The ABC's (Basics) of Body Kits/Ground Effects
08-31-2003, 11:17 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Studio City
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The ABC's (Basics) of Body Kits/Ground Effects
I came across this article written by Mark Miller from, "Car Sound & Performance " July/August 2003 issue. It has good overall information about how to go about modifying your car with Ground Effects/Body kit. I thought it might be of use to some of you out there.
SPECIAL EFFECTS (By Mark Miller)
Learn how ground effects kits can make or break your ride.
Have you ever noticed how a good ground effects package can completely transform the look of a vehicle? It’s definitely considered an essential part of any modified vehicle these days. Let’s explore the things you’ll need to consider before, during, and after your purchase to truly enjoy this modification.
One of the things you have to consider is what look you want the car to have. If you want a “race inspired” look, then having a ground effects kit with a big aggressive mouth and swoopy curves is not for you. You probably want something more subtle – maybe a front lip spoiler and anything in real carbon fiber. If you want to have that "in-your-face, stand out in the crowd" look, then a lip spoiler wouldn't be an option. You want a front bumper cover that's two inches off the ground and has lots of things going on up there.
You also need to match the ground effects kit to your wheels and any rear spoiler. You wouldn't use a "racy" kit with chrome wheels and a huge fiberglass rear spoiler. I think you get the idea. Come up with a theme for your ride and stick to it.
The second thing to consider is how practical the kit will be for your ride. We recently sold a veilside kit to a customer with a 2000 Hyundai Tiburon. This kit was very expensive (over $2000) and very wild looking. The front bumper on this kit was only three inches off the ground and stuck way out. This means the customer has to be very careful or he's going to have a mangled front end. If you're going to drive this vehicle every-day and/or have a nice curb to get over to get into your drive-way, this kit would be very impractical.
What the kit is made of is another concern. Kits are typically made of fiberglass or urethane. There are some kits made in carbon fiber, but we'll focus on the two more popular materials. Fiberglass kits are easy to modify and easy to fix if they break, but they also break much easier than urethane because they're brittle. Urethane kits are much more resistant to breaking because they're very flexible, but they can't be modified as easily as fiberglass if they don't fit perfectly or need to be repaired. So put some thought into this. If you have a front spoiler that can drag easily, you would definitely want a urethane type that might get scratched if you hit a curb, but wouldn't leave a piece laying on the ground if you backed up.
The third thing to consider is that you typically get what you pay for in a ground effects kit. Typically, the more you spend for the kit, the better it fits the car. Take this example: You buy a kit for your car for $900. Your buddy has the same car and spends $500 on a kit. He got the better deal, right? Not if he has to spend an extra $500 at the body shop to get it modified so it fits properly. I would consider the money you need to spend to get the kit fitted and painted into your pricing. Money saved in the beginning can become a nightmare once you get the bill from the body shop. Plus, many body shops will walk the job if the kit fits poorly. So be careful with what you buy. You also need to make sure that the body shop is going to modify the kit in any way to make sure it fits properly. Any person that has seen a poor fitting kit knows that the car would have looked better without the kit. You don't notice the improvement, you notice the gaps and misalignment. Finally, make sure the paint matches the car and that the quality of paintwork matches the other paint on the car.
The last thing to consider is how you're going to drive your car after you have a ground effects kit installed and how you're going to take care of it. You now have painted parts of the car that are much closer to the ground. This means they'll get dirtier, sooner, plus, they'll be more susceptible to chips and scrapes. You'll need to be more careful in your driving style, looking out for speed bumps, curbs, dips in the road, and so on. All it takes is one careless move and you'll have some real damage on your hands.
I would suggest making sure you always have a good coat of wax on the car, and I would clean and inspect it regularly. It's possible that the kit will start to come loose over time from driving the car, so keep a close eye on that as well. If you have a part that gets loose, you can have it ripped off by the wind at 65 mph, and that's just not cool. So be extra anal about this.
In closing, you should know that this is definitely one of the best ways to separate your ride from the competition. Just take your time, come up with a theme for your car, and don't go cheap — you'll regret it later. Check out the sidebar for a list of reputable ground effects kit manufacturers. There are more than this out there, but I've personally used these kits and they fit well.
