toddo10

I'm looking into getting a body kit for my Z. just wondering if anyone that has a body kit made of fiberglass have any problems with it fitting perfectly?
If so what should one look for when purchasing a kit. i was looking at the Visage kit.(full) if that helps. any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Chicken

iTrader: (3)

I have this kit, and yes there are body kits made of fiberglass that have problems with it fitting perfectly, but... the Vizage kit isn't one of them. It's well finished and needs very little prep, fitment is excellent. Buy a spare front bumper or sign up for the monthly plan at the body shop though, as the front is low. Someoone posted that they've fixed it 5-6 times, but me... just once. If you're handy with the fiberglass repair and paint and install, then you wouldn't worry so much.

jy535

iTrader: (2)

the vizage is a good kit, just veryu low?

toddo10

chicken,
Is your car lowered at all? i lowered mine 1.2 the whole way around already. you think that it will be too low with the visage kit then? i really don't plan on driving it too much after putting the kit on, maybe like 1 or 2 times every two weeks or so. i don't wanna have to be taking it in to get it fixed all the time. and living in pa there are a lot of pot holes and crap like that.

Chicken

iTrader: (3)

jy535, yep.

toddo10, no not lowered. I actually have lowering springs (that was a waste of money unless I can sell them for nearly the same price) and *planned* to lower it. The springs are the Hotchkis ones... lowers it only 1/2" in the front and 3/4" in the back (or maybe less, I forgot by now).

There are many times (too many) that I scrape the front while driving, exiting the freeway, entering driveways of businesses, etc., ... as is, and lowering it *at all* would really just make all of that worse. I want to lower it, really, really want to, but I already have to park on the street because the entrance to the parking lot at work has too much of an angle and it scrapes no matter what angle, when I exit.

There are people who have lowered their car with this kit. It's hard to tell you what will work for you. I have decided to suck it up and sell my new springs *sniff sniff* and move on, heh. I don't think you'd have to worry about potholes (the good news). It's the entrances of parkinglots and intersections that will probably give you more trouble. You learn where they are and alternate routes heh.

I'll take a picture of what the front looks like with the stock springs for you.

toddo10

That would be awesome. around here we don't have big humps getting into and out of parking lots and stuff. i know like when i lived in florida they have like humps on the ends of driveways and stuff. i really don't see that here in pa. but the highways can get a little iffy. right now i have about 5 inch clearance in the front. if you could get me a pic maybe one of the front from the ground would be cool also. thanks alot. i love the look of the kit on a Z. i just can't afford to be fixing it all the time.

Chicken

iTrader: (3)

I'm originally from the East Coast, and I don't recall the same type of issues but to be honest you really don't "see them" until you experience them. You might find out that there are places with issues once the kit is on. Kit was fixed and resprayed a week ago, I'm sure you can see some of the scrapes already. Here goes...

v-01_frontheight is a ground shot of the front to the ground
v-02_sideheight is a ground shot of the lowest point of the sideskirt
v-03_frontextension is something you have to consider as well

The front sticks out more than stock. The stock bumper is somewhat flat which is what I did't like, but this "flatness" keep the front closer to the wheels. You can see the angle that the bumper scrapes the ground in the first shot. It doesn't rub on the bottom, it rubs on the front edge at an angle due to the front sticking out so much from the wheels.

Hope that helps.

toddo10

chicken thanks for the pics. man that scares me now. i'm like an inch lower than your car. i definately think i would have scrapping problems now that i see it on your car. dang i really like that kit. how much you pay to keep getting it fixed and repainted all the time? if you don't mind me asking. just so i can get an idea ya know.
cause if i got the i think i would have anywhere from 3 to 3.25 inches of front clearance, and 2 to 2.5 on the sides. damn that would look sweet though. i see what you mean about the front being out further too. but since i don't plan on driving it as much next summer maybe i'll be ok with it as long as i watch how i drive a little better. well thanks again that gives me something to think about.

Chicken

iTrader: (3)

I think your estimates are about right. Ohh and I went to the movies (down into an underground parking garage where you couldn't go in at an angle), and that ridiculously expensive movie cost me $458.75 (the movie itself was $8.75). Was a crappy movie too, heh.

toddo10

man that wa an expensive movie. man i am so frustrated now. i really like that kit. plus that would make it hard to pretty much do anything to the car. that would make it harder to change to oil and everything i suppose. maybe i better start looking at another kit then. it would look great, but is it worth the hassle? i really don't think i have the time or money to deal with something. i wish they made one that looked like that but a little smaller. what do you guys think of the Stillen kit? it's urethane and defiantely not as low. i like it too.

Chicken

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, it was an expensive movie. Funny you mentioned about changing the oil. I have to do that and couldn't at the dealer due to them not having the right lift. Was too low, heh. I am going to go today to another dealer and see if they can do it.

Is it worth the hassle? Well, you'd be better off changing the springs back. It's not impossible, but your springs will make it worse (probably much worse honestly). I do like the kit, I get compliments on it all the time, but it is what I'd call high maintenance, and you just have to understand that and be willing to baby your baby even more than you do already.

There's also a full poly bumper and lip combo that looks like stock but with the lip that many people add. Although it wasn't available when I bought the kit, sometimes I think this would be a better route to take, heh.

You will like the kit if you get it (I think), but at the same time, you'll also probably crack the crap out of the bumper and need to get it fixed one or more times, so you just have to be ready for that.

It survived some pretty hard hits, but the movie killed it. Now that it's been damaged once, I'm guessing it will break easier the second time. Sometimes I park 3 feet from a stopper in the parking lot (misjudging the distance and not wating to slam it heh). I also went a year, so I'm hoping it will last at least another year before it has to go back and I see the bodyshop guy.

I told him about the springs and he just shook his head and repeated... "Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it..."

toddo10

yeah that just seems too low for me. i guess if i was only goingto car shows and not driving it for fun i wouldn't mind. but i like to have some fun with her that is why i got her. so i better keep looking. i was thinking of a lip kit before. i'll just have to keep looking around. maybe i'll just skip it altogether and go FI sleeper style. lol

Chicken

iTrader: (3)

Instead of a lip kit, you might want to consider the AeroSync N-Style bumper...

https://my350z.com/forum/exterior-and-interior/134421-aerosync-n-style-polyurethane-front-bumper.html
https://my350z.com/forum/exterior-and-interior/145116-check-out-my-customer-s-rides-with-our-aerosync-n-style-bumper.html

IMHO, it looks good, has the lip, but is the whole bumper (one piece, clean look), and to boot... it's all poly so it will stand up to much more abuse than adding a fiber lip.

toddo10

yeah i'm done looking for today. gonna go home from work and drink a few cold beers and finish watching the Ohio State game.