Wheels, gotta have them. A good set of wheels transform the car, its looks, handling and ride. I tried on my Zender Milanos at first, from my previous car, the 168 Super, and it fitted right on but the offset was wrong. The Zender catalogue listed the Milano offset for the 156 as 30mm against 25mm for the 164/168 so the wheel stuck out too much. So a search for something nice and different yielded the Mille Miglia Type Evo, 8x17" shod with Bridgestone 225/45/17 tyres. The offset for these wheels are 35mm. And yes, I had to knock the inner rear fenders to make sure it doesn't scrape the tyres.
I've tried different springs & absorber combinations on my previous cars but always had problems with the ride being either too hard, firm, harsh or too soft with handling compromises. This time around, I opted to go for a custom designed suspension, HotBits by Speedworks. Its proprietor, Toh Soon Hin, described by local auto magazines as a suspension maestro, has designed a height adjustable suspension for the 156. Toh has 4 different settings to choose from; Super-Sports, Sports, Sports-Comfort, and Comfort.
I decided to go for a Comfort setting as I carry clients and friends in the car. The roads in most parts of the city are quite notorious for being riddled with potholes and poor surfaces. From previous experience, having a hard suspension is more a liability than an asset. The Comfort setting is not too bad really, being as sporty if not slightly more sporty than the original spring/absorber combination in terms of ride and handling.
Another benefit of this HotBits suspension is that it is fully serviceable. You don't ever have to replace your tired absorbers ever again. After servicing, for a small fee, of course, the shocks will be as good as new. Height adjustability, is a matter of taste and practicality. I opted not to have my car too low so as to clear some huge bumps/speedbreakers in some housing estates and shopping malls. I prefer to keep my undercarriage free from scrapes, thank you.
Novitec clear side repeaters/blinkers. A small change makes a big difference looks-wise.
Novitec aluminium foot pedals. Be careful, the edges are quite sharp. Slippers are not recommended.
HotBits stainless steel strut bar from Speedworks.
A K&N element drop-in filter sits in the standard air-box.
Plastic engine cover painted Fire Red (used OMP heat resistant paint) to really stand out.
