New RSRacing Suspensions In At G2 (also 105!)

[junglejustice]

...have a look at what Group 2 just got in...

Notice the fully-adjustable set for the 105 and Spider cars as well! (This particular set goes to StreetFame's awesome 3.7 litre 24 valve 1991 S4 Spider up in Toronto!

Plenty of transaxle Milano/Alfetta/GTV6 pieces too!

[60sRacer]

What goes with which car? This is pure porn - neat bits but no purpose!

How about prices and sources?

Info!!!

Robert

P>S> Ah. I see its junglejustice's stuff. Lots of content free titilation without many facts. Even a salesrep would do better. Waste of time.

[junglejustice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 60sRacer What goes with which car? This is pure porn - neat bits but no purpose! How about prices and sources? Info!!! Robert P>S> Ah. I see its junglejustice's stuff. Lots of content free titilation without many facts. Even a salesrep would do better. Waste of time.

[Greg Gordon]

I didn't know there was a RSR kit for the 105 cars. Nice pictures. I wonder how well it will work out on the 105 cars. There are already a lot of well sorted suspension options for them.

[junglejustice]

...yeah I know... The Alfaholics toys are all very nicely sorted!

For the development of the 105 parts, RSR (who runs all TA cars) turned to a fellow-racer/group who, build and run their 105 cars actively at the Ring (and all over Europe...)

NickE. (here on the bb) purchased a set for his amazing little 105 GTV that he is putting together in NY and now StreetFame bought this kit for the insane 3.7 litre 24 valve '91 S4 Spider that he is building up in Toronto - can't wait to see how they both pan-out...

[genericwood]

Robert may have been a little harsh in his comments. But based on my reading of the BB over the last few months, I assumed Jungle had more than a casual interest in RSR and the engine builder/developer he always talks about!

Regarding the 105 rear suspension, I am surprised that they retained the standard bayonette shock mount on the trailing arms. This works well in the stock configuration, but seems less than optimal with a coil over shock. The shock has to be able to "rock" back and forth as the suspension moves through it's travel. This requires relatively soft shock bushes which are now carrying the spring loads as well. In my opinion, a superior (but still easy) solution is to use a spherical bearing shock mount at the bottom.

Erik

[alfettish]

Maybe they are on holidays! How long did you wait?

[junglejustice]

"...them..." them - who...? Group 2?

Send an email to Joe@group2inc.com and if he doesn't respond in a decent amount of time, follow up with a call to 206.378.0900 and ask for Joe English.

I know that it seems weird to have to track them down (since you are the customer), but they are very busy guys, the margins on this stuff is SMALL and the volumes are even smaller!

It is not like we have 30 different options either.

If you feel like the North American distributor is slow to respond, send an email to Ron Simons personally under the email listed on the RSRacing website...

If all else fails - blast me an email at john@reginaceleste.com - I am over there working on my own projects all of the time - I could even give them a kick in the side if need be...

[Greg Gordon]

I have called Group 2 a few times and they always answer the phone during normal hours. When I had tech questions about installing thier brake kit or the RS suspension they were easy to get on the phone and very helpful.

John (JungleJustice) is not a part of Group 2. He is just very passionate about these cars and the products he uses. He imports the South African engines but as far as I know he doesn't sell or import suspension or brake items. If he wants to let everyone know about a new product what's the big deal?

[junglejustice]

Thanks Greg - and yes - correct; I do not own any part of RSR or G2 or GiroDisc or GoTech or Glenwood Motors - no shares and no interest and no part in starting any of those businesses either! No shares today either!

The reason that I don't post unsolicited prices is because when I do, I get accused of having "commercial interest" and therefore should have no place or opinion on this board. When I don't post prices I get accused of being a bad sales rep.!

Figure I will blow a post and lay this one to rest...

Ron Simons is a legend in these circles - spent 10-15 years racing at the Ring, Spa, Zandvoort etc (308, GTVs GTV6, HF Delta Integrale and many more) - LONG before I came along! I just use his suspensions on both my street car and now on the 3.7 litre race car! I was one of the earlier US-customers of his suspension, but even Potenziato had an RS kit for his Milano before I had one - that is where I first saw it and drove it...!

I happen to be the one who set up the connection between RSR and G2 (so that other Alfa-owners can have access to local stock) and Ron became a friend in the process - last summer... (Got a second suspension for my street car at cost out of it - if you must know Robert....)

That was a LONG time and MUCH effort ago - what I do now is purely for the fun of it, to help Ron, to help G2 because I believe in the product and I want to see others avoid the traps of tossing money down a hole (like I did) while trying so many other crappy setups...

G2 started their business around the time that my wife and I did ours (an unrelated retail business, which failed unfortunately), so I have watched them grow and have always supported their efforts - they are a great bunch of guys and they house my various projects there.

GiroDisc was their relationship - they developed the brake-system together for the street/track setup. Again, I am a user only - no direct or indirect interest in it other than building my cars with them! Because the big-bore kit evolving from this will be on my 3.7 litre race car, I am naturally involved in the development of that kit from a setup/design stand-point - but again - no financial benefit to me (other than maybe the first one at cost or something...)

