Technology

Installing a Bodykit at Your House

Installing a bumper and skirt package is one of the most noticeable improvements you can make to your car’s appearance. Since I could not find a simple tutorial on installing a body styling kit, I created one myself.

Bodystyling kits are more common than you might think, despite the common perception that they are only for teenagers hanging around by their cars in the Odeon parking lot on a Saturday night. Almost every manufacturer sells a body style kit as an optional extra for brand-new automobiles, from a broadside valance package on a Range Rover Sport to the body kit modification on the Ford Focus ST. Almost any car or truck on the road today can get a body makeover.

Many consumers who install an aftermarket body styling kit (a bumper and skirt package not supplied by the motor builder) opt to do it themselves to save money. The process is broken down below for your perusal.

The importance of body kits cannot be overstated.

Make sure you’re competent before attempting to install a body kit on your own, as bumper and skirt kits typically cannot be returned to the retailer if they’ve been modified in any way. Remember that if you paint the item in any way, you may lose the right to return or exchange it if the paint doesn’t fit properly.

Putting in new, improved bumpers

Remove the stock bumpers, plates, brackets, side repeaters, and skirts to install the style kit without any hiccups. Remember that the old parts you’re replacing have worth, and sell them on eBay if you don’t use them again.

Inspect the body kit’s fit before assembly. It is recommended that at least two persons help with this step. When pre-installing, protect the surrounding paint with tape to avoid scratches. It’s not always possible to get a precise fit without adding a filler material to aftermarket body panels. Remember that the pre-fitting process may become more involved if the motor on which the kit parts are being installed has been in an accident or subjected to any other alteration.

Dismantle the vehicle and remove all aftermarket components. If you’d like to paint the parts of the body style kit, you can do so now; the paint specifications are provided below. After installation, please consider the following fitting guide and prepare the panels for spraying.

If you have purchased radiator mesh in addition to the body styling kit, please follow the directions provided in the mesh guide and any other applicable instructions. In any other case, you can skip this step.

After everything has been appropriately pre-attached, you can mark the drill points. A black marker will suffice for this purpose. Typically, the mounting locations for body kits are identical to those for original equipment panels. Standard bracket locators for side valances are installed in the wheel wells. Each door panel, the area under the tailgate, and the space between the backlights are familiar places to find fastening points for the trunk lid.

Mark the appropriate holes, then remove the bumper from the body kit. The holes can then be drilled with a bit. Be careful if you don’t want to break apart while drilling.

Remount the panel onto the car. At least two people need to help with this activity. Align the previously drilled holes with their proper locations, then secure the bumper with the original bolts. Fix the bumper to fit snugly but don’t overtighten the screws. Strong tape, epoxy, and countersunk screws may be needed for most repairs.

Putting spoilers on the bumpers

Tape off the area of the stock bumper where the spoiler will go. Provide the extension for testing, eliminate it, and reapply tape to the original bumper.

If you need to spray the extensions, please refer to the following paint part. Alternatively, please prepare the panels for painting after installation by following the additional instructions.

If you also purchased mesh with your body styling kit, please go to the instructions provided before continuing with the rest of the installation. If you want to skip this step, you can.

Clean the panel where the valance will be attached. For this purpose, an oil cleaner is recommended. Repeat the process to clean the inside of the lip.

High-grab double-sided tape should be used to attach the spoiler to the original bumper. A one-inch-wide roll of fixing tape is the standard recommendation. Apply tape to the valance’s inside surface, then position it on the bumper and secure it.

To securely attach the extension to the original panel, drill pilot holes in the wheel wells and insert the screws from the inside. Two screws at each corner of the extension would be ideal.

Modifying skirt kits to include mesh

Take off the bumper that will have mesh installed on it. The mesh needs to be cut to size before it can be securely fastened to the various components of the bumper and skirt set.

Create a lip about an inch wide by cutting the mesh at a 90-degree angle so that it may be attached to the inner surface of the bumper.

Use the lip you created in the previous step as a mounting place to attach the aluminum to the fiberglass panel. After the gluing process, the adhesive needs time to dry before the panel can be attached to the vehicle.

Getting your car ready to be sprayed

Use sandpaper with 400 grit to smooth off the bumper roughly. Sand until imperfections are reduced in size. Apply filler to the panel’s defects and let it dry.

The filled areas of the panel can benefit from light smoothing. Sand the bumper until it is completely smooth.

The bumpers must be thoroughly cleaned before priming. Lacquer thinner can be used for thorough cleaning of the products.

Once these procedures are finished, the pieces are ready for priming. Allow the priming solution to dry after brushing it on. The panel is then wet-filed. The panels are now ready to be sprayed.

The [http://www.revstyle.co.uk/body-kits/how-to-fit-a-body-kit/] is an excellent resource for installing a body kit on your vehicle. It is a Revstyle production.

admin