Before Buying A Body Kit, read this first... Options

[RCTCelica]

hey guys,

the reason for this thread is simply because of the questions like "how come my kit fits like this?"

some of you already know this but for those that don't here are a few tips on buying a body kit.

There are many "knock off" body kits out there that will not fit and align up as the originals. Now keep in mind that unless you are paying top $$$ you will never get a kit that runs flush with the body lines of your car.

When i say "knock off" i mean that there are many copies of copies out there. For eample, veilside makes what they call the celica CI model, erebuni makes the shogun, and VIS makes the invader. now these three companies are the "original makers of this style kit (veilside, erebuni, than VIS). this means that they have the best mold which leads to more $$$.

There are other companies out there that make the same kit for a fraction of the price. The reason for this is because company "A" will buy the original molded (not mold) bumper from veilside. now this company mass produces this mold. the fitment is still fine since it is the first copy.

Now company "B" buys a copied bumper to use as their "original mold". Now this is where the problem begins, now you have a mold of a mold that came from a mold. The fitment will not be as precise.

This cycles continues and fitment that is suppose to be alittle off is now leading to 2-3 inch gaps in certain areas of the car. Just imagine you taking a piece of clay and wrapped it around a cup now you take another piece of clay and wrapped it around the molded clay. what do you have? three similar cups until you line them up together. You end up with three different sized cups.

Think about the simlar names when it comes to our body kits. you have the "original" CI, Shogun, and Invader. Now you have the knockoff names from companies that copied kits like "vader", "ninja", and "veil"

Now, here comes the installing part of things. "professional installation required" means that you should take it to a bodyshop. Not just any bodyshop but a reputable shop that specializes in bodykits and fiberglassing. A shop that is unable to give you a quote right off the bat is a shop that you should think twice about. A reputable shop will give you an estimate that includes everything and anything. This meaning that you will never get a phone call saying that your kit has a huge gap in the back bumper and it will cost extra to mold it. A good shop takes all of that into consideration, including color blending (if your not painting the whole car).

Why install it yourself? unless you are painting it yourself. Why install bumpers and skirts on your own when your taking it to the shop for paint? I know we get all excited in recieving parts but don't dig a hole for yourself by installing the kit. 95% of the time something will not line up and with the kit installed already this gives an excuse for the bodyshop to give you a higher quote. Plus, they will also charge you to more labor in taking it off. Why more labor? "your going to have to take off my stock bumper anyways". well they are charging you more labor in being more careful in taking of the fiberglass bumper and charging you more to take off those skirts you spent all day putting on.

Overall, what im saying is that you get what you pay for. you buy a cheap kit don't expect high end fitment. if you choose a cheap bodyshop expect cheap work. All in all, there is a reason why one company will charge you $1000 for a front bumper and another charge you $1000 for the whole kit.

RCTCelica

[CelicaZR]

You've got some good points.
I've brought a kit for my car.
I hope the fitting is very good, I did pay big bucks for it.
I havent decide whether i want to put it on yet.
But I am looking for a reputable workshop to
see how much they charge