Have you ever walked out to get in your new car and just felt like it is missing something? Do you feel like it looks too much like every other model on the road? This is the first sign that a body kit may be just what you need.

Types of Body Kits

Body kits come in all kinds of styles, materials and qualities. There are basically three styles of kits you can choose from; a lip kit, a bumper replacement kit or a wide body kit.

A lip kit consists of a lip you attach to your front bumper, a side skirt for each side and a lip for the rear bumper. These kits completely attach to the factory bumper and are normally the best fitting kits available. The downfall of a lip kit is that it is a more subtle change and for some people, may not deliver the dramatic difference they are looking for.

The second style of body kit is the bumper replacement kit. A bumper replacement kit uses completely new front and rear bumpers to alter the appearance of the car, in addition to side skirts for each side. Bumper replacement kits provide a much more dramatic styling change than the lip kit. The downside of a bumper replacement kit is the fitment of the pieces. These parts are not molded on a factory bumper so many times, these parts do not fit the vehicle correctly without major body work.

Lastly, the most costly and most dramatic styling change is achieved with a wide body kit. These kits typically include a replacement front bumper, replacement rear bumper, custom side skirts, new front fenders and rear fender flares. Many wide body kits require excessive bodywork or fiberglassing to get a correct fitment. Vehicles with a wide body kit exhibit the most dramatic styling change of all three styles.

Materials of Body Kits

Most body kits are made of either fiberglass or urethane. Both types have their benefits and pitfalls. Urethane has become more popular in recent years, but there are still plenty of kits that are made of fiberglass. There are also other types of kits available that are almost a blend of two, sometimes referred to as “poly-fiber” or something similar.

In the early days, most body kits were made of fiberglass. There are a number of reasons for this: easier to design and manufacture, easier to repair if damaged, easier to paint, etc. It is far easier to have a mold made for a fiberglass piece than a urethane. This is the reason many kits are still made of fiberglass. Also, if you run into a curb, it is easier to repair a fiberglass bumper than it is a urethane. Most body shops are capable of repairing a fiberglass bumper, but not all can fix a urethane piece. Lastly, fiberglass kits are typically easier to paint; many urethane pieces can develop fish eyes in the paint if not prepped properly.

Urethane bumpers are far more flexible and impact resistant. All OEM bumpers today are made of urethane. Most major body kit manufacturers also use urethane bumpers because it is more forgiving of impacts and holds up much better than fiberglass. With it being more forgiving, you are able to bump a parking curb and not significantly damage your car, whereas a fiberglass bumper would more than likely break or crack. These kits are also much easier to install as they can be flexed and manipulated to get a better fitment.

Things to look for

There are a number of things you should look for when purchasing a kit.

1. The quality of the kit

Quality is the single most important thing to look for. This is hard to tell just from looking at a website. If you know someone with a kit from the same manufacturer, check out the kit. There are so many low quality kits on the Internet today, and a vast majority of the kits out there in the market fit into this category. There really are very few high quality kits available. Some of the name brands on the market include Razzi, 3D Carbon, Kaminari, Cervini’s, Buddy Club 2, Extreme Dimensions and Erebuni. Chances are if someone is trying to sell you a Terminator, Banshee or Aggressor kit, it is fiberglass and not very good quality. Buying from one of the above names does not guarantee a perfect fitment, but chances are it will be better than the imported knockoffs.

If you the roll the dice and buy one of these kits, what you are going to run into, more than likely, is a poor fitting kit. You might have side skirts that don’t fit or a front bumper that overlaps your headlight and doesn’t line up with your hood when it is closed. Most body shops or custom shops can make these kits work, but they will require extensive work, sometimes even having to be cut apart and re-fiberglassed back together. Basically if you buy a $300 kit, be prepared to spend $3000 to make it fit your car. If you buy a higher quality kit, the fitment of the kit should be much cheaper and easier to perform.

2. Shipping Costs:

There are a large percentage of body kits on the market that come in enormous boxes and command high shipping rates to get them from one spot to another. When you start pricing kits, make sure you factor in the shipping. Most full bumper replacement kits have to be shipped via truck freight and costs can rise as high as $200. The price is normally cheaper if you ship to a commercial address, so if you have any way to do so, it might save you as much as $50. This is due to the fact that a semi truck delivers truck freight items and it is harder for them to maneuver and park in residential areas, therefore they charge a premium to do so.

3. Overall Cost:

If you want to purchase a body kit, be prepared to spend some money or you might be in for a rude awakening. Most kits with shipping, paint and install are going to cost between $1500 and $5000. You can actually save money by buying a higher quality kit and saving on the install time. Here’s how……

Cheap fiberglass kit

Cost of Kit with shipping: $400

Cost to fit kit to car: $1500 (30 hours at $50 per hour)

Cost to paint: $700 (Avg. Price)

Total Cost: $2200

Name brand Urethane kit

Cost of Kit with shipping: $750

Cost to fit to car: $250 (5 hours at $50 per hour)

Cost to paint: $800

Total Cost: $1800

By looking at the above numbers you can see that it might be best, cost wise, to go with a higher quality urethane kit. Urethane kits are more flexible and this makes them easier to install, as they can be flexed to go where the installer wants them to go. Fiberglass kits are far less forgiving and cannot be flexed or tweaked.

Another alternative to look at is factory body kits. You can be assured that any kit sold at a dealer will be a direct replacement for your parts. Another thing you can consider is if there is a higher end model of your car that has a different look than your car but uses the same chassis. For example, if you have a 2003 Dodge Neon and want it to look like an SRT-4 don’t buy a knockoff aftermarket body kit for it, buy the factory bumpers off the SRT-4, they will bolt right onto your car.

I recently worked with a guy with a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer who wrecked his car and since it needed a new front bumper, he decided to get an EVO 9 style kit. He made the mistake of buying a cheap kit online that needed extensive work to fit his car because he figured it would be better to have the full kit and not just the bumpers. He ended up spending over $3500 for the kit including painting and installing it. The front and rear bumpers from an EVO 9 could have been had for much less and would have been a direct bolt on. Hopefully he learned his lesson on this one.

These are the main things to look out for when purchasing a body kit. Taking a gamble and buying a cheap kit may not be the best for your car or your pocketbook. Be sure to keep that in the back of your mind as you shop. You might save a few bucks on the kit, but chances are you will spend that savings and much more to make it work on your car!

By: Jason Helferich

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