Dawie at Glenwood is a legend from my younger days. When I was looking for monster power for my project, I found Dawie and was happy to learn that he was willing to build engines for me and the rest of us here! Since there is higher cost involved in sourcing and transporting pistons and rings and rods and scanners etc for the guys in SA, I do make a small margin on the motors that I help sell. So, lynch me! It's nowhere near enough to call it a business! (It pays for the travel back and forth to bring parts and other freight, the phone-calls etc.) I do also make peanuts on the individual parts, such as cams, headers, intakes etc but the volumes are too small to write home about.

Dawie also became a friend in the process - is that wrong?

Believe me - with this much aggravation I can go back to trading bonds or energy and make real money again however, this is some much needed down-time and recovery-time from 4-5 years of busting my arse in a business that ultimately cost a marriage and lost me more money than any of you care to know! (That's another story...)

I met Domingos from GoTech via Glenwood and I do represent them here in the States (if you want to call 20-30 GoTechs over 2-3 years a distribution agreement then so be it...) Again, the volumes and the margins certainly don't support the whole "commercial-bias" argument. I am passionate about Alfas and I am truly passionate about the parts that I use - the ones that I believe in any way - and about Alfa people in general - good - for the most part! I consider Domingos a friend as well (for the record) - just in the event that I get called on the mat for this too.

It is interesting to note that REAL vendors - for the most part - DON'T come on these forums AT ALL...! It is the general consensus that the know-it-alls and "ex-spurts" are the reason! You will NEVER see anyone from an Alfa of Tacoma, or a Ferrari of Seattle or Glenwood, or GoTech or the Group 2 boys or GiroDisc or Brembo or Koni or RSRacing or any of the serious Alfa vendors come out here. (The occasional guys - yes - like from Centerline and maybe a lurker or two from IAP), but for the most part the vendors just don't want to spend the energy BECAUSE of this bickering and ****! I have been told directly "...I don't have time for it..."

For the guys like Greg or I who do come here and who do happen to offer some things for sale for the Alfas - it's a hobby!

As far as that other jack-hole's jabs about "content free titilation without many facts" and "waste of time" (his spelling - not mine) - keep moving dude; if you don't like what I post, don't read it - this is a hobby, it is supposed to be for fun! Life's too short to be hattin'! I know what I contribute to this board, to life and to the people in my life that matter to me the most. Spend your energy on somebody in your life that loves you and who needs you - not on trying to kick someone in the nuts just because you don't like what they have to say (or don't have to say - according to you...)

[junglejustice]

Eric - good question; come to the tech sessions in Seattle this Saturday the 13th at G2, or to Willow Springs on Sunday the 14th or to Alfa Import Center in NY next Saturday the 20th and ask Ron these questions, it would be interesting forthe rest of us to hear the answers.

As a side-note, many of the design-choices in Ron's setups are made with an eye on ease of installation for the DIY Alfa-owner, street/drive-ability, lower end-user cost etc. (maybe send him an email maybe under his www.rsracing.nl website and let us all know what he says!)

msiert, all of Ron's setups (TA and 105) run 1295 Euro for the 4 corners only (plus 199 Euro for the front bars - including all of the adjustable spherical end-links etc, plus then the watts and whatever else you want...) This is for non-adjustable shock sets.

For an adjustable-shock setup on either model-series, they run 1795 Euro for the 4 corners plus shipping plus whatever else you want. Buying either end only runs 695 Euro plus shipping.

On the TA cars you maintain separate shocks and springs at the rear and gain coil-overs at the front - you keep the stock torsion bars. On the 105/Spider cars you gain coil-overs at the rear and maintain separate shocks and springs at the front.

[alfettish]

Good on ya John.

[genericwood]

Jungle, if I understand you correctly, Ron's 105 set up includes new front springs and shocks and the rear coil-over springs and shocks for 1295 Euro. Is that correct? That is almost $1700. Is there something else that comes with that I'm missing?

By the way, I can't make it to the tech session. It's a little far!

Erik
(St. Louis, MO)

Quote:

Originally Posted by junglejustice msiert, all of Ron's setups (TA and 105) run 1295 Euro for the 4 corners only (plus 199 Euro for the front bars - including all of the adjustable spherical end-links etc, plus then the watts and whatever else you want...) This is for non-adjustable shock sets.

[Alex]

John,

Can you illuminate me as to why some of RSRacing's coilover set-ups have two combined spring units in one, i.e. the regular HD wire and the 'flat' coil? Is this so that it operates like a variable rate spring, allowing better travel for surface irregularities, but firming up when the suspension really loads up? Koni have just produced a damper with two seperate fluid circuits for just this reason (to be able to react better to extremes of movement frequencies) but at present this technology has yet to be adapted for older cars. Great if you have a new Lambo, though ...

Alex.

[60sRacer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by junglejustice ... ultimately cost a marriage and lost me more money .. ....the know-it-alls and "ex-spurts" are the reason..... .....As far as that other jack-hole's ....