Side Bar
KAMINARI
STILLEN
VEILSIDE
VIS RACING
WINGS WEST
XENON
SPECIAL EFFECTS (By Mark Miller)
Learn how ground effects kits can make or break your ride.
Have you ever noticed how a good ground effects package can completely transform the look of a vehicle? It’s definitely considered an essential part of any modified vehicle these days. Let’s explore the things you’ll need to consider before, during, and after your purchase to truly enjoy this modification.
One of the things you have to consider is what look you want the car to have. If you want a “race inspired” look, then having a ground effects kit with a big aggressive mouth and swoopy curves is not for you. You probably want something more subtle – maybe a front lip spoiler and anything in real carbon fiber. If you want to have that "in-your-face, stand out in the crowd" look, then a lip spoiler wouldn't be an option. You want a front bumper cover that's two inches off the ground and has lots of things going on up there.
You also need to match the ground effects kit to your wheels and any rear spoiler. You wouldn't use a "racy" kit with chrome wheels and a huge fiberglass rear spoiler. I think you get the idea. Come up with a theme for your ride and stick to it.
The second thing to consider is how practical the kit will be for your ride. We recently sold a veilside kit to a customer with a 2000 Hyundai Tiburon. This kit was very expensive (over $2000) and very wild looking. The front bumper on this kit was only three inches off the ground and stuck way out. This means the customer has to be very careful or he's going to have a mangled front end. If you're going to drive this vehicle every-day and/or have a nice curb to get over to get into your drive-way, this kit would be very impractical.
What the kit is made of is another concern. Kits are typically made of fiberglass or urethane. There are some kits made in carbon fiber, but we'll focus on the two more popular materials. Fiberglass kits are easy to modify and easy to fix if they break, but they also break much easier than urethane because they're brittle. Urethane kits are much more resistant to breaking because they're very flexible, but they can't be modified as easily as fiberglass if they don't fit perfectly or need to be repaired. So put some thought into this. If you have a front spoiler that can drag easily, you would definitely want a urethane type that might get scratched if you hit a curb, but wouldn't leave a piece laying on the ground if you backed up.
The third thing to consider is that you typically get what you pay for in a ground effects kit. Typically, the more you spend for the kit, the better it fits the car. Take this example: You buy a kit for your car for $900. Your buddy has the same car and spends $500 on a kit. He got the better deal, right? Not if he has to spend an extra $500 at the body shop to get it modified so it fits properly. I would consider the money you need to spend to get the kit fitted and painted into your pricing. Money saved in the beginning can become a nightmare once you get the bill from the body shop. Plus, many body shops will walk the job if the kit fits poorly. So be careful with what you buy. You also need to make sure that the body shop is going to modify the kit in any way to make sure it fits properly. Any person that has seen a poor fitting kit knows that the car would have looked better without the kit. You don't notice the improvement, you notice the gaps and misalignment. Finally, make sure the paint matches the car and that the quality of paintwork matches the other paint on the car.
The last thing to consider is how you're going to drive your car after you have a ground effects kit installed and how you're going to take care of it. You now have painted parts of the car that are much closer to the ground. This means they'll get dirtier, sooner, plus, they'll be more susceptible to chips and scrapes. You'll need to be more careful in your driving style, looking out for speed bumps, curbs, dips in the road, and so on. All it takes is one careless move and you'll have some real damage on your hands.
I would suggest making sure you always have a good coat of wax on the car, and I would clean and inspect it regularly. It's possible that the kit will start to come loose over time from driving the car, so keep a close eye on that as well. If you have a part that gets loose, you can have it ripped off by the wind at 65 mph, and that's just not cool. So be extra anal about this.
In closing, you should know that this is definitely one of the best ways to separate your ride from the competition. Just take your time, come up with a theme for your car, and don't go cheap — you'll regret it later. Check out the sidebar for a list of reputable ground effects kit manufacturers. There are more than this out there, but I've personally used these kits and they fit well.
Side Bar
KAMINARI
STILLEN
VEILSIDE
VIS RACING
WINGS WEST
XENON
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post