Cheap Body Kits?

[BarnDog296]

Alright,
I was doing some searches again on e-bay for '93 240SX parts, and i ran into body kits. As we all know, ppl of course sell them on E-bay and promise then for like $500 or so, and you FREAK and think its a great deal, until you see the shipping price of about $500-$1000. This is of course how much the kits should cost. The point is that I was searching on there again today, and i saw something weird.
someone is selling kits on there again for $200 and then shipping for $200. This brings the cost WAAAYYYY down. But as anyone knows, if its too good to be true, then it probably is.

Can someone tell me what the problem with these may be?
What kinds of properties make a body kit "cheap".

I really dont want a full front bumper kit, i would rather have a lip put on, but these prices are really enticing, and I wanna know whats up...

Can someone help me out?

[CodyW]

most of the cheap ebay kits are usually crappy fiberglass that cracks easily and won't fit very well. a few of my friends have had cheap bumpers like that and they tend to break/crack extremely easily and take quite a bit of modification to fit cleanly.

2 of the cheaper companies i've know of that are supposed to be decent for the price are BMagic (http://www.aitracing.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=114_117) and version select (http://www.versionselect.com), you might wanna check those out (they seem to be made fairly well and fit alright for the price).

[CMO]

Save your money and get a front lip for it. It's way cleaner and you wont have to worry about tearing it off the car. Most of the cheap kits don't fit right and then you have to drive all careful if you don't have the money to get it fixed if you tear it up. The extra money you save could be used on some performance parts.

[EmotorsportsE]

Version Select, B-Magic, D-Drug, and Origin Lab all make some really nice kits at good prices, We're a Version-Select, D-Drug, and Origin Dealer, and all of the kits of theirs that we have installed fit close to perfect without any modifications.

Eric

[bigb996]

all fiberglass is cheap but it cracks like a mofo......save up and get a eurothane kit you wont regret it.

[flysi00]

shut brain u dont know what your talking about lol j/p man

i would go with what eric saided

[BarnDog296]

Actually I think im going to get the PDM racing front lip. I really like alot of the pieces they make, does anyone know anything about them?

http://www.pdm-racing.com/products/bodykits.html

[AltimaCharlie]

if you can do fiberglass work yourself you can really save money with these kits. usally you pay in extra cost to the body shop guy. but if take the time to fit it yourself and do all the work your set.

[CMO]

Actually I think im going to get the PDM racing front lip. I really like alot of the pieces they make, does anyone know anything about them?

http://www.pdm-racing.com/products/bodykits.html


I haven't heard anything bad about that front lip. The few people ont he boards that have them like them.

[HiPSI]

the only thing about the pdm lip is that it's decievingly low in real life... or at least it was on the cars i saw with it. i'd easily drag the thing off. last lip i bought for my miata i owned for less than a week before catching a truck tire and it went bye bye :(.

[flysi00]

if you can do fiberglass work yourself you can really save money with these kits. usally you pay in extra cost to the body shop guy. but if take the time to fit it yourself and do all the work your set.

i would just buy a nice well done kit

[CMO]

the only thing about the pdm lip is that it's decievingly low in real life... or at least it was on the cars i saw with it. i'd easily drag the thing off. last lip i bought for my miata i owned for less than a week before catching a truck tire and it went bye bye :(.

Yeah I saw that it was low on the cars that I saw it on also. But I thought that was just because the overall car was sitting low. I just looked at the lip again and it looks fiberglass to me. If it is I would stay away from it.

[Cool Cat GTR]

The best body kit for a 240 SX is made by Do-Luck. Check out their site at www.do-luck.com I'm molding one of their kits on our S15. It fits perfectly and is built to withstand much more than these cheap fiberglass kits. Even if you decided not to mold the kit, everything fits and would look great with just some paint. Also, since there isn't a fitment problem, just about anyone can install the kit. I don't know about you but I'd rather spend my money on a nice kit rather than on a body shop trying to make something fit that will still look crappy no matter what is done to it.

[1439/2000]

Has anyone noticed this guy is looking for a cheap body kit for his car?

I mean do luck is nice, gp sports is nice. But he drives a stock s13 and is looking for 300 dollar kits.

You cant get a body kit on your car worth a shit without spending at least 1000. Then paint.

