If you are interested in a big brake kit (Brembo/Porsche 4 piston calipers)
to your aircooled Volkswagen please read this. There is an Organization
called BIRA - Brake Improvement Research Association. Their website is
<a href="http://www.bira.org" target="_top">BIRA</a> and they offer low
cost adapter kits for watercooled Volkswagens and Audis. I have not
dealt with them nor am associated with them in any way. It appears that
they do the research to adapt the brakes and then sell the adapter
hardware and the car owner supplies the discs and calipers. What I have
read on their site is that these kits, complete install, can be had for
around $1100. The Porsche kits simular to this are between
$3500 - $5000. I wrote to Greg Amy of BIRA requesting that a kit
for aircooled VWs could be developed. His reply was that if there was a
large enough demand for the adapter kits that BIRA would do the research.
The email correspondence between he and I is posted below. I urge all
aircooled VW owners to write Greg,<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=BIRA for AC VW">[email protected]</a> and show the demand and support for the need of these kits!!!
> <<"Superman" <[email protected]> 01/22/01 05:55PM>>
> Sir,
>
> I have just reviewed your site and find it very interesting. I have
> been doing my own "big brake" reseach for my 1973 VW Super
> Beetle since 1996. All my info applies to my car but other aircooled
> Volkswagens are simular. I request please that BIRA could offer
> kits available for the early Beetles and other aircooled VWs. Lastly,
> I own an Audi 4000S, VW A2 Jetta 16V, and the above mentioned
> Beetle and hope to have Brembo 4 piston calipers on all of them.
>
> Sincerely, "Superman"
> >
> From: Greg Amy<[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: BIRA
> To: [email protected]
>
> Hi, thanks for the interest. We already have solutions for the New
> Beetles, which are the same as the Golfs, and the Audi TTs...
>
> As for the older Beetles, if there is demand, we'd consider doing it.
>
> GA
Do you want big brake Porsche - Brembo 4 piston calipers?
-
Superman
- Posts: 1181
- Joined: Tue May 09, 2000 12:01 am
-
Superman
- Posts: 1181
- Joined: Tue May 09, 2000 12:01 am
Do you want big brake Porsche - Brembo 4 piston calipers?
Date sent: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 19:32:00 -0400
Organization: GATM
Send reply to: [email protected]
From: Greg Amy<[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Do you want big brake Porsche - Brembo 4 piston calipers?
To: [email protected]
Hi, folks, thanks for the interest. I've gotten a lot of email on this
today from you. (And please forward this note to any of the copied lists
that may be private and not allow me to post...)
Yes, BIRA would be interested in developing a kit for the early cars,
demand permitting. However, the bottom line: BIRA is not a retail
distributor, BIRA is a group-buy, a "club" of folks that develop these
solutions together. There is no "build it and we will come" at BIRA; we've
been burned by that in the past. In fact, we started BIRA over two years
ago for building our first design. We took a chance based on the demand
and response we received. I personally invested my own money to front the
production for a number of sets, less than 1/4 of the total number of
folks that said "build it and we will come."
I sold the last set last week.
So, in order to develop a new design, BIRA requires members and someone
willing to work with us to develop it. If *you* are interested then
contact me. I will require that you have the ability and motivation to
provide to me either a front strut/suspension for measurement, or the
ability to do it yourself. You will also have to join BIRA beforehand and
sign the required waivers, then be willing and able to buy and test the
first prototype, which unfortunately due to low production volume will
likely cost more than the brackets we will sell to those that follow you.
In order to do a full production run of these parts we will need a minimum
of 10 people willing to provide a no-refund 50% deposit. Once we receive
this we will order the parts made and have them 4-6 weeks afterwards. All
are built-to-order, we do not maintain any inventories.
These are all the same standards we've followed for all designs to date
(except for the first), and it has worked well for us. All it takes is
someone to take the lead on it and be the "champion for the cause." Is
that you?
If so, your first step is to join BIRA; all information is on the web
site. Once that is done we can discuss design details and options, and at
that point we can decide if it's a viable solution.
Again, thanks for the enthusiasm, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Greg Amy http://bira.org
Organization: GATM
Send reply to: [email protected]
From: Greg Amy<[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Do you want big brake Porsche - Brembo 4 piston calipers?
To: [email protected]
Hi, folks, thanks for the interest. I've gotten a lot of email on this
today from you. (And please forward this note to any of the copied lists
that may be private and not allow me to post...)
Yes, BIRA would be interested in developing a kit for the early cars,
demand permitting. However, the bottom line: BIRA is not a retail
distributor, BIRA is a group-buy, a "club" of folks that develop these
solutions together. There is no "build it and we will come" at BIRA; we've
been burned by that in the past. In fact, we started BIRA over two years
ago for building our first design. We took a chance based on the demand
and response we received. I personally invested my own money to front the
production for a number of sets, less than 1/4 of the total number of
folks that said "build it and we will come."
I sold the last set last week.
So, in order to develop a new design, BIRA requires members and someone
willing to work with us to develop it. If *you* are interested then
contact me. I will require that you have the ability and motivation to
provide to me either a front strut/suspension for measurement, or the
ability to do it yourself. You will also have to join BIRA beforehand and
sign the required waivers, then be willing and able to buy and test the
first prototype, which unfortunately due to low production volume will
likely cost more than the brackets we will sell to those that follow you.
In order to do a full production run of these parts we will need a minimum
of 10 people willing to provide a no-refund 50% deposit. Once we receive
this we will order the parts made and have them 4-6 weeks afterwards. All
are built-to-order, we do not maintain any inventories.
These are all the same standards we've followed for all designs to date
(except for the first), and it has worked well for us. All it takes is
someone to take the lead on it and be the "champion for the cause." Is
that you?
If so, your first step is to join BIRA; all information is on the web
site. Once that is done we can discuss design details and options, and at
that point we can decide if it's a viable solution.
Again, thanks for the enthusiasm, and I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Greg Amy http://bira.org