Rear Strut Tower Brace

Updated 2/6/04

Sometimes it just doesn't pay to be the first one with the latest greatest modification.  As soon as this product was released, I ordered one - big mistake.  I received it and found out that it did not fit Z32's with stock TT shocks and actuators.  Dammit!!!  I called Stillen and ask about this and they said they did not realize this as well, as they did all the fitments on an NA.  Well that really does us TT owners a lot of good.

After a while, I upgraded my rear shocks and was able to install this rear STB.  Well my problems just began again.  I carefully used the templates to cut clearance holes in my rear interior panels and then tried to install the STB.  What a pain in the rear this was.  To make matters worse and impossible, the holes that I cut are not where they should be, so I ended up with really large cracks in my rear interior panels.  What I later found out was that the templates that were provided in my kit were for another application.  Dammit again. 

Now my problems really start.  I was fortunate that one of my friends had dealings with Stillen.  He had mentioned my situation to Frank S., the VP of sales at the time.  Well somehow word got to Steve Millen himself, and it sounded like he was rather upset with this as this is a new product for them and he did not want a lot of other similar complaints.  I think another thing that upsets them was that I mentioned that in their latest catalog with a picture of the installed STB, there was also a crack in the rear panel similar but smaller that the crack in mine.  At the time, the picture was much larger and the crack more visible.  Today the picture is much smaller so that you can't really see the crack.  So anyways, Steve told Frank to have customer service send me replacement interior panels for the damaged ones that I now have in my car.  Frank and I exchange emails with the information on my Z, so that replacement panels could be sent out to me.  Well months drag on and emails are exchanged and still no panels.  Finally I had to send a letter to Frank, which I copied Steve Millen on, stating that I would purchase the replacement panels myself and then send them a bill for the replacement cost.  This does the trick and I finally received my interior panels.  All Frank can say is that customer service dropped the ball again.  So much for customer service, as I would soon find out later when I go through my HICAS fiasco.

One final note on these rear STB's - DO NOT GET THESE.  Even with the correct templates, they are nearly impossible to install cleanly.  I have seen Mike Kojima's installation and it is absolutely perfect, but there are now much better alternatives out there now.