Can anyone shed a little light on the BODYKIT question?

 

I need to replace the rear (spec) spoiler as it has passed its useful life! So it occurred to me that this might be the sensible time to go whole hog and put a full wide body kit on! (logical!??)

 

So I was wondering, does a wide body kit (like the Z Centre’s one, for example) only widen the rear arches? and do you therefore leave the front ones alone?

 

Then once it’s done, what do you have to do with the wheels? – Can I use standard ones and simply space them out (or is this a real no-no?) How much further out would the wheel have to go to look right? (I have some really nice Volk racing rims to refurb and put back on, but I think they’re 8 inch).

 

And if I buy a new front end, wide body arches, new rear spoiler I will have to pay someone to fit them and respray. Any advice on reccommended bodyshops near me in Manchester and some guide on what this will cost (on top of the kit price of course)?

 

Finally, will I just be turning my car into a tacky plasticky piece of crap – or are the kits good enough to compare with a proper car’s bodywork!???

 

All helpful advice most welcome, thanks.

I think MAC should answer this, as uv asked way to many questions!!!

 

But my opinion is WIDE ARCH RULES!!! and every1 knows it!!!

 

Fas

PPS in the traders forum, a LOT of zeds get their work done there and they are closer to you than a lot of the people from the forum who have travelled there.

 

Personally I like the wide arse kit, some people don't it looks like the car came fitted with it once installed correctly.

 

I don't think its logical ;) you are looking at spending a lot of money to replace a manky spoiler, but at the same time you may as well do it all at once and have the whole car resprayed, PPS's work is brilliant looking at the cars they've done,

Mike, I agree totally with the sentiment - but I still don't know how much the whole fitting and painting comes to - I may rethink the whole plan once I have a price quote, but I don't like the idea of paying a bit for the spoiler and then a bit more when (if) I get the wide arches later on.

 

Truth is - there's quite a few small bodywork dings that I'd like to lose in the process, so a few grand should see it all put to rights! (arghhh - I must be mad!)

PM Leonardo, I'm sure he will give you a quote, or post in his forum in the traders section,

Mike just emailed PPS, but they're bl**din miles away - you obviously mistook me for someone who'd like to walk home from Sunderland!!!

 

Don't get me wrong - they may be the best, but is there no-one half decent closer than that??

 

Meanwhile, who is Leonardo? - couldn't find him in the traders section - what is it that he does?

 

But my opinion is WIDE ARCH RULES!!! and every1 knows it!!!

 

Fas

 

 

Well not every one. I personally think the wide arch kit is horrid.

 

Stuart

Nigel,

I'm just a bit further away from PPS than you and I made the journey - people have even travelled from up from the South.

It is well worth the journey; what you spend in petrol money, you will more than save on the cost of the job.

Peter's workmanship speaks for itself; thats why around 20 Z owners have put their trust in him with their pride & joy.

Do it - you know it makes sense ;)

Dave

You will probably have to ask around locally if you arnt going to travel,

 

I think its a 600 mile or so trip fo rme lol

Hey Nigel, the good quality kits are good enuff to look like 'proper cars bodywork'

so dont get cheap with rippled fibre glass flaws.

Have u priced a kit up yet? Mine was done b4 i bought it but the parts were bout 2k but i dont have wide arches , that would add alot i would think.

I have a mate in a the trade who says 2.5k to fit what i have and spray it.

Dont know if thats good or bad but might give u an idea,

Actually, that's not too bad I guess. The parts I am looking at are coming out around £1800 to buy (with the vat), but I still don't know what the story is with wheels on a wide arch kit. Then again I have to agree a little with Stu above - some wide arch kits I have seen look completely SH1TE! (photographic evidence only) and I'd really like to see a few cars in the flesh before I commit my hard earned readies to this project.

 

Then I keep thinking what a difference £5k would make if I spent it on mechanicals!

 

mmmm Just can't decide at the moment!

Ive only ever seen one wide arse in the flesh (Z that is ...) and it looked absolutely gorjuss! Like you say , youve gotta go look at some.

I dont know bout the wheels but would guess they space them out?

Trev - which car was it that you saw and liked?

 

I keep drooling over one on Luke's zCentre site, but I only have a rear three quarter view. Some kits seem to have some vents (like Maccas) on the front of the rear arch. The cacky ones are where the join between the arch and the rear hatch looks like it's from 2 different cars!

 

(And Mac - if your reading this, the strosek link on your rides goes to a site that has NO mention of zeds on it! - where is your kit from? is there a dealer in the uk?)

If you get a wide kit I think the stock wheels will not only look out of place will look very silly. Plus I dont think you can use spacers safely to push them out far enough. You will have to get those spacers which have their own studs on. That for me would not be the ideal setup, as it must cause a large amount of stress on the rear wheel bearings.

 

Stuart

I agree STU - never been a fan of the stock wheels - even on a stock spec car, but I have 2 sets of sexy alloys for the car - one set are fitted and the other (seriously sexy Volk racing forged alloys) need a bit of a refurb before I put them back on. I just want to know what the standard practice is for putting wheels on with a wide arch kit. I kiind of thought that someone with a wide arch conversion could have given me chapter and verse by now!

The one i saw was on a forecourt for sale in Bristol, dont know who made the kit sorry.

I had to walk around it bout 5 times tho cuss it was gorjuss,

they wanted 10k for it tho , bit much i thought.

Agree with the wheel thing , stock would like shite on a wide arse.

 

(And Mac - if your reading this, the strosek link on your rides goes to a site that has NO mention of zeds on it! - where is your kit from? is there a dealer in the uk?)

 

 

I know that's down to AndyP :mac1:

 

Got mine from Paul Bailey but forget Paul as he has finished on the Z scene.

 

Try Peter@PPS.

Well not every one. I personally think the wide arch kit is horrid.

 

Stuart

I personally think the stock arch is dated and boring! That's why I could not wait to get rid.

Seems that the Strosek wide body kit is exactly what the zed centre's wide arch kit is based upon (my solicitor advised me not to use the word 'copy' for some reason!). And I've been told that the wheel spacing is 3½ inches wider than standard. All interesting stuff!

 

Just got to find a nice tidy spoiler and some spare dosh now! (oh yes and about 6 weeks when I don't need the car!!!!!)