"Nano Brand" Front Strut Bar - Installed!
 

Functional bling! Wait 'till I light this bad boy up... :thumbsup:


http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...nststalled.jpg

Looks great Matt.:thumbsup: Aren't you worried about all that bling raising the center of gravity?? :lol:

The underbody lights I'm working on will lower it right down again... :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Oh, I see you have acheived true Nano balance in your life.

Well done! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I am the zen master of MINIs...

Viva la glow!

Where's my Ricer Citation book? I know it's around here somewhere...

Just a side note: You should cut the Alta airbox sealing gasket around your "NANO" brand brace since you're letting hot engine bay air into the airbox.

It's on my To-do list... Just couldn't put my hand to my box cutter when I installed it. I see from other people's bars that it's often done that way...

You can borrow mine. Matt has been issued a few lately. The underbody light kit just about did it for me. Ricer. Yeah, Ricer.

She's just jealous that she didn't think of it first. Silly woman. :wink:

What a great couple. :lol:

So let me get this straight - you're blacking out the chrome on the body, but adding bling to the engine? :sly: :razz:
Nice lettering though. :thumbsup:

Um... yeah. On a black bar. Am I blowing your mind? :lol:

Chuck's been laying off the gingko biloba for too long - time to stock back up. :)

are you going to Hydro that emblem? :lol:

ImagoX, how did you determine which brace to purchase? I've seen at least four different companies that manufacture them. Is the cost similar? Thanks, david

I went with the M7 because it also has the anti-mushrooming strut tower covers. I believe SOME others like the ProMINI bar have a similar feature, but all the other bars I saw with the anti-mushrooming technology were busier/less simple than the M7 one. Also, since I have the Alta CAI installed I needed one that was guaranteed to clear that device... Last, since I'm adding LEDs to the underside, I needed something solid (not perforated like the ProMINI bar).

The ability to take apart the bar (to access the oil filter and other engine components) was a plus as well, and not many other bars I saw had that feature - most others have to be comletely unbolted from the strut towers for such an operation.

Looks good. How is the handling after you installed the strut bar?

Until there are lights attached to it, I will stay out of the Ricer discussion. After all, the 'tasteful' addition of mood lights can't be too bad, can it? http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_1_20.gif

I'm looking at the same strut bar but I'm waiting until I get the CAI and will do them all at once(Actually, have Way do them all at once).

My wife has already told me no lights on it, though. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_13_4.gif





http://www.smileycentral.com/sig.jsp...p=ZNxmk762YYUS

You are going to pay to have that strut bar installed?? It's a ten minute job, fifteen if you're slow.

I agree with Chuck - it's a bolt-on. I have the torque specs handy if you need them, but it's dead simple, honest.

As for the handling, I just put it on last night, so I haven't had the chance to really go through the twisties yet... I honestly mainly got it for the anti-mushrooming plates - the bar was sort of nice-looking gravy. :) From what I hear, I ccn expect minor handling improvements, but for major improvement I need to go with the full USS system. One day...

I'm sorry to be an old pooper, but please define this acronym?? Thanx

Probably not. I just meant that I would be getting them at the same time. As mechanically challenged as I am, I think I can handle 6 bolts.

No sweat. CAI = Cold Air Intake

CAI install is pretty darn easy too. LOTS of folks of all genders who are NOT mechanically inclined do this. If you're nervous, find a buddy who has done one and let him drink beer and watch you. But it's really no sweat...

I did my own CAI... It was pretty simple, actually.