For car enthusiasts, modifying a car is not a hobby—it’s life and performance boosting. A custom body kit is one of the most popular mods. Custom body kits can change the appearance and aerodynamics of a car considerably, but as in life, there are both benefits and drawbacks. If you will be fitting a custom body kit, the following are the primary advantages and disadvantages that you have to consider prior to making any move.
Advantages of Custom Body Kits
1. Better Aesthetics and Customization
Among the primary reasons why car buffs choose body kits is to give their cars a unique and menacing look. Whether it’s a race-style, aerodynamic look or a space-age widebody look, a body kit lets you be the envy of town cruising down the highway. You can choose to have any style, including fiberglass, carbon fiber, or polyurethane kits, which all give a unique visual image. With the addition of the right bumpers, side skirts, and spoilers, your car can be sportier and more vibrant than a standard one.
2. Improved Aerodynamics and Performance
Certain body kits are meant to enhance the aerodynamics of a vehicle so that it will cut through the air more efficiently. Components like front splitters, rear diffusers, and side skirts can reduce drag while improving downforce, which is beneficial for racing and high-speed driving. Air vents in some kits can improve cooling, which will increase the effectiveness of an engine. A body kit, with correct design and installation, can contain and make a vehicle more responsive at speed.
3. Enhanced Resale Value for Some Models
In performance or specialty-tuned cars, a quality, well-designed custom body kit can be a resales hit. Buyers who purchase to own one show car, one customized, or one race car may pay more for a high-quality, professionally installed body kit. This would be true to a great extent in the case where the modifications are tasteful and not overdone. If the car is either one of the low-production line cars or is a highly desirable tuner model, then an aftermarkets kit will simply make it all the more desirable.
4. Light Body Materials for More Efficiency
Lightweight carbon fiber or fiberglass material is usually used to create individualized body kits that can help the car reduce in weight. With the weight coming off the vehicle, comes increased acceleration, increased mileage, and improved handling. To the racing car driver or an owner wishing to achieve optimal power-to-weight ratio on his/her ride, a lightweight body kit is a good investment.
5. Competitive Edge at Car Shows and Enthusiast Events
If you love racing car events, displays, or meetups, a personalized body kit will put your vehicle in contention. The judges and people around you love personal vehicles that seem unique due to the unique elements and features. A personalized body kit may be the difference between you receiving rewards and awards and respect from vehicle enthusiasts.
Cons of Custom Body Kits
1. Expensive Purchase and Fitment Price
Cost is likely the biggest disadvantage of custom body kits. Quality kits, especially polyurethane- or carbon fiber-produced, are expensive. Additionally, installation and painting can be another hundreds to thousands of dollars on top of the final cost. Malinstallation of body kits will result in alignment issues, and more will need to be done in an attempt to fix. Before you ever buy a body kit, you will be asked to add the cost of the kit and the cost of having it installed correctly.
2. Potential Fitment Problems
Not all body kits plug-and-play straight out of the box. There are those which should be fitted or modified further in order to fit, especially if these are universal body kits and not model-specific ones. Flawed fitment would result in panel gaps, door or trunk opening problems, and rattling or looseness when accelerating at high speeds. Cutting, sanding, or reinforcement might be required for customizations and add installation time and costs.
3. Maintenance and Long-Term Issues
Not every body kit lasts as long as OEM, the materials boast. Fiberglass, for example, is light and flexible but will crack when struck. Polyurethane is more flexible but hardens with age. Carbon fiber is highly resistant but expensive to repair if damaged. Paint job body kits also require ongoing maintenance just to maintain their new appearance because scratches and chips are more noticeable on modified components.
4. Reduced Ground Clearance and Usability Issues
Most body kits lower a car’s ground clearance, and driving it every day becomes harder. Speed bumps, driveway inclines, and potholes become large obstacles, and hitting or scratching the kit are more probable. If you live in a neighborhood of bad roads, a low-rider front bumper or side skirts become infuriating. Keep this in mind when deciding to drive the car as a daily driver.
5. Potential Impact on Resale Value
A body kit will improve resale value on some cars but decrease it on others. People enjoy purchasing stock cars and may consider an aftermarket body kit to be a negative, especially if the job wasn’t professional. Some extremely radical or extremely specialty kits will reduce the possible purchaser base, thereby making it harder to sell the car down the road. If resale value is a concern, ask if the mods will be attractive to marketing demand.
Last Words: Is a Custom Body Kit for You?
Body kits are a wonderful way to customize your vehicle, make it more attractive, and in some cases, even drive better. But they’re not without cost, maintenance concerns, and detriments. Before you shell out the cash for a body kit, you must weigh the advantages and disadvantages against your budget, driving habits, and plans. If you have the budget to spend good cash on good quality parts and a pro fitment, a one-off body kit is a worthwhile upgrade that’s worth spending the cash on and makes your car stand out on the planet.
Would you put a body kit on your vehicle? Let us know in the comments!