From the "always wonedered, never found an answer" files.

Anyone else ever notice this symbol cast into the SA brake calipers?



Anyone actually know if it is what it mostly looks like (radiation symbol), and why it's there?

 

Three diamonds? Mistsu Bishi. Well, they're not really diamond shaped. But there are quite a few 'ITS BS' parts on our cars so I couldn't really tell you.

 

Those calipers are "Akebono" calipers. It's a brand that makes calipers. They've done Chrysler vehicles as well with a brand called "Nissin"(Not to be confused with Nissan)

 

Yeah, three diamonds would have been Mitsu... but this is three triangles, very clearly,

An honest "radiation" emblem should have a dot in the center, andthe outer edges should be rounded.

So, it remains a mystery.

It MAY pertain to British "Ministry of Transport" approval, but I can't verify that. They did use a "three triangles" logo, though.

(After reading Slayer's comment)

Akebono? was that their logo at the time? seems they use a stylized version of their name, now.

 

As far as I know Akebono has only used 3 triangles as their logo but I couold be wrong

 

Radiation symbol:



Fallout Shelter symbol:



Mitsubishi symbol:

 

So, my brakes are a fallout shelter... good to know, and I can see why that would be considered handy on a car produced in Hiroshima....

(grin)

Akebono logo:

 

Whatever your brake calipers are, they are common and probably came with the car. I've seen those symbols on all four of my 84/85 GSLs, the only time they aren't there is when a caliper has been replaced.

 

I'm sure they are original; I've just always wondered about the symbol, is all. Just looking for some obscure SA lore to add to my trivia collection. Trying to solve a puzzle.

 

Sorry to bump this from the dead, but I was browsing some pictures of the Mazda museum in Japan and saw a picture of an old Mazda bike. It has the same symbol under the Mazda text. An old logo perhaps?

 

Hey its obvious they liked triangles over there a lot. Look at our rotors

 

That red insignia on the bike (nice bike, by the way!) looks like the Mitsubishi insignia, not the "triangles" insignia on the brake calipers. Could it be that Mitsubishi and Mazda have common roots?

 

Looking more closely, it looks like you are right. My eyes must be going.

 

The Mazdago!

That bike was the first vehicle that Mazda made (they were a tooling company originally), however it was distributed by Mitsubishi.

 

Oh, and the exact same symbol (the three triangles, not diamonds) appears on the stock calipers on my '03 350Z.

So, it's current, whatever it is.