c4sman
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Definitely a bargain and is now firmly on my list of to-do’s. Thanks for sharing.
My GTS purchase, service requirements and upgrades
- Thread starter Bebs
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Goodfella
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I’d go as far as to say that’s bloody cheap!
lozcb
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Thats extremely good value .............something quite rare these days
lozcb
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Kudos Bebs , but get that dam plastic trident from a Jamboree bag on the grill sorted , Must be possible to get a decent one made in alloy or stainless steel possibly by laser printer ......anyone else unhappy with the cheapness of the grill badge ...............its this that denotes the quality of the brand ....i find it truly bizarre from Maserati
Bebs
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That’s correct Scaf. It was @Mavster on here that found Vamped Trimming in Kent and had his light coloured headliner and pillars done. He deserves all the credit.
I‘m just extremely grateful he did, as a number of people have had £1000++ quotes previously.
Duncan at Vamped Trimming was extremely nice to deal with and fitted my car in at a time that was convenient to me. He even opened up the premises on a Saturday morning to allow me to collect at my leisure.
For anyone interested, he needs the car for two days only.
Vamped Trimming | Car Trimming | Surrey
We are a custom trimming & upholstery business, specialising in classic and high performance car interiors and hoods. Based in Lingfield, Surrey.
www.vampedtrim.com
Bladerunner
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Bebs
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Cheers Bladerunner. I’ll have a go at it soon.
Bebs
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Just to keep this thread up to date I’m adding the brake upgrade review I posted separately a little while ago:
Back in April last year I finally decided it was time to change all 4 discs on my GT. It was an advisory when I purchased the car so I knew I would have to bite the bullet sooner or later.
The OEM brakes on a 4.7 (GT/QPV) have never been known for their awesome stopping power and a number of people agree they are somewhat lackluster, even when new. Furthermore, you will all be familiar with that terrible one inch pedal travel before anything happens, then a sharp bite. It has always been slightly tricky to moderate braking, particularly at lower speeds or coming to a standstill gently.
So rather than go OEM I decided to go for Zep's uprated option. OEM discs are costly and for the sake of some £500 more in total for all 4 discs & pads, it seemed silly not to upgrade to large diameter discs. I needed both front and rear and promptly put in the order with Zep.
Some weeks later I received a message they had arrived and that Zep would very kindly deliver them personally to Aldous @ AV Engineering as the car was due a service.
I did take a good look at them when I dropped the car off and was surprised of not only the sheer size of them but also how awesome they looked next to an OEM disc.
Here are the exact specs:
Front: 380 mm (up from 360 mm OEM) fully floating with a black anodized aluminium bell. Curved internal vanes for better cooling, curbed grooved surface treatment. Ferodo DS performance pads.
Rear: 342 mm (up from 330 mm OEM) fixed rather than floating but with the same black anodized aluminum bell, straight internal vanes, curbed grooved surface treatment. Ferodo DS performance pads.
Colleting the car after the service, the new discs immediately pop from behind those Neptune alloys - visually a huge difference which doesn't really show well on photos. Almost jewelry like.
The following week I set off on a trip to France and was able to bed the discs and pads in and get a feel for them over the next 2000 miles and 5 weeks away.
The difference compared to OEM is night and day. They inspire confidence, particularly coming down from high speeds. That feeling of not knowing if the car is actually going to be able to stop properly is totally gone.
They are very progressive, unlike OEM, and you feel them bite from the slightest press through to a full hard stop.
It is an absolute no brainer if you are about to change discs, for the slight change on top of OEM costs, you get seriously uprated braking power. Its an absolute winner. Bravo Zep.
Sadly, the one inch pedal travel before biting was still there - so on my return I had Aldous fit some braided brake hoses. This made a huge difference and I am glad to report that the pesky pedal travel is now reduced significantly and the brakes bite immediately and progressively with no hesitation. Even if you are not about to change discs & pads, have some braided hoses fitted, its a cheap upgrade and makes a big difference.
