Body kit - what is a car body kit, types and why do we need body kits?
Content
- What is a car body kit?
- Types of body kits
- What does a complete body kit consist of?
- What are body kits for?
- Body kits for trucks
- Cheap body kits for an old or cheap car
- The best manufacturers of body kits - Rating
- Why do we need body kits VIDEO
The aerodynamic body kit of a car is a tuning device for sports purposes, namely, to give a sporty and aggressive look to a car. But this is not the most important thing. The main thing is that such a device is needed for those drivers who always drive at high speeds, regardless of whether they are driving a sports car, or just driving a good expensive car, because the body kit begins to show its qualities after overcoming the milestone of one hundred and twenty kilometers at one o'clock.
In order not to significantly change the factory design, you can improve the existing factory bumper by drilling holes in it for radiator cooling or by equipping additional headlight mounts.
Tuning a car with body kits gives the car a unique design. After all, not only airbrushing will allow you to stand out from the crowd. In this article, we will look at what a car body kit is, types of an additional element.
What is a car body kit?
A body kit is a component that is a part of the body that performs protective, decorative or aerodynamic functions. Each of the body kits on a car is universal, because it equally gives each of the above features. Body kits are installed either on top of an existing machine part, or instead of it.
Types of body kits
Body kit - parts of the car body that perform three main functions:
- Protection of car components, aggregates and metal parts of the car body from light damage.
- Decorative function.
- Improving the aerodynamic properties of the car.
Many drivers make an aerodynamic car body kit for the beauty of the appearance of the car. Therefore, before purchasing body kits, you need to decide what you need it for? For design? Or to improve performance?
If you decide that you need a body kit just to improve the design, then it's as easy as shelling pears. You don’t even need to remove the bumper, drill the body, etc. for this. But in the case of improved speed, difficulties arise here. Most likely, you will need to make a global change to the entire structure. Therefore, you should come to terms with the fact that you will need to remove some elements of the body, and drill additional holes.
Types of body kits By material
Body kits can be made of various materials:
- metal;
- polyurethane;
- rubber;
- stainless steel;
- composite materials;
- from ABS plastic.
Body kits are also divided into 5 main groups according to the car part and appearance:
- Aerodynamic body kits
- Spoilers
- Bumper Tuning
- Overlays for internal thresholds
- Tuning Hoods
Composite body kits are divided into several varieties:
FIRST VIEW - Fiberglass composite body kits:
Fiberglass is the most common material in the production of body kits and probably the most popular. Quite low cost, relatively high technical characteristics in terms of Top Tuning firmly fixed this type of body kit in the market leader position.
A large number of tuning companies around the world have also produced, are manufacturing and will continue to produce their parts from this material.
Lumma, Hamann, Lorinser, APR, Buddy Club, Tech Art, Gemballa, Mugen, Fabulos, HKS, Blitz, Top-Tuning, Bomex and other global tuning brands successfully use just such composite fiberglass in the production of their products.
Strengths of fiberglass body kits for cars
- Low cost compared to polyurethane counterparts.
- High maintainability.
- Sophisticated shapes and complex designs that are not available with ABS or polyurethane body kits.
- Resistant to significant temperature changes.
- Manufacturing mobility.
Disadvantages of fiberglass body kits:
- Relatively low elasticity.
- Mandatory fit under the car even before painting.
- Relatively difficult painting of fiberglass body kits.
- Often we can meet low quality due to the manual production method.
Thus, there are two types of buyers of fiberglass body kits:
First — opponents of composites. As a rule - these people are not too interested in tuning or do not want to change the look of their car. They are also not picky about the design of their machines.
The choice of this category of buyers is likely to stop on the side of body kits in the factory, from ABS or polyurethane.
The second type - These are fans of fiberglass body kits. Such drivers will choose non-standard options for completing a car. They want to stand out from the monotonous boring stream of identical cars in a traffic jam,).
These drivers are clearly aware of the difficulties in fitting and painting these body kits and are ready to compensate for their final cost and are ready to go this way.
Everyone is right in their own way - do not judge them.
SECOND VIEW - Carbon composite body kits and tuning parts.
It is worth adding hybrid composites to this category, as well as Kevlar body kits. Fundamentally, they do not differ from the first group, except for the reinforcing material itself:
- Carbon (Carbon cloth)
- Kevlar
- Hybrid. (combination of carbon or kevlar with glass materials)
The main feature of this group is the technical characteristics of carbon body kits:
Advantages of carbon body kits:
- Minimum in comparison with fiberglass.
