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I'll need to get one of these for sure.
I also would LOVE if I could get a billet power steering pulley!!! I know you only have them in sets and sometimes you have them individual on e-bay. Happen to have a silver one laying around?
Wanted to give you guys an update on the APG brake kit. I now have it completely installed and bled. The car isn't on the ground yet, so I have yet to bed the brakes and actually use them. I'm still installing my FEED side skirts and RE diffuser. My hope is to have the car on the ground this weekend. It'll be bitterly cold here on Saturday, 30 degrees in FL... that's insane.
In any event here are some photographs showing the differences between the stock rotors. The new fronts are 345mm with a 6 piston caliper.
Here are some shots of the front installed.
Before:
After:
Mind you, the black coating burns off after the brakes are used. The other areas of black that do not contact the pad will remain coated.
Here are the rears which went to 330mm and a 4 piston caliper. Of note, the APG brakes maintain the factory parking brake setup. It uses a patented hydraulic "line-lock" to essentially work off the e-brake handle. It comes attached to the bracket and the rears have 2 separate brake lines as detailed below:
Before:
After:
Rear caliper bracket with e-brake setup. As you can see, the line from this unit goes to the caliper and the top banjo bolt fitting runs to the brake line.
So far, at least cosmetically, I'm very happy with the kit. The kit came with all the necessary hardware, lines, fittings, etc. It took zero time to bolt this whole kit up. I think the longest process was bleeding the brakes!
I liked being able to select every color of it, from the rotor hats to the calipers, and the lettering. Obviously, my car being an RZ, it was black, and I wanted something that wasn't red or gray. I was really torn between gold or blue calipers, but my previously F80 M3 had blue calipers and I really thought they popped. In any event, I'll have more photos of some other finished work hopefully soon!
Snapped a few photos of the car outside of the garage. It is covered in dust, so pardon the dusty photos. I've been spending a couple of days working out the new tune using FC-TweakPRO and Xavier has been a huge help. You can really see the brakes now. The APG brakes feel AMAZING. The pedal feel has greatly improved over the worn out stockers. The stock ones were within spec and had new pads, however, they were "rusty" and looked like crap.
Some of the shots you can see the @shineautoproject 99 spec CF front lip, CF Feed skirts, CF Odula wing insert, and CF RE diffuser.
Shot of the engine bay with the completed GReddy VMIC installed. Also added a sweet Knight Sports Carbon Fiber cooling panel. Had to trim it just a little bit over by the intakes to fit perfectly.
Also really enjoying the Tanabe Medallion exhaust. Thanks to @DaleClark for the recommendation. The car sounds so smooth with it and definitely glad it quieted the car down from the GReddy exhaust I previously had on the car from Japan. And yes, the door is ajar.
So jealous on the year round good weather you got there, car look amazing! Our car actually look fairly identical, with the exception of the 99 Spec front end.
I have been looking for a CF cooling panel for some time, where can I get that KS piece?
So jealous on the year round good weather you got there, car look amazing! Our car actually look fairly identical, with the exception of the 99 Spec front end.
I have been looking for a CF cooling panel for some time, where can I get that KS piece?
Dang Pete... really a lovely bit of kit you've created!! You're just barely trailing my all-time favorite (not mine) FD! At this rate you just may take the crown someday.
Dang Pete... really a lovely bit of kit you've created!! You're just barely trailing my all-time favorite (not mine) FD! At this rate you just may take the crown someday.
Man this car is just beautiful! Makes me miss living in Florida (minus the rain). Nothing beats a black car done right. I love all of the little yet expensive details that were put into it, such as the brakes and those Feed door sills. If you want to get your UIM polished to match all those shiny GrEddy parts, there is a guy in Navarre that does an obsessive job polishing.
So I had to go to Panama City for work yesterday and Pete happened to be off so we got a chance to meet up and get lunch. Car is SUPER clean, looks fantastic in person!
Made my super dirty RX-8 sad so I had to wash it when I got home .
So I had to go to Panama City for work yesterday and Pete happened to be off so we got a chance to meet up and get lunch. Car is SUPER clean, looks fantastic in person!
Dale
Wanted to give you guys an update on the APG brake kit. I now have it completely installed and bled. The car isn't on the ground yet, so I have yet to bed the brakes and actually use them. I'm still installing my FEED side skirts and RE diffuser. My hope is to have the car on the ground this weekend. It'll be bitterly cold here on Saturday, 30 degrees in FL... that's insane.
In any event here are some photographs showing the differences between the stock rotors. The new fronts are 345mm with a 6 piston caliper.
Here are some shots of the front installed.
Before:
After:
Mind you, the black coating burns off after the brakes are used. The other areas of black that do not contact the pad will remain coated.
Here are the rears which went to 330mm and a 4 piston caliper. Of note, the APG brakes maintain the factory parking brake setup. It uses a patented hydraulic "line-lock" to essentially work off the e-brake handle. It comes attached to the bracket and the rears have 2 separate brake lines as detailed below:
Before:
After:
Rear caliper bracket with e-brake setup. As you can see, the line from this unit goes to the caliper and the top banjo bolt fitting runs to the brake line.
So far, at least cosmetically, I'm very happy with the kit. The kit came with all the necessary hardware, lines, fittings, etc. It took zero time to bolt this whole kit up. I think the longest process was bleeding the brakes!
I liked being able to select every color of it, from the rotor hats to the calipers, and the lettering. Obviously, my car being an RZ, it was black, and I wanted something that wasn't red or gray. I was really torn between gold or blue calipers, but my previously F80 M3 had blue calipers and I really thought they popped. In any event, I'll have more photos of some other finished work hopefully soon!
How is the ebrake functioning on this? Is it a hydraulic, actuated by stock cable? Any leak back over time while it sits?
@ptrhahn So the rear parking brake works by using the factory cables to attach to the hydraulic unit. Essentially, when you pull the parking brake, it pushes hydraulic pressure into the calipers and causes them to lock and hold. I've experienced zero leaking or issues with the car maintaining a hold. It is quite an interesting setup honestly, and APG claims to have patented it. I haven't bothered to check the patent office. lol.
The kit comes with stainless steel brake lines. One line runs from the factory hardline to the parking brake banjo fitting. Another line runs from the parking brake to the rear caliper. As you can see in the photograph, the cable runs through the eyelet onto a hook. When the brake is pulled it activates the pressure residing in the reservoir to essentially line-lock the rear.
This Sunday was the SlammedEnuff Destin Car Show. A show that tours around the USA much like Hot Import Nights. My car crew, J-Spek, had a total of 31 cars enter the show. There were probably a good 200 cars at this show. Outdoors, Indoors, and in a Parking Garage. A lot of the cars there were "stanced" which, personally, I cannot stand. Our group is a bunch of military, law enforcement, or retired military/leo guys who all pour money into clean AF JDM cars. I'll hopefully get some more photos up of the group!
Anyways, here are few shots of the car prior to washing for the show!
We basically had an entire row that spanned the length of this side of the parking lot for J-Spek.
Planting our flag!
My friend, Ky's supercharged NSX.
One of our clean AF R33 GTRs
Can see Sheldon's CYM FD with some of our GTR brethren.
Cool thing was, we ended up winning best crew. I also won 1st Place for Best Mazda.
Our group also won a total of 10 awards.
Best Nissan, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. 2nd best Lexus. 1st Place for Supra. 1st place for GTR. 1st place for Old Skool for a 240Z we had. 1st Place for Best Acura with one of the NSX's.
It was a hell of a time. Great weather, breezy, sunny. Couldn't ask for more. Hoping to convince the group to do Hot Import Nights in Orlando this December.
