The Car Thread

[nakamura]

On the way go work today I was checking out peoples alloys and couldn't help but notice that an awful lot of new modern cars here in Japan have drum breaks on the back. Not only ****ty small "kei cars" with their 3 cylinder engines but also family saloons with 2.0 ltr engines and people carriers ! Is this why the speed limits in Japan are so low? How about in the UK? I would have thought that all modern cars with at least a 2.0 engine would have full on disc breaks.

To be fair, rear brakes so sod all on average cars. Really they are more for parking. Only on higher performance cars do you get discs all around as I am sure you know.

My focus has drums on the rear and it stops very well.

[GarageNation]

Lovely car has come up locally. Just what I would like, although white would be preferred.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201024361234549/sort/priceasc/usedcars/model/mr2/make/toyota/quicksearch/true/radius/40/postcode/bh121jn/page/1?logcode=p#techSpecSummaryContent

Can afford it but trying to impossible, saving for a mortgage.

Seems like a bargain , a 2000 rev 4/5 mr2 turbo for 1400 quid . it's certainly in better condition then mine.

[nakamura]

Seems like a bargain , a 2000 rev 4/5 mr2 turbo for 1400 quid . it's certainly in better condition then mine.

Its a 1993 NA bud, just listed wrong i think.
Still a bargain as it looks lovely. Really wanted it as I miss my MR2 like mad.
Pity I am saving for a silly grown up mortgage.

[GarageNation]

ahh ok ,

I hate it when people cant put the right information up about a car. I thought it was quite cheap for a late reg turbo , as a decent one is worth 3-4 grand , that NA does look quite clean thou .

[nakamura]

it does indeed.

Perfect car too. I want a t-bar, white or yellow. My old one was yellow and turbo so I wanted to go NA this time as I like the cheaper costs to run it. Plus i like the noise!

[Yakumo]

To be fair, rear brakes so sod all on average cars. Really they are more for parking. Only on higher performance cars do you get discs all around as I am sure you know.

My focus has drums on the rear and it stops very well.

Hmm, yeah I guess you're right. My da always wondered why my impreza had disc at the back. Then again he is getting in to 60's now. It does still seem odd to me though. A uniformed look would be much nicer. It all comes down to cost I suppose.

@ChrisField- a very nice set of wheels you have there. I bet that Merc won't be bombing it around a track . Don't forget to put a video together for us all to see.

[vanpeebles]

My Alfa has discs all round but my mini has front discs and drums. With the weight spread on a mini with no weight on the rear, I ran for ages with leaking, slipping brake drums and noticed no difference in the braking. As said it's easier and cheaper to fit a hand brake to drum brakes rather than discs too.

My mate had a mini with drum brakes all round and that was very interesting!

[nakamura]

Hmm, yeah I guess you're right. My da always wondered why my impreza had disc at the back. Then again he is getting in to 60's now. It does still seem odd to me though. A uniformed look would be much nicer. It all comes down to cost I suppose.

What a love about rear drums is when you come up behind someone who always uses the handbrake at a junction. They stop, apply the handbrake and the rear of the car lifts right up like an animal about to pounce!

[ChrisF]

What a love about rear drums is when you come up behind someone who always uses the handbrake at a junction. They stop, apply the handbrake and the rear of the car lifts right up like an animal about to pounce!

My old Citroen Saxo used to do that... I assure you it never gave the impression it was about to pounce on anything!

[Yakumo]

What a love about rear drums is when you come up behind someone who always uses the handbrake at a junction. They stop, apply the handbrake and the rear of the car lifts right up like an animal about to pounce!

Is that because of the drums? I always thought it was because the car was an automatic. Pretty much all cars I see on the road here in Japan do that. I had no idea it was because of the drum breaks. I've never had or even driven a car with drum breaks to tell the truth which is quite strange when you concider I'm 34. Actually, tell a lie. I drove my wife's 1992 Honda Civic about 10 years ago before it was scrapped. That probably had rear drums.

[Alastair]

I'm not sure what you guys are talking about! Do you mean when the car goes to start moving again and the rear lifts up because the handbrake is still applied? Or do you mean (as it seems to be written) that when the car stops and the handbrake is applied, without doing anything else the rear lifts up?

In other news, I'm going to service my car myself. I've done the filters last night (air and cabin). Went to do the sparkplugs at lunch but hadn't reckoned on needing a socket and allen key as well as a spark plug wrench so didn't bring my socket set to work. Am borrowing axle stands and a trolley jack and doing the oil change on Sunday.
The parts and the few tools I've needed cost me £115!! But I am saving 2 hours labour at the garage plus will have learnt a lot. 'Performance' engines get pricey with consumables don't they. The oil alone was 45 quid, ouch.

[nakamura]

I'm not sure what you guys are talking about! Do you mean when the car goes to start moving again and the rear lifts up because the handbrake is still applied? Or do you mean (as it seems to be written) that when the car stops and the handbrake is applied, without doing anything else the rear lifts up?

It is when you apply the handbrake fully with the footbrake on. Once you release the handbrake the car can shoot up at the rear.

On a side note, my gen 6 Celica had rear discs and drums!

[nakamura]

My old Citroen Saxo used to do that... I assure you it never gave the impression it was about to pounce on anything!

Yes i had a Saxo for a bit and it was one of the most obvious for it. It was also a reddish pink, not pounce-worthy!

[Alastair]

It is when you apply the handbrake fully with the footbrake on. Once you release the handbrake the car can shoot up at the rear.

I have literally no idea what you mean, maybe it's just me

I have driven plenty cars with rear drums too.

[nakamura]

I have literally no idea what you mean, maybe it's just me

I have driven plenty cars with rear drums too.

Hehe. To be fair it is very severe on some cars. On my Focus it is far less pronounced.