performance / alternative front disc brake pads

[gcorrado]

minitex makes some performance pad for front disc brakes.
these fit ghias, and most of the bug front disc kits.

i just thought i'd give some details off the package that may
help future searchers trying to get info on these and other pads.

various part number off the box:
MDB1012AF
KBA 60795
WVA 20009 140

listed as fitting the following applications:
Alfa Romeo 1750 Giulia 66-76 Rear
Alfa Romeo Montreal 2000 Range Rear
BMW 5 Series 73-78 Rear
SAAB 90 Range 84-88 Rear
SAAB 900 Range 78- Rear
Volkswagen Beetle Range 72-74 Front

this raises the possibility of looking into performance
pads actually *designed* for these other applications
and sticking them in our calipers.

other random fact:
Minitex is a subsidy of
TMD Friction
West Yorkshire, England

[rsrnate]

cool good info

[gcorrado]

this raises the possibility of looking into
performance pads actually *designed* for these other
applications and sticking them in our calipers.

for example...

porterfield (http://www.porterfield-brakes.com/)
supposedly make outstanding performance pads. i've heard
the R4-S pads are great for hot street and autocross use.

if you go to their application charts you'll find nothing listed for
ghias or bugs. on the other hand if you look for some of these
other cars you'll find that part number AP030 fits the following
cars:
1967 Alfa Romeo Guilia Rear
1968 Alfa Romeo 1750 Rear
1981 Sabb 900 Series Rear
(no part listed for BMW 5 series in the appopriate year)

PRETTY COOL EH?

so anybody wanna order some Porterfield AP030's and
tell us if they fit? : )

$69.95 for R4-S compound
$99.95 for R4 compound (full race)

i've just gotten these new minitex, so i'm going to run them out
but i think my next round will be to give these a try...

[Tom Notch]

The Mintex pads I have here and just about ready to install fit Alfa-F, Bedford-F, Benz-R, Opel-R, Vauxhall -F, and VW-F

MDB100AF
90R-01021/322

are the numbers on the box.

I've used Mintex off and on for like 30+ years, and always liked them.

[Bruceg]

The Saab 900 78-87 rear pads fit the Ghia calipers.
FMSI # D30 so chances are AP030 will fit.

I think I have a box of Porterfield pads in the garage I will look for the number.

The ones I have took a stop to heat up and chewed up my rotors. Now I?m running PBR aka Axxis Deluxe plus and like them better for the street and autocross.
D111DP and 735-D30 are the PBR numbers on the box.

[Bruceg]

Those pads I have are Pagid not Porterfield, I haven?t tried the R4S.

For a listing of cars that use the 2 pin Ghia pad check out the link for FMSI #s. A D30 and a D30A fit.

http://www.remsaofamerica.com/PDF/PDF20 ... g52_85.pdf

[gcorrado]

thanks for the info bruce!
i'm glad we got to the bottom of this so we know what
to look for in the catalogs - let's face it, performance
pad manufactures don't have much insentive to list the
the ghia in their application charts.


i'm going to run the minitex for now.
and maybe next year try the porterfields R4-S


and in case the that remsa link dies one day,
the information in that PDF lists the following models
as having pads that will fit the ghia calipers:

Rr. 67 ALFA ROMEO DUETTO
Rr. 74-68 ALFA ROMEO GTV
Rr. 83-81 ALFA ROMEO GTV 6
Rr. 75-70 ALFA ROMEO MONTREAL
Rr. 77-68 ALFA ROMEO SPIDER
Rr. 91-82 ALFA ROMEO SPIDER
Rr. 91-77 ALFA ROMEO SPIDER VELOCE
Rr. 75-71 ALFA ROMEO VELOCE GT

Rr. 79 BMW 528 SERIES
Rr. 78-75 BMW 530 SERIES

Rr. 73-67 PORSCHE 911

Rr. 74-68 SAAB 99
Rr. 87-84 SAAB 900 SERIES

agreement across sources seems quite good.

