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How to fit a bodykit

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One way of changing your car's appearance is to fit a front or rear spoiler. These can also reduce the drag factor and improve stability.

To take these principles even further you can fit a complete body styling kit, which consists of a full range of spoilers and trims. Front and rear spoilers plus side sills can reduce wind drag and improve traction between the tyres and road. Besides increasing stability, this may also save fuel costs because the car can sometimes become more aerodynamically efficient.

Contents

You can buy the body styling kits complete and, depending on the type of car you have, may include front and rear spoilers, wheel arch trims, side sills, and even a rear valance for fitting under the rear bumper. All these are made from a special kind of plastic.

It is also possible to buy parts individually, which may be better than buying the whole kit when you may not use all the parts. Find out from an accessory shop whether there is a kit made to suit your particular model.

Painting

Most parts are supplied in a black finish. You can either have the parts painted to match your car or leave them in contrasting black.

It is difficult to paint some types of plastic so, if you decide to colour-match it, refer to the fitting instructions to make sure you use the correct materials.

Fitting

The parts are usually easy to fit, although you may have to remove bumpers and trims and to drill holes for plastic rivets .

If you have had the mouldings painted, remember to take great care when fitting them so that you do not damage the paintwork. The new paint may still be soft and could easily be cracked if you use too much force during fitting.

Remove bumpers
In most cases you must remove the front and rear bumpers before fitting the spoilers and rear valance — refer to the fitting instructions supplied with your kit. Most are held on by nuts and bolts which you simply undo to release the bumper.
2. Align mouldings
The spoiler or valance may be a one-piece unit or split into parts (usually three). Offer the entire unit or just the centre section up to either the bodywork or the bumper. If any parts of the bumper or valance simply bolt to the body secure them firmly into position.
3. Clamp mouldings
If the spoiler or valance was not a one-piece unit position the two outer mouldings in place. Make sure they line up with the centre section of the moulding (already fitted), and wheel-arch flanges. Clamp the sections on the wheel-arch flanges using a G-clamp. Mark the drill hole positions with a felt-tip pen.
4. Drill and fit
When the units are in position, drill out all the necessary holes. Fit the special rivets supplied in the kit to the holes, then remove any clamps you have used. If the moulding was attached to the bumper refit the entire assembly in one piece. Refit the bumpers to the car.
5. Side sills
Position the side sill moulding in place under the door weatherseal. Remove the protective paper from the double-sided tape and press the unit into position. The ends of the sill are secured to the front and rear wheel-arch flanges by drilling and riveting in the same way as the spoilers.
6. Arch flares
To fit wheel-arch flares, position them on the body and mark the securing hole positions. Drill out the holes and secure the flares to the body with either self-tapping screws or pop rivets. You can paint the flares to match the car colour and blend them into the body with filler.
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