Body kits are made for virtually every make and model on the road today, and there are dozens of manufacturers making these kits available at affordable prices. When you purchase a body kit for your ride, you'll generally get front and rear bumpers, fender skirts or flares, and spoilers. These body kits are specially designed to complement and blend in with the existing OEM bodywork. You can even mix and match components from different kits; with over 200 different body kits available on the market today, it's easy to see how there is a virtually infinite number of ways to give you vehicle a unique custom appearance.
Rugged, Easy-To-Work With Materials
There are three choices when it comes to body kit materials today. These are:
• Fiberglass – the traditional choice for body kits and custom auto enthusiasts, this material has been around for almost seventy years. It is literally made from glass fibers that serve to reinforce plastic or polymer.
Advantages: It's inexpensive, lightweight and easy to work with.
Disadvantages: It may become brittle in frigid weather. Maintenance and repair also requires the use of toxic and unpleasant smelling chemicals.
• Polyurethane – Over the past decade or so, this form of plastic has been replacing fiberglass as the most popular choice of material for custom body kits. This polymer is very flexible and is used in a wide range of applications from upholstery and furniture to seals and gaskets.
Advantages: It is extremely durable and damage resistant; it is lighter than fiberglass, and much more resilient under cold weather conditions. It is also very easy to paint, requiring little surface preparation.
Disadvantages: Adhesives are flammable and may irritate the skin; proper precautions should be taken when working with these substances.
• Carbon fiber – This is the ultimate "space-age" material. It literally starts out as a type of "cloth" that is woven from threads made from carbon. This carbon "cloth" is then combined with special resins to form objects – such as body kit components – that are extremely durable, yet very lightweight. Carbon fiber is also popular as a material for high-end bicycle frames.
Advantages: This material offers the highest strength-to-weight ratio.
Disadvantages: Carbon fiber is considerably more expensive than polyurethane. Most custom car enthusiasts prefer the latter because the weight difference between the two is minimal.
Do It Now
The great thing about custom body kits is that you really don't need to have any body and fender experience, skills or special tools in order to create the look you want for your vehicle – and it doesn't cost a fortune, either. You can modify the look of your car as much or as little as you want; the choice is yours.