[BarnDog296]

dude, im NOT looking for a kit for $300 what i wanted to know was what the scam was that these e-bay guys were running for $300 for a kit.
Then, i wanted to know what was up with kits that constitute a cheap kit, so that I know what to look for in a kit.
If you think im looking for a kit for $300 you are VERY mistaken and really need to reread whatever it was that you missed. I also said that i was going to get a PDM lip for about $350 (about the price of just a bumper - for a lip)


I would ask for my money back in those speed reading classes if i were you....
Bunch of D*** geniuses in here...

[Cool Cat GTR]

^I have seen a lot of kits that people bought and brought into my shop asking where they can get them painted and installed. With the exception of one $350.00 Miata kit where the freight was less than $100.00, all the inexpensive kits are very thin fiberglass that usually come in broken (I assume by the shipper) that are also warped. The biggest problem with the inexpensive kits is the parts are manufactured without any attachment points to the car. Basically, pop rivet the kit to your car. I can't specify what you are asking with the ebay question but "within the industry" when a shop here's that a customer bought the kit on ebay, they are not interested in the painting or installation because there is usually no way to make the job look acceptible.

[BarnDog296]

And thats about what I was looking for, thanks man. Im just a Noob trying to learn as much as possible. Thats about what I thought the problem was with them. But the more I learn the more Ive learned that you cant trust many of them, everyone seems to have one problem or another. I dont want to have to take a kit for someone to install, I would rather DIY

[uproot]

yeah i've noticed the same thing with the odd pricing.....

but i'd say go with the lip man, looks clean.

but like everyone said just make sure its made well... not cheap thin warped fiberglass with no attachment points or whatever.... thats crap.

[1439/2000]

dude, im NOT looking for a kit for $300 what i wanted to know was what the scam was that these e-bay guys were running for $300 for a kit.
Then, i wanted to know what was up with kits that constitute a cheap kit, so that I know what to look for in a kit.
If you think im looking for a kit for $300 you are VERY mistaken and really need to reread whatever it was that you missed. I also said that i was going to get a PDM lip for about $350 (about the price of just a bumper - for a lip)


I would ask for my money back in those speed reading classes if i were you....
Bunch of D*** geniuses in here...


I would get my money back if you took economics classes. God are you new? Massive influx of demand on a market, cheap companies offer ripoff poorly made products to sell to morons who cant afford the real thing. You didnt understand that? Also on one of your threads you said you wanted clear tailights. Spend real money on your car and make it nice.

[BarnDog296]

$600 for the only other good red tail lights isnt worth it at all, when I dont like them as much in the first place. I much prefer the ones that I posted the pic of. The red tint made them EXACTLY the way I would want them to look. Im really psyched about it, considering it was your idea in the first place, since you did it on your car.
There isnt alot of good aftermarket light kits for S13 (unfortunately) we have to build everything, its a pain in the ass. For instance the enclosed headlights you have to have fabricated in a shop somewhere for $800 because the only real company making them is Bear, and they arent very good, and only let you install Fog lights...
I have to make due with what i can get, so Im on the forums to get some help in that category.
Lastly, I do understand the influx of demand, the only thing is that you still havent answered the question. Im not asking WHY they are making cheap kits. I was asking what MAKES them cheap, since ive never done body kit work before, thats all. Cool Cat answered the question EXACTLY what i was looking for.
Thanks Cool Cat for looking out, where is your shop? do you have a site? so that I can bring a kit out to you?

[1439/2000]

considering it was your idea in the first place, since you did it on your car.
There isnt alot of good aftermarket light kits for S13 (unfortunately) we have to build everything, its a pain in the ass. For instance the enclosed headlights you have to have fabricated in a shop somewhere for $800 because the only real company making them is Bear, and they arent very good, and only let you install Fog lights...


Yeah I covered my stock amber lights in red not the clear. I still say save up and get the real thing. The stock type x lights are raised up and makes a big difference.

East Bears headlights are kinda ugly, what do you have against pop ups?

[BarnDog296]

The only thing I have against pop-up lights is that this car is HOT!

[BarnDog296]

and why again would i save up and get the "real-thing" of something i dont like as much in the first place? what exactly makes it the real thing to make it better than what i want? Look man, this thread is getting stupid, really, i was just wondering about why some body kits are good and some are bad, thats all. Thanks for the info on the tails, and ill catchya later.