Moss Miata

Brainstorm Style Bar

Brainstorm double hoop chrome style bar

[2/3/2004] Reviewed by: franz - franz_delavega@earthlink.net

Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter

Low profile double hoop chrome style bar.

Bought mine used with no signs of wear from ebay with no instructions. took me 2 hours to install and figure out how it goes in. Great product, everything lines up. The fit and finish is awesome. the hoops does not go over the seat too high. Works with my robbins glass window. Bad news is that it interferes with seat travel. I am 5'11" and I feel I need a little more room.

It is a high quality product. Highly recommended. Go for it if you don't need to fully recline the seats.

Difficult to remove without leaving damage


Brainstorm polished Short Bar with matching interior color Short Bar Cover

[3/19/2003] Reviewed by: Steve Tsao - Tsaorunner@aol.com

Applicable to: '99 +

Hoop design style bar (polished) that does not provide roll-over protection.

I love this product! I actually got this two years ago and I am just writing a review now. This was the first modification I made to my car. To this day it is still one of my favorites. It transforms the look of the car and generates attention. The cover that I got matches the interior perfectly. Took awhile to install but is pretty easy to figure out. I think every Miata should have some type of roll/style bar installed. Definitely a MUST!!!!

Great Style, high quality, will set your car apart. Only thing about it is that it reduces the recline of the seats slightly. This affects me becuase I'm fairly tall and my hair hits the top when it's up. Wearing a baseball cap or shaving my head solves the problem!

Difficult to remove without leaving damage


stainless steel double hoop style bar

[8/30/2002] Reviewed by: bob faillo - bfaillo@cinci.rr.com

Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter

Stainless steel low aspect double hoop style bar from brainstorm with glass windblocker and matching lower bar cover.

Product delivered with no problems. Installation quite straight forward although instructions pictorials were not the greatest. All materials were first rate and fit perfectly. Took me 4 hours alone. Bought a dremel tool to help with cutting plastic covers around seat belts.

This makes the chrome wheels on my 2000se stand out. Many compliments. Makes the miata look a lot more substantial and sportier. Windblocker looks great and really helps. Well worth the $$$

Difficult to remove without leaving damage


Brainstorm Style Bar

[7/23/2002] Reviewed by: Doug Robertson - doug.inger@verizon.net

Applicable to: '99 +

Chrome double hoop style bar

This item shipped quickly and was received in great condition. It was easy to install, although I got a little confused about the spacers for the seat belts. This was easily worked out with some experimentation. It does require cutting of the interior plastic which was a bit unnerving at first, but once I got started it was easy with a Dremel rotary tool.

This product is solid and I still love it after several months. I got positive comments the first drive I tok with it installed and still do, including one yesterday from another driver at a stop light. I like the shorter style compared to other bars out there and the available integrated glass windblocker.

Difficult to remove without leaving damage


Brain Storm Short Style Bar

[4/24/2002] Reviewed by: Bryan Acosta - Reaper113@hotmail.com

Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter

Twin hoop style "short" bar 304 SS

The chassis really does fell different from stock, went in well and only took me and a friend about 2hrs. wit alot of BullS'n. Install time would take about an 1 1/2hrs. without distractions. Very clean fit depending on your skills for cutting the plastic pieces, Instructions were straight forward.

Got ALOT of revs from Civics and v6 Mustangs at stop lights. The bar has really good rearward visability to see them as well, no obstructions:) overall great product.

Difficult to remove without leaving damage


Brainstorm Dual-Hoop Chrome Style Bar

[4/24/2002] Reviewed by: Jason Loy - jasonmx5@hotmail.com

Applicable to: '99 +

Dual-hoop style bar enhances appearance of car but NOT for roll-over protection

I am very pleased with this bar. It took about an hour to remove all the parts I needed to to perfom the installation. Took about 20 minutes to install the bar itself. Took another hour to cut the plastic interior trim as needed and re-install all the parts.

This is a very nice product. The welds are clean and it really tightened up the rigidity of the car overall. So impressed by the change I felt I went and bought a shock tower brace to compliment the new, more solid feel. Looks great, too!

Difficult to remove without leaving damage


Brainstorm Stainless Steel style bar

[3/20/2002] Reviewed by: John - civicspoon@hotmail.com

Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter

highly polished stainless steel bar. like Audi TT bar. but not as tall as other bars.

this bar looks great and provide some middle chasis stiff up. the instruction that came with the bar weren't helpful. but if you take your time and read through it,it's simple. most diffcult part when intstall this are triming the plastic panal to fit around the bar. i use a rotary cuting tools from Lowes for 80 bucks. by the way the bar don't provide roll over protection.

nice bar for $330 shipped. would recommend if you want to spice the look on your Miata with top down.

