How to fit a bodykit

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.

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.

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.

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.