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Originally Posted by Darkness 96 GT I personaly dislike body kits.I purchased a Mustang because
I like and enjoy the body style the way it sit stock.The down
fall to all body kits is that they all add some kind of weight to
the car.The only style body kit I ever somewhat liked was the
body kit from www.cervinis.com |
I agree with you that the add-on kits that attach to or cover the existing bodywork are just dead weight. I also agree with your opinion of the Cervini kit, since I have several of their components on my car
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But if you're careful you can build a car with parts that are lighter than the oe components. The new carbon fiber parts, particularly those that just replace the stock hood, trunk lid, bumper covers, side trim, etc, can eliminate over 100#. The hood alone saves a lot.
I helped a friend with his install (he liked the carbon fiber look - I'm not so sure about the look). His reason for picking the parts was to save weight, so he weighed all the parts. We shaved over 118# off the weight of the car, and that included the fact that he wimped out and added a heavy Saleen wing instead of leaving the trunk lid clean, which was my suggestion. The bumper covers were fiberglass, and a good bit lighter than the urethan oe parts - again, he ignored my advice about the fragility of the 'glass. They looked good (cobra r style) once painted, but woe be unto him if he even taps a parking berm.
The final look was ok, but would have worked better for a black
stang (his was mineral gray). He had all the parts painted except for the hood, which he left "natural" carbon fiber.
It strikes me that the idea of changing a pretty car should be undertaken with some trepidation. I originally bought my car wrecked, with the idea to make it a custom design (I also saved a ton of money, but that just gave me the freedom to indulge in the body parts and paints). I absolutely respect those who keep their rides clean and original.
tripleblack
What do you think about body kits? 
