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Engine Compartment Brace

dgraver

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I can't find too much info on this but I'll say what I know. The engine compartment braces that go from fender to cowl making an inverted V, mine are missing on my 72 rr GTX and I want them. I know they were there at one point, the bolt is still present on the fire wall.

Apparently these were put on all big block b bodies after 71 until ??. Like I said, I can't find anything on them, including where to get a set. Any of you have the braces on your car? Anyone have any they would like to part with? Any input would be great.
 
I think they were on ALL cars....every post 71 car I have ever owned whether a 318 car or a 440 car has had them. I just went and checked. Even my slant 6 car has them. I bet you could find a pair in the junk yard.
 
And if you can't find any I bet you could make some relatively easy, it's nothing more than a thin walled piece of pipe with the ends flattened, bevel cut to fit and drilled for a bolt. If someone could give you some measurements, and a couple of pics, it could be done.

I guess if this is a 100 point resto then that would not be acceptable, but for a cruiser, who's to know.
 
They sell them made . I'll get back to you with the info. I'm at work now.
 
Yea I'm not sure what cars they were on, what year, etc. I do know that today, I see more cars without them than with them.

I was going to resort to making a set if I came home empty handed from Carlisle in a few weeks.

TruBee, it would be awesome if you could get me the info, the only thing I can find is the brace made by EV motorsports (i think thats it), and something called a Race Brace, but the website looks a little suspect and im not feeling either one.
 
Yea I'm not sure what cars they were on, what year, etc. I do know that today, I see more cars without them than with them.

I was going to resort to making a set if I came home empty handed from Carlisle in a few weeks.

TruBee, it would be awesome if you could get me the info, the only thing I can find is the brace made by EV motorsports (i think thats it), and something called a Race Brace, but the website looks a little suspect and im not feeling either one.
Apparently it was the race brace that I seen. It is from Elite Automotive 845.742.0571 or [email protected]. Oh well, I tried. See ya at Carlisle!
 
Be aware when shopping for these, 72 b-bodies are 32 inches center to center on the drivers side and 30 inches center to center approximately on the passenger side. 73-74 are longer, I found out the hard way.
 

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T2R9, are you going to reveal where you shopped/found yours? My search continues, im hoping I have some luck at Carlisle next week.
 
The ones pictured are my originals. My passenger side was bent pretty good so I tried to replace it. After getting two that were wrong, one here and one on ebay I went ahead and straightened out the one I had the best I could and used it. Bring a tape measure with you to Carlisle and you should find what you need. I love that place, this will be the second year in a row I will miss it.
 
Sorry for reviving an old thread but do the braces in post 7 actually help stiffen the front end? Dumb question. I'm sure Ma MoPar wouldn't engineer them without reason. My 72 Satty doesn't have them and I never see them at swap meets. Was thinking about building some unless someone knows of a source.
I'll start a new thread if I am out of line.
 
They do seem to help a little bit. I think I have a pair of 72s in the garage, will take a look over the next few days and see if I can remember where I put them.
 
For ’72, first year for these factory braces on the b-body, it was big block applications only. They are not really beefy enough to stiffen the entire front of the car. Likely to help control the lateral movement of the upper fenders. The ’72 versions are one year only, they have some slight bends the later years did not have. As mentioned, the ’73 and up are slightly longer and are straight, without the ’72 bends. By ’73 the braces were more common across the engine options.

In my time at the dealers back in the day, would see a lot of them on the old timer’s benches, or in the garbage after any serious engine work requiring their removal. Seemed like it was too much trouble to put them back on.

Pictured here are a set of the original ’72 braces, note the slight bend in the middle of the passenger side, and clearance bends near the forward ends, allowing room for the hood hinge when down.

Second picture shows a set of later braces modified to fit my other ’72.
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I purchased a used pair for my '72 Satellite Sebring Plus but now I have my doubts if they will fit, I had no idea the design was changed after '72. I don't know if my used set are '72 versions or the later ones. In foto three, I flipped them over 180 degrees from the way they were pictured in foto two. They seem to be pretty straight. The measurements are from the very end/tip of one side to the very end of the other side.

I would be interested to know how to modify the later ones for a '72 model (just in case). Thank you.

I don't know what post #7 means by "center to center" 30" and 32", the bolt holes on mine are slotted more than 1/2" on one end and more than 3/4" on the other end, that's why I measured them tip to tip.

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I purchased a used pair for my '72 Satellite Sebring Plus but now I have my doubts if they will fit, I had no idea the design was changed after '72. I don't know if my used set are '72 versions or the later ones. In foto three, I flipped them over 180 degrees from the way they were pictured in foto two. They seem to be pretty straight. The measurements are from the very end/tip of one side to the very end of the other side.

I would be interested to know how to modify the later ones for a '72 model (just in case). Thank you.

Those look to be the later versions. The outer bolt holes will need to be drilled to fit the ‘72, slotted end removed. A slight bend will need to be added at the outer end of the brace to provide clearance for the closed hood hinge. If not running an Air Grabber air filter base, the mid bend in the passenger brace is not needed. Again, these are simple hollow tubes, fairly easy to bend.


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The one year only ’72 version are rather scarce these days, whatever you can get for them I would imagine.
 
So. Surprised that they are hollow and slotted! How much can they really do?
I would think they will flex and possibly move in the slotted holes under stress.

Montclaire....PM me with a price. I may be interested. I have a 72.
 
When I restored my ‘72 the bars were literally the hardest and last part I found. I looked for them at Carlisle and in junkyards for a few years before getting lucky talking to a guy at a car show who said he had a set in his garage.

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