>X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 4.1
>Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 15:05:40 -0400
>From: Barry Luke <lukeb@alxn.com>
>To: steved3@idt.net
>Subject: UG brakes! (long)
>
>hi steve . . . .
>steved3@idt.net
>
>your "MONSTER" brake kits have reached other digests!!!
> rx-7 , mustang 5.0 , and mustang cobra mailing lists !!!!
>
>guess us bmw owners won't have any "brake" advantage !!!
>
>barry '97 ///M3
>
>ps - hope you can make it to P'fest . . . .
>otherwise, i'll stop by for a visit at UG on friday . . . .
>
>pps - "If you'd like to see what real BIG brakes look like, then check out:"
> http://members.aol.com/urapnsfu2/monster.html
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: 5.0 Mailing List [SMTP:50ml@netwiz.net]
>> Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 1998 12:44 AM
>> To: 5.0@netwiz.net
>> Subject: Ultimate Garage Big Brake Kit Update (long!) (fwd)
>>
>> While we're on the subject of brakes...Check out the following
>> URL...http://members.aol.com/urapnsfu2/monster.html
>>
>> If you're a roadracer, bring a napkin, it's time to drool. :]
>>
>> This message has been blatantly stolen from the RX-7 mailing list.
>>
>> Anyone have any ideas if this braking system would be adaptable to a
>> Mustang??
>>
>> If you've ever even considered upgrading your brakes, you owe it to
>> yourself to at least take a look at the size of these calipers.
>>
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 12:53:44 -0400
>> From: "James V. O'Brien" <jvob@sunline.net>
>> To: List RX-7 <rx7@world.std.com>
>> Subject: (rx7) [3] Ultimate Garage Big Brake Kit Update (long!)
>>
>>
>>
>> A while back I posted about being impressed with the Big Brake kit
>> described
>> on Steve D'Gerolamo's "Ultimate Garage" web site
>> (http://www.ultimategarage.com/bigbrake.html).
>>
>> Despite already having a very capable Big Brake kit on my, there was
>> enough
>> technical information on Steve's site to convince me that their kit would
>> be
>> a worthwhile upgrade (I take my car to track events as often as I can, and
>> I
>> push it as far as I can - sometimes too far. So, while the brakes on our
>> cars are outstanding for street use, I have had too much experience with
>> their shortcomings under severe road course use).
>>
>> After exchanging e-mails with Steve, I went ahead and ordered the kit
>> (which, for those who have not checked out the site, is composed of
>> Porsche-modified Brembo calipers and Porsche brake rotors - basically the
>> brake kit on the Twin Turbo Porsche's with the addition of SS braided
>> lines
>> and an adapter to fit 3rd gens).
>>
>> Just over a week ago I got the package from Steve. I will not go into the
>> technical aspects of the kit component's design and the Porsche
>> modifications - this is amply covered by Steve's site and if you are at
>> all
>> interested I strongly recommend you check it out. I WILL mention that the
>> kit I received was of unequaled quality!
>>
>> Also (did I mention?), I now have MONSTER brakes! I mean, my previous kit
>> was great compared to the stock calipers - but this new set is out and out
>> ridiculous! As an example, the pads on my Outlaw kit (which, BTW, are the
>> same ones that are used with the Wilwood Superlite calipers) were much
>> thicker and larger than the stock pads - I measured the contact area of
>> the
>> pads and it was 7.50 square inches. Well, the Porsche pads (yes, these
>> components all come in nice boxes with "Porsche" written all over the
>> place - those guys must be insecure) have 11.51 square inches of contact
>> area! That works out to almost exactly 50% more surface than the already
>> larger-than-stock pads in the Outlaw and Wilwood kits.
>>
>> Another example: rather than the usual "two halves held together by bolts
>> with spacers on them" construction typical of these other calipers, the
>> Brembo calipers have complete right and left halves with flat surfaces
>> where
>> they come together. Also, Porsche, among other things, disposes of the
>> "puny" 8 mm bolts that Brembo normally uses to hold the two halves
>> together,
>> and puts in 12 mm bolts!
>>
>> Finally, the Brembo/Porsche caliper is about 1/3 larger than the Outlaw
>> caliper! These things are really BIG!
>>
>> Coincidentally, that was my only big concern - as the calipers are so wide
>> that you worry about the clearance between the caliper and the back of the
>> wheel. Steve has a regular line of kits made up and installed on BMW's
>> and
>> he told me that they often have to use spacers to gain sufficient
>> clearance
>> on those cars. That is not something I would have felt to comfortable
>> with.