Under 30 minutes to remove completely


Brainstorm Stainless Steel Shortbar

[9/26/2001] Reviewed by: Jeannette Wood - jd2be_2001@yahoo.com

Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter

A very shiny style bar that conforms to the shape of your seats. Adds sparkle and speed...(well, at least everyone else will think you can go faster). The other reviewers were right - it DOES make people want to race you!!

Drove down to Brainstorm to spend a boatload of money on great products, got the style bar and got down to work. Decided to forgo their $100+ installation fee and grabbed a fellow Miata owner to help. The directions were crap and we're both college graduates...you'd think we'd figure it out. It took about 4 hours, however at least one of those involved a bolt that would just NOT thread in. Interestingly, we unscrewed the driver's side bolt, switched it with the passenger bolt, and VOILA! success. hmm... Not Brainstorm's fault. Only broke one piece of the car in the process - the plastic seat belt tower cover. can't cost too much to get a new one. and don't even care. the gold bolt-tops showing look kind of cool anyway.

Very smooth stainless steel. I am convinced after reading some other reviews that BS has either re-trained their welder or got a new one, cuz my welding looks great (and I'm picky). A great investment. It only rattled for a while until I took my lug wrench (which worked nicely as a 14mm) and torqued it a little more. Girls, if I could do it, you can too! you will feel a great sense of accomplishment when you're done. And you'll look even hotter! :)

Difficult to remove without leaving damage


Brainstorm Short Bar Twin Polished 304 stainless steel

[8/5/2001] Reviewed by: Bob Rodriguez - bobrodrye@aol.com

Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter

A pure 304 grade (high nickel content) double hoop style "roll style" bar that is lower than other brands and is just slightly higher than the seat backs. Does not interfere with top or toneau cover.

I was 100% satisfied with the product. It arrived quickly and in good condition. The instructions were "adequate" if basic. Installation was surprisingly quick and easy and the bar fit perfectly. The bar bolts into existing holes so ther is no drilling. The bolting in part took my 10 year old son Robert and I 2 hours exactly. I did the modifications to the plastic trim in about an 1-1/2 hours because I took my time.

product I received was much, much better than I had expected. The welds are beautiful. 304 s.s. last litterally forever and because of it's high nickel contant it shines like crome. The best things I can say about this bar are comments I received on the second day from a BMW-Z3 driver who asked: 1) "Is that factory original?" - Translation = it looks so natural 2) "Where can I get one?" Translation = It looks way cool! There is one important benefit I'd like to point out and that is the fact that this bar dramatically increases the rigidity of the chassis. The car, even with the top down, now feels like a hardtop. There is only one potential negative and that is the seat reclines 3/4 of an inch less but after driving the car for 10 days I got used to it. I think this is probably the best bang for the buck product you can get for a Miata because it looks great and feels great.

Difficult to remove without leaving damage


[2/15/2001] Reviewed by: Michael Thomas - mtmx5@yahoo.com

Applicable to:

Brainstorm Double-Hoop Chrome Style Bar

I received the product in a timely manner from BSP. The bar is pretty "beefy". Thick diameter for both the Hoops and the Crossbar. The bar was installed on BigBaby (my 96 M Edition) by Dealers Alternative in West Orange, NJ (thanks Seth, June and Mark). Cutting did not seem difficult. The fit was perfect and it feels very solid. Does sit as high as a RB Style Bar. I'm still able to use my boot, which was of great concern. The only downsides were, as noted before, the weld were a little sloppy, not terribly sloppy, just a little. Also the price was kind of high, but when you compare it to the price of the RB Style Bar, I consider it a bargain.

Overall, a very good buy. Nice fit, good look and only minor cosmetic problems. Did I mention it also screams, "RACE ME!!!"

Difficult to remove without leaving damage


Brainstorm double hoop style bar

[8/17/2000] Reviewed by jay simon - jsimon@daymon.com

Applicable to '99 + 1.8 liter

double hoop 'short' style bar

went for style not substance or protection,got what I paid for with an awesome look, waited 6 weeks for backorder, had brainstorm do install,good job by BS. BS also has fitted leather cover for the horizontal support which matched the blue leather on my '99 AE.