[gcorrado]

so just to summarize...

when you go out into the world looking for brake pads
for the front of your ACVW, just pretend for you're
looking for pads for the REAR of a 1985 SAAB 900

: )

[Theo]

Great Thread!

Thanks for the info!

[Guest]

this raises the possibility of looking into
performance pads actually *designed* for these other
applications and sticking them in our calipers.

for example...

porterfield (http://www.porterfield-brakes.com/)
supposedly make outstanding performance pads. i've heard
the R4-S pads are great for hot street and autocross use.

if you go to their application charts you'll find nothing listed for
ghias or bugs. on the other hand if you look for some of these
other cars you'll find that part number AP030 fits the following
cars:
1967 Alfa Romeo Guilia Rear
1968 Alfa Romeo 1750 Rear
1981 Sabb 900 Series Rear
(no part listed for BMW 5 series in the appopriate year)

PRETTY COOL EH?

so anybody wanna order some Porterfield AP030's and
tell us if they fit? : )

$69.95 for R4-S compound
$99.95 for R4 compound (full race)

i've just gotten these new minitex, so i'm going to run them out
but i think my next round will be to give these a try...

[Bruce2]

...................
Alfa Romeo 1750 Giulia 66-76 Rear
Alfa Romeo Montreal 2000 Range Rear
BMW 5 Series 73-78 Rear
SAAB 90 Range 84-88 Rear
SAAB 900 Range 78- Rear
Volkswagen Beetle Range 72-74 Front

This means the listed pads fit only Girling VW calipers. Note, these calipers are extremely rare, and probably not what everyone here has. The calipers most guys have are the ATE/VARGA calipers and they take a much different pad than the Girling caliper. For the info in this topic to be useful, you must specify what caliper the pads fit.

[gcorrado]

hmmm....

so your argument is:
72-74 beetles came with girling calipers.
since these pads say they fit 72-74 beetles, they fit girlings.
pads that fit girlings will not fit ate/varga.
therefore these pads will not fit varga.

the counter example to that is the minitex pads, which definitely do fit in varga calipers, also say they fit 72-74 beetle.

but your point is a good one none the less.

since there are multiple caliper types running around on the fronts of VWs, just because a pad claims it will fit the front of a VW doesn't mean it will fit your caliper.

we'll just have to see. next time i need pads i'll buy the porterfields and try them out. i'll report back as to whether they fit my vargas or not.

[2088 bob]

try stuff from ebc brakes they have a good selection of different pads for different applications be it street or racing i personally use their green pad and am very happy with them

[Plastermaster]

The above link is still alive but I can't see how you got your info from it. Teh Karmann Ghia is listed as D88-7022. Maybe I just missed it but I cannot find any other car with that same #

I searched alot of brake web sites and found that the other cars listed above were just as hard to find pads for as the Ghia. Also the sites that say they have pads for the 73 make no distinction between the ATE or the Girling calipers. Since I have girlings I figured the safe way to search was to look for pads for the 74 year. In keeping with my usual luck, the 74 pads are harder to find than 73s. BTW I am looking for high performance pads, especially ceramic. EBC has green stuff but only for the ATE calipers, (not 74)

What exactly are the VARGA calipers? Was Varga a car or is it just another brand of caliper? If I wanted to change to varga calipers, what cars are used to search for pads?

Ron

[2088bob]

plastermaster varga are a brand of caliper just like ate is a brand of caliper i run four vargas on my car as i do not have rear ebrakes oops did i say that out loud shame on me so basically 4 ghia balljoint front calipers i called EBC they told me to trace my existing pads and i faxed them the tracing this was aleast4 or 5 years ago ibought 8 sets of pads so in other words 16 pads i now have the last complete set of pads on my car i am really under the weather right now give me a couple of days i will go down in my shop and see if can find one of the old boxes so i can pm you the part number to be honest with you i did not realize that a varga or ate or girling caliper might have different shaped pads varga must be pretty popular as i screwed one up doing some machineing on it i had no trouble finding a rebuild kit for it i buy most of my vw stuff from mini performance and specialities in toledo ohio
regards 2088bob