156 Monza spec vs std TS

[michaeljc]

Around 2001/2002 approx. for 5spd manual 2ltr 156s: What were the differences between the 156 Monza spec car and the standard TS? I am interested mainly in respect to brakes & suspension. It seems one difference was 16in. wheels instead of 15in., but was the spring/damper/ride height / brake disc size etc. any different to standard spec?

[John Hanslow]

Monza body kit with rear spoiler, 16" wheels and a sports pack suspension that was slightly lowered - and a cloverleaf badge to boot.  

It was not really a performace upgrade but a handling kit with a few extras for distinctive looks.

Think of the JTS Ti that would be similar set up - without the spoiler.

Don't forget you can get the V6 in a rare manual too and that's well worth it.

Cheers

[bix]

My Monza didn't come with a spoiler, but has the side skirts and a factory lowering of the suspension (although this was extra on the price).
It also came with a faux-carbon centre console.

[bix]

Further to that, it has the standard 284mm discs (which I reckon is under-spec for any serious work). The 305/310 GTA discs wouldn't fit with 16 inch telephone dial wheels.

[L4OMEO]

The Sports Pack suspension consisted of Eibach sports springs that reduced the ride height by 20mm. Other than that, no performance upgrade for the Monza spec.

In terms of braking - 284mm disks don't sound big but if maintained in peak condition they should perform well for most road use, unless you're a driver that's particularly hard on stoppers. With a good pad upgrade and decent quality fluid they should be fine for most applications.

Cheers
Rory