>> My previous wheels (from Complete Custom Wheel) had had minimal clearance
>> over the Outlaw calipers, and my polished street CCWs needed approximately
>> 1/4" spacers to keep the bolts on the back side of the wheel from rubbing
>> on
>> the Outlaw 4000 series caliper! (Side note - I know that John Purner at
>> CCW
>> has changed the design of the center piece so that would not have been the
>> case with the newer CCW wheels - but mine were his first design for the
>> RX-7
>> and they did not have much clearance on the larger-than-stock Outlaw
>> calipers).
>>
>> Well, I finally got the "Ultimate" kit installed last week and things
>> worked
>> out perfectly. Both my street and track wheels fit without need of
>> spacers
>> of any kind. On my SSR Integrals (17x9 with 38mm offset) there is a
>> clearance of approximately 5/8" at both the top and bottom of the caliper
>> face. On the Kosei Seneka S5R's (same specifications as the SSR's) the
>> clearance is tighter but still adequate, about 1/8" at the edge nearest
>> the
>> hub and about 1/2" at the edge nearest the rim. (I do not know what the
>> situation would be relative to stock wheels or other aftermarket wheels.
>> If
>> you have any specific concerns, e-mail me privately and I will try to work
>> out a way to determine if there would be any potential interference.)
>>
>> I have taken some pictures of the brakes as they are installed on my car,
>> and my friend Bill Gammon has been kind enough to post them to a web page.
>> If you'd like to see what real BIG brakes look like, then check out
>> http://members.aol.com/urapnsfu2/monster.html
>>
>> Finally, for those who might be interested in getting the best kit
>> possible,
>> let me mention the details on the cost. First, the price I paid you will
>> not get! Steve made an offer for initial kits that carried a price of
>> $2,250 - plus an additional $100 if you wanted custom scripting to replace
>> the "Porsche" that normally comes on the outside of the caliper (it has
>> Brembo embossed on the inside face). That is what I paid, and accounts
>> for
>> the "Ultimate" logo on my calipers (I thought this appropriate before the
>> fact just from the technical description - after getting the kit I now
>> know
>> it is not understatement). Further, the kit was more expensive to do than
>> Steve expected, so he will not sell any other kits at that introductory
>> price (I and one other are the only ones to get this price). Eventually
>> the
>> price of the kit will wind up at approximately $2,995! This is what the
>> kits for the BMWs are going for (there are also kits for Corvettes and
>> Chevy
>> Impala SS's, of all things, but I don't know what he is charging for
>> those).
>> I think that even at this price, the kit is a tremendous bargain compared
>> to
>> anything else available. HOWEVER, Steve's web site does list a current
>> special on Big Brake kits of $2,500 and Steve has told me he will hold
>> this
>> price till August 1. So, if you are at all interested, I'd get in touch
>> with Steve as soon as possible. Contact info for those interested:
>> Steve D'Gerolamo - The Ultimate Garage
>> 201-262-0412 / steved3@idt.net / http://www.ultimategarage.com
>>
>> Oh, one last thing. That bit about the custom scripting - sorry, but that
>> is no longer an option. Seems it got to be too much of a hassle (the work
>> on preparing the kit is actually done in Germany by the Mov'It company),
>> and
>> even the "Ultimate" scripting on mine was not the design we ordered. So
>> they will not do it any more - henceforth the calipers come with "Porsche"
>> written on them (BTW - "Mazda" and "RX-7" apparently would have presented
>> copyright problems). If the "Porsche" is too objectionable, I think Steve
>> can get some special paint so it can be painted over. Guess I'll just
>> have
>> to make do with the only set that is unique, darn! 8-P
>>
>> I will be glad to answer any questions I can, but only those that are
>> posted
>> directly to me and not to the list as a whole.
>>
>> Sorry for the bandwidth consumption, and I hope at least some of you have
>> found the info of interest.
>>
>> Jim O'Brien (aka JVOB)
>> '93 R1 w/ 87K miles and way too many mods (e.g., MONSTER
>> brakes)
>> RX-7 Club of Florida - Suncoast Chapter
>>
>> --
>> Send mail for the `rx7' list to `rx7@World.STD.Com'.
>> Mail subscription commands to `MajorDomo@World.STD.Com'.
>------------------------------
>
!
>
!
>
!
>
!
>
>
=========================================
Steve D'Gerolamo - The Ultimate Garage
201-262-0412 / steved3@idt.net / http://www.ultimategarage.com