While looks are great and BS did a good clean install, overall quality of product is just fair to good, whoever welds the hoops to the horizontal bar needs to learn how to weld!! very sloppy welding, however some is hidden by the fitted cover on the horizontal bar. Was able to reinstall and use O.E. windscreen by only moving mounting holes. Overall, would say good value for money. cost of bar 275.00, cover,64.00.

Difficult to remove without leaving damage


BSP shortbar

[6/21/2000] Reviewed by David Boushie - spky69@webtv.net

Applicable to '99 + 1.8 liter

Chrome double hump bar between rear shock braces.

Installation involved cutting the trim which was not hard. The apperance is great. The brace pad helped to cover the weld defects. Overall an easy install.

With the top down the brace cotacts the top frame causing a rattle every time a bump is hit. Order the optional cover to hide defects in welds.

Over 30 minutes to remove completely


BSP Low Profile Chrome Style Bar

Reviewed by: Brett Woltjen - bwoltjen@epix.net

A chrome style bar with double humps hugging both of the seats. Differs from most other bars (such as Racing Beat) because the bar does not go up as high above the headrests.

I ordered the bar from Brainstorm, but I didn't receive it for two and a half weeks due to backorder. I was immediatly immpressed with thickness of the bar and how bulky it was. Mounting took about 3 and a half hours. There were some set backs caused by comfusing directions. They could have been much clearer.  The bar looks great once on giving the car a lower, wider, and more aggressive look. I went out diving that night and was swarmed by other cars trying to race me. It making the car look intimidating.

The bar looks amazing on making the Miata look much better from every angle. People WILL notice your little car with this shiny bar protruding from behind you and stare at you as you pass (even more than they already do!)

My advice --- > go for it, you will not be dissapointed with the way this bar looks.

Difficult to remove without leaving damage


Reviewed by: Terrence Wong - xwingtw@jps.net

Brainstorm Products short bar

The short bar arrived in good shape, the only thing missing was the installation kit. After calling Brainstrom the kit showed up in another 7 days. Installation was very easy all the holes lined up, it took me about 45 min. to get the bar mounted. The instructions that came with the bar was not too  clear, but once you start taking things apart you will get the picture on how things should go together. The part that took the most time to do was triming the  panel that was a 45 min job. After very thing are reinstalled, I noticed the gap between the bar and the panel you can see a little of the sheetmetal underneath Before you install the bar, it might be a good idea to spray paint the sheetmetal to match your interior so the gap will be less noticable.

The bar look good overall. But during the welding of the two hump a lot of spark must be fly and not too much preparation was done before the bar was chromed. Therefore there are many tiny dots on the bar, you can't see it from far away but noticable when you are up close. Overall good product but can be even better.

Difficult to remove without leaving damage

Reviewed by: Peter Ramiscal - mgmnt@email.msn.com

Drove up to LA to get this bar, I have been waiting for a long time for someone to come up with a style bar that did not stick way up in the air like the Racing Beat Bar. Love the look, just barely raises over the seats.

This bar is of solid material and well plated. The problem that I had was that the holes did not line up on the passenger side. No problem though, rather then being able to push the bolts through, I had to screw them through, once the poped through I could attach the locking washer and bolt. Install is about an hour, there's only four bolts. This does not include the time for trimming the plastic guard, thats an additional half hour. The over all result is a sturdy well made (except for the hole on the passenger side) product and it sales for less the the RB super hoop. e-mail me if you have questions.


Original BSP Style Bars

Reviewed by: Toby Drake - TD77@aol.com

Double-hoop tubular cockpit brace

I bought mine used from a fellow Miata clubmember, Mark Opperman, who upgraded to a full roll bar. He has a very complete shop in his garage, including a pneumatic torque wrench; he's experienced at the installation, and yet it still took 2 hours of hard labor to complete the job. Having a distinct lack of mechanical dexterity and owning only hand tools, it probably would have taken me 8 hours if I managed it at all. Thanks again, Mark. Results - car really feels much stiffer, handles better, and the black bar looks great on my white '91. However - a hollow, tinny rattle ensued. Back to Mark's next weekend. Two more sweaty hours until the culprit was located - the little hat-shaped spacers which go inside the tubing at the ends. Neither of us can figure out why they're there at all, since the bar is extremely strong 2-1/4" diameter steel. With those removed, the rattle disappeared, and all is well.

Over 30 minutes to remove completely


 

Back to Product Reviews 11 October, 2009



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