- Maximum tensile strength.
- The thermal capabilities of the material are even higher than those of fiberglass.
- original structure. "Specific production" that does not require painting.
Disadvantages of carbon body kits:
- Very expensive repair repair in case of damage.
- The high price of components is more than five times higher than fiberglass counterparts.
- A narrow range of products offered, due to low demand.
This group of body kits for cars is for selected connoisseurs of tuning. Parts made of carbon and kevlar are usually chosen when there is an urgent need to reduce the weight of the car or add chic through the use of specific parts. The high cost of these materials makes such tuning products expensive and not massive.
However, these products are used with great success in motorsport. There are currently no substitutes for carbon body kits for racing drivers.
ABS plastic
Impact-resistant plastic body kit for a car, made of copolymer and styrene. Body kit parts made of ABS plastic are cheaper compared to fiberglass, but they are less resistant to temperature fluctuations and chemical attack (acetone, oil).
Made of rubber
These are almost invisible overlays. Rubber body kits for the car serve primarily to protect against dents, scratches, damage. They are mounted on either side of the machine. It is considered the cheapest body kit of all.
Stainless steel body kits
Such body kits are distinguished by a high content of chromium in the composition. Chromium, interacting with oxygen, forms a protective film on the surface of the part. Stainless body kits will protect the car from corrosion.
What does a complete body kit consist of?
Car enthusiasts often think about only one of the body kit elements, such as a spoiler, but digging deeper, it becomes obvious to them that a holistic look and maximum effect can be achieved only by applying a complete kit to the car. So what does a complete car body kit usually consist of?
Item List:
- overlays;
- arcs and arches;
- "skirts" on bumpers;
- "cilia" on the headlights;
- spoiler.
What are body kits for?
The body kit on the car performs the following functions:
- protective;
- decorative;
- aerodynamic.
Protective body kit
Components to achieve the protective function of the body kit usually install:
- For front and rear bumpers. Such components are made from chrome-plated pipes. These pipes protect the car from damage (cracks and dents) when parking or driving at high speed on the highway.
- On the thresholds of the car. These footrests can protect the car from a side impact. Projector overlays are more often installed by drivers of SUVs and SUVs.
Decorative function of body kits
All add-ons that are attached to the car can be used for decorative purposes. But we all know that spoilers and rear wings are used more often than others. They provide better downforce to the road and prevent lift from building up. If you don't want to change the factory design too much, you can improve the factory bumper. To do this, drill holes in it for radiator cooling or add an additional mount for the headlights.
Aerodynamic body kit
Fans of high speeds need such elements. They increase the stability of the sports car on the track, as well as improve the car's handling when driving at speeds over 120 km/h. Aerodynamic pads are installed in the front or rear to eliminate air turbulence.
Body kits for trucks
For overall trucks, special elements for tuning are used. Complete sets are almost never sold.
There are the following options for additional parts:
- pads for handles, fenders, hoods;
- arches on bumpers from pipes;
- headlight holders on the roof;
- protection for wipers and windshield;
- visors;
- bumper skirts.
All add-ons for trucks are very expensive, while they mainly perform a protective function.
Cheap body kits for an old or cheap car
The benefits of tuning such cars are conditional. It is worth remembering that although the body kit will create a certain design, it can reduce speed performance and affect road performance. At the same time, if, nevertheless, the purpose of the body kit is primarily design, you should choose body kits made of rubber or ABS plastic. For off-road trips, stainless steel is suitable.
The best manufacturers of body kits - Rating
We examined what a car body kit is, what materials body kits are made of, as well as the main types of this element. It remains for us to find out where the production of such components is located.
4 most popular companies, with high quality and product design:
- CSR-Automotive from Germany. Material: fiberglass of the highest quality. You will need some minor adjustments during installation. For installation, use sealant and standard fasteners.
- carlovincriminals from Poland. The manufacturer makes car body kits from fiberglass, but their quality is lower than German. The parts are easy to paint and are supplied without additional fasteners.
- Osir design from China. Produces various components for autotuning. Fiberglass, fiberglass, carbon fiber and other materials are used in production. The Chinese company Osir design stands out for products with a unique design and, at the same time, high quality.
- ASI from Japan. The company positions itself as a car dealership. Japanese production provides premium tuning parts as well as custom projects.
In our article, we talked in detail about the types of car body kit and what it is, as well as the materials of production, their advantages and disadvantages. We found out that body kits are needed not only as decoration, but also to improve handling at high speeds.
More articles about CAR TUNING read here.
Why do we need body kits VIDEO
