Body Kits: Putting One on Your Car
A lot of people enjoy spending time in the garage, working on their car. Body kits are a great way for those who would rather be working in their car than working in their office to get their efforts recognized. Some can even qualify cars for entry into car shows. Note that body kits installed for show are not going to be the same as the ones that draw eyes on the street. This isn't because it's not impressive, but rather because it will probably break under the stress of navigating real life roads.
Now, let's talk about how to get it on there. First make sure that the surface is ready to be painted, as it's impossible to do so after installation. Then you can begin "bedding" the body kit by filling in all the little cracks and crevices with a filler. This includes both those between body kits parts and those between the body kit and the original car. After this, it's best to tape off the surfaces that don't need any filler: the original surfaces of your car.
Next, cover the entire body kit with the stuff, to ensure a completely even surface. Then the kit needs to be held to the car while it all dries. This is a pretty quick process, but you might require help to make sure the big pieces don't move. Once everything is attached, you can sand it down. If there are any problems, use the same process of filling and sanding to get the kit properly positioned. When this is done you can remove the tape.
Now that the body kit is held in place, you must actually attach it. You should use rivets, as opposed to screws, because they hold things more securely. Start out with pilot holes to avoid mis-drilling these and ruining the body kit. When this is done, you have to paint the entire car. If you don't paint the whole thing, there's no way to get body kits to exactly match, or to look like it belongs.
The problem with all of this is that there are a lot of places where one could go astray, if only slightly. It takes a perfectionist to really do a worthwhile job, and there's no guarantee that the first time around will be a success. If you want to really earn your pride, it's a far more satisfying alternative to a body shop. Just think how embarrassing it would be to get a compliment on your body kit and have to admit that you didn't do a thing but pay. If you're preparing body kits for show, there's really no other way to go.
"Body Kits: Putting One on Your Car", was submitted 08/11/2008 under category Advice.