I saw this item in the new Paddock Catalog it is called a lower chassis brace. It is made by Kenny Brown Performance and is described as follows:

"This is a brace which will strengthen the area between the lower firewall an the front suspension. All necessary hardware and mounting hardware included. Zinc plated and serialized.

82-92 KBP18005 Lower Chassis Brace........ea. 99.95"

I think along with a wonderbar this would really tighten up the front half of our cars.

 

What does "serialized" mean? If it's stolen, it's got a serial #?

Good find; I wonder if it bolts to existing frame holes, or if new ones need to be drilled & tapped. I also wonder how hard it'd be to whip out my welder and weld one up. Does kenny brown have a website? Ah, yes, they do, kennybrown.com . Is this the picture of the brace? http://www.kennybrown.com/fbodylbrace.html

It's got an odd design; it looks like a stock Wonderbar, with one of the mounting flanges spun 180 degrees around. Hm. I wish there was a bigger picture. Hell, looks like I (or actually, all of us!) wouldn't even need to weld anything- just buy some 1" rectangular tubing from Home Depot, and bolt it in place!

 

Just looks like another wonder bar that mounts elsewhere to me...

 

**EDIT** I went to the website and looked up the STB there and its black. the one i looked at a few years ago was definately brown. the name sounds real familiar though **

last summer i was actively looking for a STB and kenny brown emailed me back saying that they had and STB that would fit our cars. they emailed me the part# and everything, but that email is since long gone!! DOH! but i remember the main reason i didn't buy it was becuase it was ****e brown. just really didn't like it. but if you contact them i am sure they will tell you the same thing. and i am 90% positive i was inquireing about the V8 thirdgen STB fitting our cars....and they said theirs would.

damn STB thing erks me....someday i will just buy one and wee what happens.

 

I have a BMR STB on my 3.1L Camaro. I bought it from the BMR website directly. It's the 2 point one, and it's for the TBI. My mechanic made 2 shims to raise it up just a LITTLE bit to clear the A/C. Looks and works awesome!!

Mark

 

Anyone else notice that from the picture it looks to be right in the same area as the stock transmission crossmember? Chances are it uses the extra frame rail holes that GM left for using other transmissions. If thats the case then its rather pointless. Box your stock crossmember or fabricate a heavier crossmember for a fraction of the price and have a better part. Either way I doubt you'll feel any difference since by that point the structure of the car is somewhat stabilized by the firewall.

The wonder bar is good and is noticable because it has multiple effects. First it ties the front subfame together, then it stiffens the steering box mount so the steering is positive without any flexing, then it also has the same effect on the sway bar and mounts. That makes the part worthwhile and worth the $20 that most of us pay for them used. A $99 part on the other hand, that pretty much does nothing, doesn't sound like much of a bargain.