My 131 abarth (never ending) story - 2017 season updates

[Guy Croft]

amazing stuff, Miro, truly...


G

[TomLouwrier]

Yup. Creative and skilled, Miro and his mates give a whole new meaning to 'having the car Polished'

;-)
Tom

[Rallyroller]

Hi Miro

Sterling work.

The parking brake/ emergency brake thing is a real issue. Here in the Uk they are saying you must have cable operated. ( For an emergency). It is now a poor argument as many new cars have "electrical" hand brake. These are not fail safe and cannot be used if there is no electric!. However they are accepted by the government testers, where hydraulic emergency brakes are not ( either with a master cylinder or a a locking valve)

Sorry to throw one omore consideration in to the equation. Pad material. If you have a totaly seperate cable hand brake and caliper , but use an additional hydraulic handbrake in line with the main callipers, you can have the softer pads for the cable handbrake but have the benifit of the high temperature pads for the hydraulic unit, which will cope with the higher temperatures when on the rally and when you need it. The mechanical handbrake with softer pads may prove more effective when you come to the government test (and would actually only be used for that). I dont know that any rally organisers check the effectiveness of the mechianical hand brake, they just look to see if it is connected to something. On some rally Escorts they just connect a cable to the pads on the rear discs , so the cable pulls the 2 pads together. Organisers appear to accept this but I have serious doubts that it actually works effectively.

I have just ordered mechanical hand brake calipers for my Spider rear discs. Using Porsche calipers on 257 12.7mm discs with 13" wheels is proving a little bit of a headache. If I get them and they fit I will psot some pictures.

Good luck.

[miro-1980]

Funny thing government bureaucrats are the same all over the world ...

However my car has a “historic car” registration which means it has a lifetime MOT (or “technical inspection“ as it is called here). So as far as MOT is concerned I do not have to prove any effectiveness of anything. I have done it once and I do not have to do it ever again.

As far as the stewards at a Rally Technical Inspection it is exactly as you put it “they just look to see if it is connected to something”.

However , for legal reasons ( in case something happens the car could be inspected and it will be discovered that no working mechanical handbrake was present) I want a proper setup. No working mechanical hand brake can lead to criminal charges of operating an unsafe vehicle, especially in case something happens etc. ( they alwsys look for something to make you guilty for it) So I want to have something reasonable working as a mechanical hand brake.

Thus the solution we came up with seems fit our requirements :

1/ The main brake caliper with racing pads
2/ Hand brake on a dual action (mechanical and hydraulic) caliper. Hydraulic circuit to be used as rally hand brake * while the mechanical brake to serve as a parking brake operated by a pedal (like in a Mercedes or many US cars)

The only issue is : which rear dual action caliper can accept a 525 disk vented 22 thick disk ....


Re: using Porsche calipers on 257 12.7mm discs with 13" wheels is proving a little bit of a headache.

This is a real challenge. I would look into WHOA Brakes for the spider. They have a Willwood kit that fits 13 “wheels.

Note : I would also look into using Punto or Tipo or Uno Turbo brakes for the spider.

Post some pictures of your work with the brakes here. It will be most interesting.

Miro

[miro-1980]

2.8 Steering rack made !

Here are some pictures of the finished product :

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new racks6 .jpg (34.84 KiB) Viewed 15414 times

new racks5 .jpg (40.98 KiB) Viewed 15414 times

new racks .jpg (59.78 KiB) Viewed 15414 times

Really a superb job !

Miro

[miro-1980]

Just a sort update on the last rally of the season.

We got to a second place in Group III ( classic cars) class 2 (2000 cc) Not a bad result for what was really a test drive of the new suspension .

The suspension and geometry worked really well though it also really look strange ... .

zubry 2012a .jpg (78.96 KiB) Viewed 14497 times

It all started in freezing weather ...

zubry temp 3.jpg (98.89 KiB) Viewed 14497 times

but soon got to 18 deg Celsius.

zubry 3 zzxx.jpg (128.09 KiB) Viewed 14497 times

At the base after the rally .

at the base 1 .jpg (91.58 KiB) Viewed 14496 times

Not a bad end of the season.

Miro

[TomLouwrier]

hi Miro,

Looking good!

The only issue is : which rear dual action caliper can accept a 525 disk vented 22 thick disk ....

Try cars with the handbrake on the front wheels: Citroen (the hydraupneumatic ones, not the small Peug-clones), Saab.
Alternatively, several Audi (100, 200, S6; mainly quattros) and probably related VAG products, Subaru Legacy Turbo, etc.
There must be more around.

regards
Tom

[miro-1980]

Tom ,

Thanks, we are working on it. Actualluy i though I already found it , but the A7 parking brake is an electric !!! (???) No hydro element ...

but we will find it.

Miro

[miro-1980]

Dear friends,

I want to tank you very kindly for the interest.

The views count for this thread just topped 50 000 !

As this is a fairly limited general public interest ( and rather limited to a small group of highly specialized fans interested in vintage Italian sports od in the 70's and 80's ) The 50 000 visits is a huge number.

I truly appreciate your interest and grate contribution many of you have made to this thread and project.

I promise to keep it going and keep it as interesting and as well illustrated as I can.

Special thank to Guy Groft, as this would not be possible without this Exclusive Forum.

Miro

[Guy Croft]

congrats on all fronts Frog 1...!

G

[miro-1980]

I will soon be updating the planned modifications and changes for the 2013 season, provided the End of the World will be postponed for the new season.

Major items include:

1/ completing the brakes :

- making gr 4. two piece discs for the front and the rear, gr. 4
- twin BMC setup with adjustable balance bar
- hand brake on a separate dual (hydraulic and mechanical) caliper)

3/ wipers (installation of gr. 4 fast motor and gr4 replica wiper arms)

4/ new seat belt installation ( shoulder straps)

5/ all polycarbonate windows and gr 4 style rear view mirrors

6/ gr 4 tank installation.

7/ aluminum covered doors to be made and installed

8/ removal of all bituminous silencing mats front the inside

9/ quick ratio steering rack with dumper

10/ reinforced cross member


Will post all pictures from these preparations . Hope this will make interesting reading, as well

Miro

[Guy Croft]

hey MM -


by the time you've finished it will be like an old army helicopter - that much replaced the only original bit will be the serial number plate!

G

[Piotrek125p]

Hi Mirek. I'm looking for your job and I'm very impressed. I going to Warsaw in December, could I take a look for your cars ? Of course if it's not a problem ;)

[miro-1980]

hey MM -


by the time you've finished it will be like an old army helicopter - that much replaced the only original bit will be the serial number plate!

G

Guy,

This is be really the quintessence of original ex works gr 4 some 40 years later. On many of them of them the only original parts are the front inner wings with the "AR" serial number on them .... Mine may end up being the complete reverse - the only non-original part being the inner wings with "A" serial numbers ... Though I admit I almost found front inner wings with "AR" markings matching the ex works car, but someone was just a bit quicker . If I were successful I was actually considering implanted them onto my car ...

Miro

PS: a chopper - not a bad idea ... in fact there will be few chopper parts on board like rear window pop out vents as used on small US Bell choppers and a chronometer from Soviet MI-2 helicopter ... to balance things out ....

[miro-1980]

Hi Mirek. I'm looking for your job and I'm very impressed. I going to Warsaw in December, could I take a look for your cars ? Of course if it's not a problem ;)

Piotrek,

I would love to, but ...

124 is stashed away for the winter in a warm garage and the abarth is with my chief mechanic some 300 km away.

Come during the summer time when the cars are on site and ready to go...

Miro