

Conclusions Thus the results of the calculations conducted allow to conclude that the reduction of unsprung weights has  a  positive impact on the drawing, dynamic and fuel economy characteristics of mobile vehicles,  their stability and maneuverability,  the load on the wheels,  tires and roads. 
It also has an insignificant effect on the operating conditions of springing and dissipative elements of the suspensions as well as on the smoothness of the ride. This contradicts the generally accepted opinion stated at the beginning of the article.*


- On the impact of unsprung weight of mobile vehicles
March 2020IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering 747(1):012113
DOI:10.1088/1757-899X/747/1/012113

* my note: this refers to the (today very much underlined; rara why...) opinion that heavier wheels give a ´beter ride´ because they are less affected by undulations.

Never mind all the technical jargon, how do they perform vs the MR2 caliper? Do they give more bite?

[Petrus]

Never mind all the technical jargon, how do they perform vs the MR2 caliper? Do they give more bite?

The difference is minimal.
The sensitive braker will notice slightly better braking, with even more slight shift to front and yes a tiny bit more bite.
Bottom line is that the 10% larger piston surface gives more braking power at the same foot pressure. There is NO noticeable increased pedal travel; the same modulation and as such it is something you get accustomed to and adjust to immediately.
On a race track, with less interference from the road surface you will notice the difference better.

Apart from that, the reduction in unsprung weight improves road contact, which is a fat WIN especially on real world roads.

All in mý entirely personal opinion of course.
A3VT! I say 

[JB21]

The difference is minimal.
The sensitive braker will notice slightly better braking, with even more slight shift to front and yes a tiny bit more bite.
Bottom line is that the 10% larger piston surface gives more braking power at the same foot pressure. There is NO noticeable increased pedal travel; the same modulation and as such it is something you get accustomed to and adjust to immediately.
On a race track, with less interference from the road surface you will notice the difference better.

Apart from that, the reduction in unsprung weight improves road contact, which is a fat WIN especially on real world roads.

All in mý entirely personal opinion of course.
A3VT! I say 

Still not fitted mine, but plan to tomorrow. I'm not going to do back to back testing vs the MR2 caliper now given your review. I'm just going to fit them with new pads.

Also, I've noticed you can actually fit the calipers to either side of the car, they aren't handed as both state 'L' and 'R' on each caliper. I am however going to fit them with the bleed nipple at the top to aid air release when bleeding. Have you done the same?

[Petrus]

going to fit them with the bleed nipple at the top to aid air release when bleeding. Have you done the same?

Seems the logical one to me. Actually did not give it a thought.

[Petrus]

Nice one today:
#1 son and me were taking about the Maserati MC20 and obviously my MR2 when his mom commented that mine is cheap enough in everything; that it is quite justifiable/acceptable to spend extra money on.  WOW 

Pity I can´t think of something 

[Petrus]

If we can get anybody to draw a rotor hat so that we can fit floating discs I can look into making them locally.

Sent you the details specs/drawing by Brembo. There is not all thát much weight to be gained.

[shnazzle]

I clearly missed something.
What's the brake upgrade?

[jvanzyl]

I clearly missed something.
What's the brake upgrade?

lol- turns out you can use Prius calipers on the front and you save 1.2kg per side.

[Petrus]

I clearly missed something.
What's the brake upgrade?

as @jvanzyl responded.
The Prius2 calipers are made in aluminium with ceramic/plastic pistons (54mm) and fit without any faffing. Clean, paint, fit, drive.
Quite chuffed with it. A significant gain for peanuts made chaper still when you need to change fluid anyway and no hassle at all. If only all was like this.

[shnazzle]

Very nice find.

Similar to what I recently did to our other car.
Bigger caliper carriers from another car fit that were lighter and allowed for 30mm larger discs. Same calipers. Made a nifty difference

Funny how a bit of cross-pollination can lead to cost effective results