View Full Version : OMP or Sparco anyone???
Any of you guys got a OMP or Sparco front strut brace fitted, if so can you post or send me some pics as i am thinking of changing the Sho Shop one i have got.
NorCalCoug
06-22-2002, 06:07 PM
What is this I hear? A Sparco strut tower brace for the Cougar???????????? I MUST KNOW MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:)Damo, I've fitted an OMP front brace. I don't have any pics but there are some good ones on the forums if you search for OMP. The difference it makes to the car is quite remarkable. Fitting was a pain as one of the bolts sheared, and it definately takes two people. I think I bought it from Need for Speed. Around £70.
I've heard that Sparco brace has fitment problems. It was designed for a Zetec-powered Mondeo. I think that the problem is that bar doesn't clear the EGR valve very well on V6-powered cars... but I'm not sure. Chris Wong (http://www.ctamotorsports.com) from Canada used to offer them. Here are the pictures of one install on an SVT Contour from his website under the suspension section. (1 (http://www.ctamotorsports.com/contourimages/sparcost.jpg), 2 (http://www.ctamotorsports.com/contourimages/sparcosteel.jpg)) With the OMP, the fitment problems is with the air conditioning hose being in the way but it looks like its very minor problem. Gary Young (aka Bradleycougar on NECO) got Random Technology to develop a strut bar with no clearance problems and it looks to be a very quality item. It is attached to the car with real 8mm bolts. Here's his webpage. (http://www.digitelusa.net/~gyoung/STB/index.html). Then there's the SHO Shop bar that attaches to the top of the towers... its made of low quality materials and the people over at CEG are convinced that it may cause damage to the struts. And Damo, you are familiar with the great service that the SHO Shop offers. ;)
There is also the Wiecher's bar from Germany that can be had in steel or light-weight aluminium. Here are some pictures (all of them are the aluminium bar, the steel bar is powder-coated red):
1 (http://www.mondeoclub.com/frank/bombig5.jpg), 2 (http://www.mondeoprojects.de/wolfgang/tw31-005.jpg), 3 (http://www.mondeoclub.com/dominik/Dsc00010.jpg), 4 (http://www.sightsmith.com/si/alan5.jpg)
I've been trying to get an aluminium Wiecher bar from Europe for a long time. The North American distributor, Tuning Zubehor, are ripping people off with these bars charging nearly 100% over Wiecher's suggested retail price. Since I'm in Canada, it would cost me over $300 USD to get an aluminium bar from them. I've located a distributor in Portugal but they only deal with the VW, Audi and Porsche stuff and weren't too keen on going out of their way to order a Ford bar and send it to somebody in Canada. If I tried harder, I'd probably find another distributor/vendor.
BAT is also coming out with a strut bar in the future. The bars that they offer for the Merkur XR4ti are aluminium. So I'm probably going to wait to see what they come up with before I get anything.
Well I think that's pretty much all the strut bars that I know of.
NorCalCoug
06-24-2002, 12:12 PM
I hear Albert Mirko might be putting out a billet aluminum one. :)
Thanks for the info guys, yes Fern The Sho Shop are not my favourite people, i already have the sho shop strut brace but i also have been told not to use it because of its bad design and the damage it can cause to the struts.
Oh Fern i forgot to mention we don't have the EGR Valve on our cougars but they are fitted to the UK Spec Mondeo which seems a bit strange to me
NorCalCoug
06-24-2002, 05:28 PM
Yup, SHO Shop strut tower braces have broken at least 3 sets of struts from different people. ;)
KuwlKitty
06-24-2002, 05:37 PM
There's always the Freedom Design strut bar that I have. Click here to see where I bought it (http://www.ptuning.com/html/Item-Desc.cfm?PartNo=PT67303&MakeCode=mercur&ModelCode=cougar&ModelYear=1999%2D2001%20All&ModelDesc=Cougar) I haven't installed mine yet, still waiting for Eibach to make their 2001 Springs. Some one said the 2000 springs fit but I can't see how that can be because of the different upper strut tower size thingy.
Oops... forgot about the Freedom Design bar.
NorCalCoug
06-24-2002, 11:38 PM
There's always the Freedom Design strut bar that I have. Click here to see where I bought it (http://www.ptuning.com/html/Item-Desc.cfm?PartNo=PT67303&MakeCode=mercur&ModelCode=cougar&ModelYear=1999%2D2001%20All&ModelDesc=Cougar) I haven't installed mine yet, still waiting for Eibach to make their 2001 Springs. Some one said the 2000 springs fit but I can't see how that can be because of the different upper strut tower size thingy.
A member of NorCal NECO has the 99/00 Eibach springs currently installed on his 2001 and has had it on for at least a couple of months with no problems whatsoever. Apparently its due to the tops of the Eibach springs being 'flat', whereas the others are 'open' or curved.
Cougarbloke
06-25-2002, 04:24 AM
Nard,
Did you buy the Mondeo brace for your car because I cannot see a Cougar one on the Need for Speed website?
:)Indeed I did. It was for the 2.0 Mondeo. The guy at customgougars said it was fine and the one he uses and sells!:cover: I've had no problems.:biggrin:
NorCalCoug
06-25-2002, 04:24 PM
:)Indeed I did. It was for the 2.0 Mondeo. The guy at customgougars said it was fine and the one he uses and sells!:cover: I've had no problems.:biggrin:
I told you you'd need two people to fit it. ;)
Cougarbloke
06-25-2002, 05:23 PM
Nard,
I've had a look on the Need for Speed website and it will cost £82 including carriage for the mondeo brace.
Thought I'd have a quick look at Demon-Tweeks, click here (http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/) where the same brace appears to be £62 all in.
Can you confirm that the specific code for the brace is MA1753 ?
Thanks
What is this I hear? A Sparco strut tower brace for the Cougar???????????? I MUST KNOW MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well Sparco do centrally adjustable strut brace for the Mondeo V6 which may fit the Cougar
:)Cougarbloke, don't have the info to hand, but will dig out the paperwork as soon as I get home from work!:biggrin:
Cougarbloke
06-26-2002, 07:45 AM
Thanks Nard
I've found out from a guy in the states that their Cougar OMP front braces come with a `Mondeo 2.0' sticker attached, so it appears that it is the same brace.
Good price too.
I've just ordered one online.
:)
If you PM me your e-mail address, I'll send you some pics I have just taken. I can't seem to upload them onto the forums.:( I can confirm it says MA/1753:biggrin:
Relaxitscool
06-30-2002, 02:08 PM
The Cougar does have an EGR valve, its the balck top hat thing to the right of the rear manifold. The Spearco strut brace touches this so you have to modify it to make it fit, which is a royal pain in the arse. Don't buy one unless they state they are for the Cougar.
Rob
My cougar does not have a EGR valve, there is a blanking plate on mine where the valve should go
Relaxitscool
07-01-2002, 09:46 PM
In that case the Spearco will fit. Strange though, mine had one. However, I've heard removing them does no harm to the engine at all.
Rob