Show Quality Body Kits

There is a small difference in the outcome of a body kit installed for street use and a body kit installed for show use (less than 1/4 inch difference). In a previous article, "Body Kits - Installing Them Right Scores Major Style Points," we gave instructions on installing your body kit. Those instructions will give you a good, factory looking finished product. If you are interested in a show quality, perfect finish, these are the instructions for you!

We will assume that the body kit has already been sanded and prepped for paint. Now, we are going to custom fit our aftermarket body kit to the vehicle using a technique called "bedding." To do this, we will apply body filler to the pieces we are installing and use the body filler to fill in the seams. Start by placing some masking tape over the area where the body kit meets the car. Now sand or grind the edge of the body kit to get a rough surface. Apply a good layer of body filler to the body kit using a quick setting body filler mixture. This is simply a mixture of body filler with a higher catalyst to filler ratio, and depending on the color of catalyst (usually blue or red) it will be a dark red or dark blue color. You want it to set in a matter of a few minutes, so once the body filler is added to the body kit, get it in place quickly and accurately. Place the body kit in its final position and hold securely for a few minutes. It may be wise to have some help with this. Once the filler is set and hardened, remove it from the car. Now check to see if the gap is completely filled in. If not, repeat the process until you are satisfied with the outcome. Then sand the body kit smooth by blending the body filler into the body kit. Once sanded, test the fit again. You may find you want to touch up some area, and if so, add a small layer of body filler and repeat the process again. Resand and retest.

Now that it is prefect, remove the masking tape from the car. Drill your pilot holes for your rivets (they tend to not come loose and we recommend them over screws) and secure it in place with rivets. Once secured, the car is ready to be painted, and you will have a perfect fitting, show quality aftermarket body kit installation.

Be warned. This is a time consuming endeavor, and should only be done by a competent installer. We still highly reccomend a body shop install these body kits, but if you have the time and patience to do it right, go for it!