...the journey of a '77 bmw 320i from its home in california through a mild "frame on" restoration in the midwest...
Monday, October 10, 2011
...more wheels
| Mini Wheels Diagram |
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Hartge 17" split rim staggered 4 x 100above are a set of original porsche phone dials...circa. late 1980's....below are a refreshed version produced by BMW/Mini |
This is the lightest wheel BMW makes (has made for them, they are Italian). They are strong, they are light.
one of the cleaner e21's on the web (320/6) with 17" wheels
...once upon a time, in a village far, far away there was...
...the good...
...the bad...
...the ugly...(horrible in fact!)
Sunday, October 9, 2011
recaro seat restoration
Capital Parts Numbers
- 0515072300 Bolster Foam - Left Hand
- 0515082300 Bolster Foam - Right Hand
- 0530001100 Outer Backrest Foam
Each Recaro has a basic model number such as A8, LS, SRD. The first 2 letters stand for the back of the seat. The last digit stands for the base of the seat. For example an LX will stand for the back of the seat with its trademark pointy triangular bolsters but an LX-A will be the same back mounted to a flat base. Here is an example of a 3rd gen LX (top picture) and a 3rd gen LX-A (bottom)
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Alfa Romeo Announces New 1.8-liter Turbo Production Starts in 2013
New 1.8-liter Turbo Engine with up to 300HP
The Fiat Group has revealed plans to produce a new four-cylinder gasoline direct injection turbo engine for Alfa Romeo at the firm's FMA plant in Pratola Serra beginning in early 2013
The Italian company said that the all-aluminum powerplant has a displacement of 1.8-liters and will feature advanced technologies such as a 200-bar gasoline direct injection system, dual variable timing and a high-efficiency turbocharger. It will be offered in numerous versions the most powerful of which will develop 300-horses.
While the Fiat Group did not give out any details about the models scheduled to get the new engine, it did say that it has been designed for use in both transversal and longitudinal applications and that it will be compliant with future emissions standards in both Europe (Euro 6) and the U.S. (Tier 2 Bin 5).
The upcoming 4C sports coupe and the delayed Giulia premium sedan that will replace the current 159 will most likely be the first cars to get the new powerplant. “This is an extremely important step for Alfa Romeo, as we continue to reposition our brand and prepare it for global distribution. The United States remains our primary objective as we prepare for a 2013 introduction of our models,” said Harald J. Wester, Fiat’s Chief Technology Officer and head of the Alfa Romeo and Maserati Brands.
“The dedication of Group-wide resources to develop specific powertrain solutions for the specific needs of Alfa Romeo is a reflection of the renewed thrust we are placing on the development of this brand. This is a first step in a series of initiatives to be implemented in the near future which will reconnect Alfa Romeo to its historical roots as a premium Italian sports car brand,” he added.Source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2011/10/alfa-romeo-announces-new-18-liter-turbo.html#disqus_thread
Monday, October 3, 2011
BMA Wheels
18" shown without Lockplate
Available in 15" - 20"
Sandwich mount shown
4 & 5 stud fitment inc Centre Lock
Available in 15" - 20"
Sandwich mount shown
4 & 5 stud fitment inc Centre Lock
brake performance
Well that depends on what sort of brake "performance" you're talking about.
Stopping distance: Depends mostly on your tires. Brake upgrades won't change this much.
Fade resistance: Depends partly on rotor cooling and partly on pad compound. Vented rotors and good pads will help with this. Calipers have no effect.
Pedal feel: The pedal will take less force but longer travel to achieve the same brake torque with the Volvos compared to the 323i calipers. You may want to change the master cylinder to a larger bore to make the travel shorter again. Once you do that there is probably no difference in the feel.
The size of the pad area only effects how long it takes to wear the pads out. It does not effect the braking torque and probably has minimal effect on the feel.
Basically you need vented rotors, good pads, and good fluid. Caliper choice is 1/10 as important as any one of those. Front 323i calipers are identical to '77 320i calipers, and their only advantage is that you are able to run a vented rotor.
Stopping distance: Depends mostly on your tires. Brake upgrades won't change this much.
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| 1977 Frnt Calipers |
Pedal feel: The pedal will take less force but longer travel to achieve the same brake torque with the Volvos compared to the 323i calipers. You may want to change the master cylinder to a larger bore to make the travel shorter again. Once you do that there is probably no difference in the feel.
The size of the pad area only effects how long it takes to wear the pads out. It does not effect the braking torque and probably has minimal effect on the feel.
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| http://www.massivebrakes.com/kits/e21/front/300/32/ |
Braking torque can be a consideration, however, how much does brake torque matter once they've been locked up if you don't have ABS None. Once you start running bigger&stickier tires, it becomes harder to lock the tires up, so then more brake torque is needed. Until you get to that point, bigger brakes will just have a longer life and stay cooler (definitely advantages to both of those) and will likely have more un-sprung weight (not so much of an advantage).
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| 1977 Front Calipers |
i do know that with stock vented rotors, calipers, hawk hp plus pads and ATE fluid, i can overpower the summer tires i'm running.
Pads: Hawk hps brake pads are about as good as it gets.
Torque is a measure of the turning force on an object and is greatly influenced by the length of the lever. the longer the lever the greater the mechanical advantage. therefore a bigger diameter rotor has more torque. i really don't believe pad size makes much difference with torque. (larger pads = longevity!)Wilwoods brake calipers usually have a larger pistons (and several sizes are available) which does increase brake torque for a given line pressure, but you can always just press harder on the pedal instead. Wilwoods are also much lighter which is kind of a big deal since they are unspung weight (attached to the movable part of the suspension). But yeah, any brake upgrade that uses the same rotors is mostly for cosmetics/bragging.
there is a good discussion over on the forums regarding the upgraded girling calipers...its worth reading...it can be found here...
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=308282
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