Body Kits & Ground Effects

Buying a car these days doesn't necessarily mean you have to be stuck with the same car for the rest of its life. An aftermarket body kit or ground effects can dramatically change your car's appearance. The best part about the kit and the effects is you can add or leave off anything that you don't like. Both are entirely customizable and are ideal options for people who want a certain make or model, but don't want their car to look like all the others. With ground effects, you can choose which type of bumpers would best suit your vehicle and set it apart from others. In addition, ground effects give the vehicle the appearance of gliding along the road because it appears to sit lower.

Significance

Car enthusiasts and owners sometimes like to modify their import vehicles to resemble those in movies, such as "The Fast and the Furious," while others like to turn their trucks into street trucks or transform their SUVs into something straight out of a music video. Adding ground effects to your vehicle can make it look faster, even if there have been no modifications done under the hood.

Function

Buying an aftermarket ground effects kit for your vehicle can give your car the appearance of being lower than it actually is. This kit is the best way to achieve the look without actually having to cut springs or modifying the suspension on the vehicle. While the cost of a ground effects kit isn't cheap, reworking the suspension of a vehicle can be even more expensive. Body kits, on the other hand, add different shapes to your vehicle's body by providing custom bumpers, spoilers and fenders that are unlike factory pieces.

Identification

You can buy either an entire body kit, or just parts of the kit, if you want to do your car project in phases. A six-piece body kit will cost about $1,500, plus shipping, depending on the year and make of your vehicle. The kit includes the side skirts, front replacement fascia, rear replacement fascia and side-skirt rear upper panels. A 10-piece kit will cost about $2,100 plus shipping and includes all the parts in the six-piece and style flare panels. Compared to buying only the side skirts, which run about $270 per piece, it may be worthwhile to purchase a kit, unless you don't have the money right away, in which case, consider saving up for the kit. It will save money in the long run.

Ground effects kits, on the other hand, can run anywhere from $425 to $850, and sometimes more, depending on the make, model and year of your vehicle. They typically are not sold in pieces, however. A ground effects kit comes with the front spoiler, side skirts and rear apron.

Features

Most ground effects kits and body kits are made up of polyurethane that is of the reaction injection molded variety. This means that the material is durable and withstands everyday wear and tear. In addition, some companies use a mold release film made of wax, which makes it easier to prepare the pieces for painting. The majority of kits are designed with the factory hardware and mounting points in mind. This makes installation easier and gives your vehicle a factory-made look, as opposed to an aftermarket look. Depending on the company, most kits come with a lifetime warranty as long as the parts are subjected to normal road use and are not abused. Keep in mind that most kits come unpainted; however, some companies offer to paint the piece to match your vehicle for an extra charge. This can run as much as $500, so it's not a cheap option.

Considerations

Installing a ground effects kit is not an easy job to do. You first must know how to remove the pieces that will be replaced. This requires some knowledge of how to do body work. In addition, you will have to know how to replace panels on your vehicle, as well as bumpers and spoilers. If not properly installed, the parts will come loose and fall off. If purchased for the exact year of your car, the ground effects parts that you are adding should fit perfectly. There is always the chance that you will have to sand or file something down in order to make it fit, however. After installation, the vehicle most likely will have to be painted so all the parts match.

Resources

• Razzi Ground Effects
• Andy's Auto Sport