Lastly, Zep was an absolute gentleman to deal with from start to finish - I cannot recommend him and his uprated brakes highly enough.
Front (with 22 mm black spacer)
Rear (with 25 mm black spacer and 25 mm lowering spring)
Back in April last year I finally decided it was time to change all 4 discs on my GT. It was an advisory when I purchased the car so I knew I would have to bite the bullet sooner or later.
The OEM brakes on a 4.7 (GT/QPV) have never been known for their awesome stopping power and a number of people agree they are somewhat lackluster, even when new. Furthermore, you will all be familiar with that terrible one inch pedal travel before anything happens, then a sharp bite. It has always been slightly tricky to moderate braking, particularly at lower speeds or coming to a standstill gently.
So rather than go OEM I decided to go for Zep's uprated option. OEM discs are costly and for the sake of some £500 more in total for all 4 discs & pads, it seemed silly not to upgrade to large diameter discs. I needed both front and rear and promptly put in the order with Zep.
Some weeks later I received a message they had arrived and that Zep would very kindly deliver them personally to Aldous @ AV Engineering as the car was due a service.
I did take a good look at them when I dropped the car off and was surprised of not only the sheer size of them but also how awesome they looked next to an OEM disc.
Here are the exact specs:
Front: 380 mm (up from 360 mm OEM) fully floating with a black anodized aluminium bell. Curved internal vanes for better cooling, curbed grooved surface treatment. Ferodo DS performance pads.
Rear: 342 mm (up from 330 mm OEM) fixed rather than floating but with the same black anodized aluminum bell, straight internal vanes, curbed grooved surface treatment. Ferodo DS performance pads.
Colleting the car after the service, the new discs immediately pop from behind those Neptune alloys - visually a huge difference which doesn't really show well on photos. Almost jewelry like.
The following week I set off on a trip to France and was able to bed the discs and pads in and get a feel for them over the next 2000 miles and 5 weeks away.
The difference compared to OEM is night and day. They inspire confidence, particularly coming down from high speeds. That feeling of not knowing if the car is actually going to be able to stop properly is totally gone.
They are very progressive, unlike OEM, and you feel them bite from the slightest press through to a full hard stop.
It is an absolute no brainer if you are about to change discs, for the slight change on top of OEM costs, you get seriously uprated braking power. Its an absolute winner. Bravo Zep.
Sadly, the one inch pedal travel before biting was still there - so on my return I had Aldous fit some braided brake hoses. This made a huge difference and I am glad to report that the pesky pedal travel is now reduced significantly and the brakes bite immediately and progressively with no hesitation. Even if you are not about to change discs & pads, have some braided hoses fitted, its a cheap upgrade and makes a big difference.
Lastly, Zep was an absolute gentleman to deal with from start to finish - I cannot recommend him and his uprated brakes highly enough.
Front (with 22 mm black spacer)
Rear (with 25 mm black spacer and 25 mm lowering spring)
Last edited:
makeshiftUK
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Great review, thanks! When I was talking with AV about upgrading mine he also mentioned the value of upgrading to braided hoses also.
I don't suppose you have an 18" OEM spare wheel - and if so, does it still fit on the fronts?
Bebs
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I don’t have a spare wheel I’m afraid.
For the relatively small outlay, braided hoses are a no brainer. Made a big difference to pedal feel on mine even after fitting the big brakes.
Zep
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Depending on where you are happy to do a trial fit with the spare wheel.
Also, I can now do braided hoses to go with the kits.
Grantoonriusmo
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Out of interest @Bebs where have you sourced the new cable from? Mine is looking at a bit tired now.
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Bebs
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It was linked on this very forum.. will see if I can find a link for you.
Grantoonriusmo
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Cheers @Bebs. I've found the link on the forum
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Nicely done. Steady hand or careful removal of over-painting?
Bebs
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Bit of both actually! I didn’t dare do the rear quarter badges.. might try those with a toothpick later..