Bodykits-skirts-spoilers - asking for trouble ?

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Recently I have been bitten by the bodykit bug. Kept thinking about adding a set on. Two areas worry me, the ones under the doors which needs to be screwed on to the sheet metal below the door, and the rear spoiler to the metal boot.
The ones mated to the rear bumper wont rust as the bumper is plastic.
Do these fibreglass skirts trap moisture and crud in them which will eventually bring out rust on the mating surfaces, and also do water leak into the spoiler mounting holes ?
Just trying to weigh the pros and cons. My car is a hobby car and I do intend to keep it for the long haul.
keen to hear from those with experience.
 
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If you are drilling holes into metal and leaving unpainted metal exposed to the elements then most likely you will get rust.

Unless the body kit is usuing existing fastener locations that are protected by plastic or rubber mounting points, then I'd be concerned about rust.

Think about this. The body kit attached with fasteners will probably flex and bend with driving. Wind and aerodynamic forces causing flex of that body kit will put stress on those fasteners causing them to rub against the metal. Can that be good for paint and metal?

What type of car are you doing this on?
 
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Originally Posted by alcyon
Recently I have been bitten by the bodykit bug. Kept thinking about adding a set on. Two areas worry me, the ones under the doors which needs to be screwed on to the sheet metal below the door, and the rear spoiler to the metal boot.
The ones mated to the rear bumper wont rust as the bumper is plastic.
Do these fibreglass skirts trap moisture and crud in them which will eventually bring out rust on the mating surfaces, and also do water leak into the spoiler mounting holes ?
Just trying to weigh the pros and cons. My car is a hobby car and I do intend to keep it for the long haul.
keen to hear from those with experience.

what car? do you have road salt in winter? do you drive the car in the elements or is it a sunny day car only?
 
Wouldn't they use some sort of insert for the holes? They certainly would not drill holes into the car and just put screws in would they? That sounds hack. The inserts would spread when a screw was put in them and would seal the area from moisture.
 
Originally Posted by dwcopple
Originally Posted by alcyon
Recently I have been bitten by the bodykit bug. Kept thinking about adding a set on. Two areas worry me, the ones under the doors which needs to be screwed on to the sheet metal below the door, and the rear spoiler to the metal boot.
The ones mated to the rear bumper wont rust as the bumper is plastic.
Do these fibreglass skirts trap moisture and crud in them which will eventually bring out rust on the mating surfaces, and also do water leak into the spoiler mounting holes ?
Just trying to weigh the pros and cons. My car is a hobby car and I do intend to keep it for the long haul.
keen to hear from those with experience.

what car? do you have road salt in winter? do you drive the car in the elements or is it a sunny day car only?

I do not have winters here and no road salt, but plenty of sun and rain. The car is driven only on weekends, sometimes twice a week sometimes once a week sometimes twice every 2 weeks.
When its parked its kept off rain and peak sunlight .
1st Pic is my car which is without body kit.
Second pic is a car in japan with the bodykit.
Third pic is how the current actual stock front bumper-spoiler is like
Take note I am not installing the front aftermarket bumper, and will be going with stock bumper/spoiler as i like how it looks currently, I only want to install rear spoiler, rear skirts and side skirts.
Also notice that to install side skirts i must remove mudflaps.


Originally Posted by Chris142
Wouldn't they use some sort of insert for the holes? They certainly would not drill holes into the car and just put screws in would they? That sounds hack. The inserts would spread when a screw was put in them and would seal the area from moisture.

I have no idea, I am trying to find out the details.

Soarer for Bitog1.jpg


443_1.jpg


20170603_144847.jpg
 
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I installed a BMW M Technic rear spoiler on my Club Sport in 1997. Installation involved drilling two holes in the hatch. After drilling the holes I applied primer and a topcoat to the bare metal, followed by a spritz of rustproofing spray. No signs of rust after 22 years.
 
As long as any bare metal is protected (*before, during and after fasteners installed) with a good epoxy primer, there won't be corrosion issues.

Areas of high stress will need the area around the hole reinforced.
 
That is a sweet looking car !

Nice smooth classic lines...I love it and you should be proud of how great of shape its in. We didn't get cool cars like that in north america at the time and we have to wait until the worn out ones were available from Japan to import.

Leave it as it is !

If I was to do anything to that car...it would be to change maybe the wheels, but nothing else. Its a classic.
 
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Originally Posted by Smokescreen
That is a sweet looking car !

Nice smooth classic lines...I love it and you should be proud of how great of shape its in. We didn't get cool cars like that in north america at the time and we have to wait until the worn out ones were available from Japan to import.

Leave it as it is !

If I was to do anything to that car...it would be to change maybe the wheels, but nothing else. Its a classic.


^^Agree!! That car is beautiful!! Leave it as it is.
 
Originally Posted by Smokescreen
That is a sweet looking car !

Nice smooth classic lines...I love it and you should be proud of how great of shape its in. We didn't get cool cars like that in north america at the time and we have to wait until the worn out ones were available from Japan to import.

Leave it as it is !

If I was to do anything to that car...it would be to change maybe the wheels, but nothing else. Its a classic.


Thanks Smokescreen, this car was never exported out of Japan, and we also have 2 rules, one 5 year and below import rule aka recon car import, or 25 year Rule, like the USA aka classic car import. This car was imported with the classic car permit, thankfully, because if it was imported when it was 4 to 5 years old into Malaysia, it would have been clapped out by now. Japanese owners take wayyy better care of their cars partly because of climate.I love the wheels on these but am having limited tyre choices becuase they are 15". Originally they use 215/60 R15 but its now impossible to get brand new here so I had to go for 205/65 R15.
 
That really is a beautiful, understated design. For some reason it reminds me a LITTLE of the original Infinity M, but with fewer doors...a car I still love today.

Resist the urge to boy-racer it. Spend your money on some tasteful aftermarket wheels if you're having tire difficulties.
 
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