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MG MGF Technical - ABS on Trophy AP brakes

Hello all,

A long time ago I was told by an MGR salesman that the reason ABS wasn't an option on the Trophy I'd ordered was that having no ABS "makes the Trophy a truer racing experience". I always meant to question him again some months later, when I discovered that ABS was being offered...

Presuming that it just took a while for MGR to match their ABS unit to the AP calipers, would I now be able to fit an ABS unit from a '96 MPi, or is a dealer retro fit the only option? I'm likely to resent spending that much! Particularly when it still won't help me carry as much speed through the corners as one Dr Bell seems to manage with clinical efficiency!





Mike Hankin

the archive may confirm but I think I've read that fitting ABS retrospectively is theoretically possible but would be a huge amount of work and is a non-starter for reasons of practicality.
David S

Hi Mike,

thanks for the compliment! :o)

Regarding the ABS - I suspect as you do that the comments regarding the lack of fitment to early Trophy 160s was a bit of marketing spin to cover for the fact that the ABS software hadn't been updated to cope with the different properties of the AP racing front brakes.

What is sort of interesting is that a number of people whose cars already had the earlier version of the ABS have fitted the AP racing brakes, and the ABS doesn't seem to be too fazed by them.

When it comes to retrofitting ABS to an early car like ours, it is possible. Pointless buying completely new: it would work out fearsomely expensive. Sourcing a complete car with the ABS fitted is going to be the best bet - still expensive, and will take rather a lot of man hours.

Is it worth it? That's a difficult judgement call. I haven't got ABS either, and I'll not bother with it either - I'll try to learn to drive better! :o)
Rob Bell

Doesn't have the ABS equiped Trophy's the other brake bias valve ?
Erik

Not that the parts list is gospel Erik, but there is only one brake bias valve listed for ALL MGF/TF models. I thought this strange too - but I guess the total piston areas are felt to be sufficiently similar?
Rob Bell

Thanks guys, your advice much appreciated. Decision reached on whether it's worth it, and that's a "no". IMO the Trophy standard setup has enough feel & response for a sensitive toe to keep near-as-dammit as much control as ABS would, so I don't miss it on the track (well, OK, maybe once!), but it's always going to be a reassurance for when someone with a less finely-tuned right foot is using it.

Bizarrely, my other question I was about to post concerns the undoing of a frontal smack of another (and ABS equipped!) Mpi... Can I quickly point out that my finely-tuned right foot was not the one pressing the pedal at the time of impact :o)

No need to be modest Rob, I speak as one who tried to keep on your tail around Donington but even a possible mathematical advantage wasn't enough to keep you in sight for more than a lap or so, and the only times it looked like I'd gained ground were the hard-braking corners. Hence my interest in whether my braking can be even better... ;o)

Off to do that other question now, cheers all
Mike Hankin

This thread was discussed between 04/12/2004 and 06/12/2004

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