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Back to BodyKitz Homepage - Enter Body Kitz Online Store POLYURETHANE BODY KITS ABOUT POLYURETHANE BODY KITS There are several materials used in the production of body kits, aerodynamics, ground effects and other exterior styling accessories. Depending on the type of body work going into your car, it is important to select the right type of material used in the manufacturing of your body kit as part of the criteria in deciding what kind of kit is right for you. Body kits come in five main types of material: ABS Plastic, Polyurethane (or simply put, urethane), Carbon Fiber and Fiberglass. ABS Plastic (Acrylinitrile Butadiene Styrene) is a rigid type of plastic infused with other chemicals. This type of material is good for ground effects or lip kits. Carbon fiber is a rigid and very lightweight kevlar reinforced material, a hot trend in the tuning market but very expensive due to supply shortages for the material. Fiberglass is the most common material used in the manufacturing of materials because it is lightweight, easy to make and inexpensive. Though fiberglass is the most common material used in manufacturing body kits, it does have some drawbacks that lead people to look for an alternative that might be found in Polyurethane body kits. Polyurethane is a rubber/plastic type of material that is flexible and durable which eliminates the two major problems with fiberglass. Urethane can withstand more impacts than fiberglass and is quite a bit easier to install than the latter. Pros and Cons of Polyurethane body kits: As stated in the previous paragraph, polyurethane is a much more resilient material than fiberglass. Polyurethane kits tend to be thicker than most fiberglass kits, and weigh about the same in comparable thickness of kits. Urethane has a much more pliable consistancy which is an important factor in the installation of the kit. The rigitity of fiberglass almost certainly requires adjustments and alterations to the material when fitting the kit, while urethane tends to be able to flex into place. Urethane can also withstand much more of an impact than fiberglass. The downside to urethane body kits is the cost in making a kit. For each and every piece, it costs about $4000 USD to create a mold, so for one body kit for one car, the cost for just the mold is $16,000. Given that there are thousands of styles of cars on the market and hundreds of styles of body kits, Polyurethane kits are much more rare to come by and usually only availible for the highly popularized import tuners. POLYURETHANE BODY KIT MANUFACTURERS:
OUR FAVORITE POLYURETHANE BODY KITS: Our favorite polyurethane body kits are the Vizage ground effects kit. This kit made by JP USA is a quality and durable ground effects kit, meaning that it bolts on to the existing bumpers as an add on. The Vizage kits are made from a very pliable yet strong poly urethane composite. These kits also include a very professional installation kit consisting of precise install instructions plust all mounting bolts and hardware. The Visage kit is also very distinguished looking, giving the car an aggressive non OEM look. Customer Favorites: Many customers are familiar with Wings West polyurethane body kits. Wings West is easily the most well known of the polyurethane body kit manufacturers. Near the end of 2004, Wings West closed down and was sold to VIS Racing, the company known as the largest aftermarket supplier of carbon fiber automotive products. VIS Racing now manufacturs Wings West body kits in house and continues to sell all of its previously released body kits. Tips: Before you purchase your body kit or during shipping time, it is a good idea to make sure that you have a qualified installer for your body kit. If you are purchasing a fiberglass kit, it is especially important to find one that can specifically deal with the alterations that may be required to fit your kit correctly. Fiberglass kits in general need some finishing work during installation, such as sanding, primering, filling pinholes/gaps, trimming or shaving. Many times, our customers are charged more than they should if they use a shop who is not familiar with altering fiberglass because of the additional time involved. Also be sure that whoever is recieving the kit inspects the contents of the box before they sign for it. Although most shipments are recieved undamaged, it is possible that your shipment may be. Because we are not in control of the freight company and thier policies, you must inspect the kit before you sign for it and if it is damaged either refuse the kit and note it on the delivery invoice so that we can file a claim for you. RELATED ARTICLES, REVIEWS AND SITES: Includes manufacturer websites, clubs and enthusiast sites, vehicle articles and reviews with pricing and specifications and more:
AUTO WALLPAPERS - BODY KITZ - CARBON FIBER HOODS - VERTICAL DOOR KITS - TRANCE FORM - MYSPACE LAYOUT - LEXUS IS 350 |
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