Hypothetical:

Given Pascal's entering conditions (i.e., everything else is tightened up) would it be more beneficial to brace the engine bay somewhere other than the strut towers? Say, a cross-brace about midway, or a couple of triangles from edge to cowl?

Function before fashion. '96 Contour SE "Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998