I have a replica and it was painted by a high quality paint & body shop. It has an exact paint match and the fit is very good.

As for the cost differance, I saved about $100.00 over the OEM Lip.

 

how much did u pay for ur replica?

 

The weather strip gives it the finished look. Every replica I've seen looks looks just that......like a replica. To each his own.

 

from what i saw the oem lip comes painted and ships for about $400. the replica get shipped for $110 and you get sandpaper, plastic adhesive, primer, paint, and clearcoat for $40 bringing your total plus your personal time to $150. the fitment on my replica lip is not 100% but it's close enough (looks great) to not warrant spending $400 for an authentic.

 

100%

my entire car was repainted and now it's very very resistant to chipping. In Fact, I think I only have 1 or 2 noticable chips after 7k since the repaint

To the OP's question, IMO if you are a DIY kind of guy get the replica and make it fit yourself. Otherwise, order from hard top guy and have your local dealer install it. You local dealer might also match the HTG price so you don't have to do through the process of shipping, but i doubt it.

 

I really don't think a $340-350 Honda OEM lip is something that expensive. I can understand going with $800 Rotas as opposed to some $3000+ wheels, but an OEM lip isn't that much.

Anyway, the main difference I noticed is the little piece of weather stripping on the OEM lip (mentioned above already). Then of course you have the painting and the risk of it not fitting perfectly.

 

I think I'd just get the OEM. Instalation is only about 30-45 minutes, it's already painted ,fitment is perfect and your done. Nothing wrong with most aftermarket lips except for the added aggreviation and time spent and probably a little money to get it right. How much is your time worth?

 

yep oem install is significantly easier @ four hundred (shipped). however, us DIY people cannot justify spending an extra $250 when all that is required is sanding and using spray cans. it's just a lip, it's going to get scraped, chipped, and require touch-ups over time anyways.

 

This is original OEM front lip spoiler. The rubber thingy gives a nice touch and the fitment is excellent compared to the replica lips. Quality and paint is way better. Its amazing when you look underneath and you see that the colour does not chip away from scratches. I will try and get some closer shots than the one below. In the meantime click the photos for a closer view. You will see also the black rubber touch and the excellent fitment.

 

I wouldn't say those are "just spray cans"

The difference between OEM and replica after all the paint job and everything comes down to 150 bucks for most people. I don't mind paying 150 for that quality.