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?
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
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.
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.
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