I have thought about the top secret widebody kit several times, but I always end my consideration with a few thoughts.

Do these kits come with new front fender liners? If not, that seems like a huge hassle to build anything worthwhile... I hate when I see cars with decked out body kits but missing all the fender liners and underbody panels (all of which are functional and there for a reason)... and I always think it makes the car look very half-assed and ghetto.

Then... what about the rear? I mean... when you mold in and overlay a new fiberglass fender over the stock one... what are you supposed to just cut out and weld up all the stock fender? I would imagine if you didnt cut that out, then you obviously couldnt use the proper offset and width wheels to fill the widebody.

I really love the widebody look... but I am affraid that these kits are missing huge details needed for a high end installation?

 

I am going to argue that a wide body kit is more of a show car feature, rather then performance. At show cars don't need to be functional.
It looks like you can stuff the stock rear wells with 315 if you do everything right...
http://www.z1auto.com/prodmore.asp?m...ior&prodid=845
add these for another like 10 mm width...
But how much tyre do you really need to stuff in there?

 

well those thigns couldnt possibly allow a larger tire since they just attach to the stock fender... unless you get rid of the stock fender nothing larger is gonna fit!

 

vrt is able to fit a 315 in the back with the lm's and te's

 

which 315 are they using? Not all 315s are created equally... and if they are not running them on the proper width wheel then the benefits are null.

 

Yeah, but if you roll the fenders and stick this on just to make the wheel flush with the side of the car.... And then again, how wide of a tyre are you looking to stuff in those wells?
But I am not an autobody expert and will not attempt pretending being one.
I think, though, that widebody kits is a purely cosmetic upgrade, to make it look like the car is wider becuase it's packing so much power, it would vaporise any narrower rubber. But I think that these bulging fenders are merely added for the effect of exaggeration...
But I may be wrong however.

 

All the reasons why I didn't do it myself, and once you do it theres no going back since you hacked up your rear quarter panels.

 

Jason you bought the TS kit right? Do you still have it? If so I would like to return these manifold parts I borrowed to ya and check out that kit. I still consider that fit since we can fabricate my rear quarters professionally between my fabricator who used to work at my shop, and one of my good friends who does body work.

 

phunk, funny that you should bring up the exact subject we were talking about here also. My wife wants the TS widebody kit also. We both think it looks outstanding. Once we get the engine work done, that's the next project for us. If you are doing it soon, I'ld like to see some picks of it. We've seen in magazines only so far. But I figure with the aps tt, etc. there power would be there and then as above the only question would be, is the rubber. This is one subject, I had not thought of. Will be watching this thread on the subject. Your thoughts as to doing the TS kit?

 

this one's not just for looks:

 

and thank god for that, cause its hideous

 

YES

 

Charles, have you read this thread yet? If I were going widebody, this is the only way I'd do it (only I'd not use the Wald kit as my starting point )

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....4&page=1&pp=20

 

yes i have seen that... very nice work for sure but just wayyyy over the top for me! I wanna drive my Z sometime before 2007

 

Well, just thought I'd throw it out there

 

No I don't have it any more since I didn't want to destroy my car (MEANING CUTTING UP MY REAR FENDERS). And also it would cost me an arm and a leg to match my custom paint.

 

Removing the front fenderliners does not make a car "ghetto." You'd be suprised how many non-widebody cars remove the fenderliners for more wheel clearance. On most widebodies, the front fenders have air outlets that are require the absence of the fenderliners to be functional.

The rear fenders need to be trimmed so that the new fenders you are adding will become the new body lines and allow for proper wheel clearance.

Widebody kits are functional, there's no arguing that. Ideally you are improving the aerodynamics of the vehicle and you are widening the stance. (lower offset, wider wheels and tires) Keep in mind, it's not just how much tire you've got, it's also the wider stance and wheel (more contact patch) giving you better handling and traction.

As far as show cars go, yeah, alot of them are using widebodys for the bling factor and to get super deep dish wheels....but that doesn't take away from their performance enhancing characteristics.

Very true. The front fenders on the Top Secret wide body kits are total replacement fenders and the rear ones require you to trim your stock fender to allow for the maximum wheel clearance.

Trimming your rear fenders is a far cry from destroying a car. You do, however, need to understand that a widebody is not like a normal body kit that can be bolted and unbolted from a car. It's a permanent upgrade.

 

I understand theres no going back thats why I didn't do it since I like to be able to change it if I wanted to.