Hi all,
I put on front Cabrio braces on my MINI justa the other day and I hadn't seen anyone note this. The driver's side brace is a real trial to install due to limited clearance underneath the gearbox mount. See picture for details. The Cooper S people don't need to worry about this clearance because their cars are setup differently.

Hope this gets the word out there! It can be done though after much cussing!

 

That's strange, I don't remember seeing any clearance issues on the last R50 I took a look at. Do you have a manual or automatic trans?

 

Manual, 06. The later part of the previous statement might be where the issue comes from. The Getrag- R50s had a few things redesigned for the larger gearbox...

 

so what was the effect or result of the braces?

 

I'm noticing less interior noise and (maybe placebo) the front end feels tighter in sweepers... I really love that they're a factory original add-on.

 

It was a simple install on mine....easy....are your towers mushroomed/deformed? The area is tight...I did unmount the AC line anchor, mount the brace, then remount it...but it only took an extra 5 minutes.
The change on mine were subtle, but noticeable enough to make me happy!! Simple...OEM...Nuff said.
There is a HUGE thread on these....if you are a finesse driver...you will like the change...if you toss the car around...you most likely will not notice the change. The biggest change is on bumpy roads...the car feels more solid...the front of the car more planted....first time you cross a set of railroad track you will be like...WOW....it also got rid of my only dash rattle....so (knock on wood) my car is rattle free!!

Here is a good thread on it...IMO it is a good cheap mod...IF you have the HOLES.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...on-cabrio.html

Edit....I got mine from WayMotorWorks....a vendor....at $45 for this mod...it is simple...and most say has about the same effect as the much more $$ tower braces. Anything to brace the front towers is a good thing...it can only Improve the cars handling. Theses brace the are in a different direction that the tower braces...but it still does have a positive effect IMO.
http://www.waymotorworks.com/oem-cab...oss-brace.html

 

Yeah I didn't undo the AC line anchor because it looked like it wouldn't create any more space to work with. I ordered mine from Jayson at ClassicMINI for $44 including shipping. Great deal. They're light, stealth and technically stock!

 

Love my cabrio braces. I also felt like the front end was a bit more stable than before once these were installed on my car. Also, my braces still have their Mini Factory stickers on them with the part number and everything, so mine def. look OEM and All-Original!