A Pillar To Inner Wing Brace Bar?

[nick205 12 5 Cars]

Hi All,

 

Busy stripping a 205 shell right back to bare bones for restoration.

 

Is the A pillar to inner wing brace bar on the NSF shown below how the cars were built?

 

It's not there on the OSF?

 

 

 

 

[welshpug 1,627]

Seen them on quite a few but not all cars, it is a factory thing but I don't know exactly the reasoning, the bulkheads do flex a fair bit though.

[nick205 12 5 Cars]

Whilst stripping it, I did find that the NSF front wing and NSR quarter panels had been replaced at some point (genuine Pug panels). The OS is all original. I did wonder if it might have been added as part of a body repair, but then it looks as if it's been there from new.

 

Could it be a difference on PAS and non PAS cars maybe? Might account for having it one side and not the other.

 

Or maybe 1.6 and 1.9 cars? Although you'd do it both sides then!

[cRaig 265 1 Cars]

I remember asking about this when I stripped my wings off- the consensus was that the brace is only on the drivers side, due to the engine mount hanging off that wing. Kinda makes sense!

[nick205 12 5 Cars]

Guess it could be!

 

Although the position of it looks like it would usefully stiffen the suspension turret (which isn't the strongest), which would benefit both sides.

[mowflow 67]

My car has that bar as well. It's a non PAS 1.6. I assumed it was some kind of s*it attempt at crash safety

[GLPoomobile 958]

I've seen this discussed before, but as it's come up again I've just spent a couple of minutes gazing upon the picture and pondering this. I can only come up with reason, which seems fairly "far out" but it's the best I can come up with. Perhaps it's there to provide a bit of side impact protection for the brake master cylinder reservoir. If the car took a side impact in that area, it could result in the MC/Res/Brake lines being damaged and spilling fluid on to the exhaust manifold = instant fire. So I suppose it would make sense to brace the area a bit to help prevent that occurring.

Edited January 6, 2014 by GLPoomobile

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Easy way to prove that theory would be to see if the bar is on the other side on lhd cars. I reckon the engine mount support is a very possible reason.

[cRaig 265 1 Cars]

As Tom says, would be interesting to see if the LHD cars are the same. I suspect it isn't to do with brake fluid safety, as manufacturers started worrying about that slightly after the 205 AFAIK, such as the 405- which moved the reservoir to the scuttle area to remove it from close proximity from the exhaust manifold (a bigger car, with more space so not a totally fair comparison) or pinning/bolting the reservoir to the MC, rather than relying on the push fit of the plastic reservoir.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Fair point about the LHD drive cars. Didn't think of that.

 

Doens't look as though it would help the engine mount though as only looks to extend as far as the strut tower. If it were for the engine mount, it would imply that there were problems/failures on earlier cars without this bar. I've never heard of any though. What was the heaviest engine in a 205, Turbo Diesel? Did it coincide with that engine going in 205s?

[mowflow 67]

I've seen this discussed before, but as it's come up again I've just spent a couple of minutes gazing upon the picture and pondering this. I can only come up with reason, which seems fairly "far out" but it's the best I can come up with. Perhaps it's there to provide a bit of side impact protection for the brake master cylinder reservoir. If the car took a side impact in that area, it could result in the MC/Res/Brake lines being damaged and spilling fluid on to the exhaust manifold = instant fire. So I suppose it would make sense to brace the area a bit to help prevent that occurring.

 

Chances are that you'd be dead after any kind of impact so does it really matter if you are cremated at the scene of the accident or later in a crematorium.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Not so. Plenty of examples have been cited on this forum of very nasty 205 crashes that the occupants have walked away from unscathed.

[MikeC 10]

May it be to help protect the fuel filter as they are in the same place on both LHD and RHD cars. Just said i'd add my tuppence worth