Good point hamiltonian and I wondered the same thing - why did they leave all that open to the boot gas tank, etc?  I ended up cramming all those gaps with sealer foam etc around the rear seat and rear shelf.

Others should weigh in here but certainly the cage will improve rigidity depending on if it's floating or fully attached.

Hi guys,

Since I am starting the restoration/build of my 998cc mini, I thought I should create a dedicated thread where I could post updates and ask questions along the way.

I am currently stripping everything off the car that can be removed in preparation for sanding/cutting/welding/grinding etc.  In the boot/trunk I noticed that there is a rather large gap between the metal rear seat back and the wall of the rear quarter panel.  (There was a piece of foam wedged in between, visible in the foreground of the picture below.). Is this normal?  

Also, would it be a good idea to weld in some kind of support that would run across the width of the trunk, to provide greater structural rigidity?  (Assuming I can make it fit with the fuel cell I hope to install.)  I plan to install a bolt-in roll cage.  Would that provide similar support, rendering such a modification in the trunk unnecessary?

Thanks!