Widebody - Best project ever or worst nightmare
 

Ok, here we go. I have not posted on here for a long time, but I find myself about to make a huge decision, and thought I would get some input from people who actually know these cars. Let me start by saying that yes I know widebodys are cliche, I like them anyway. I've already bought the body kit, and I know everyone has an opinion on who makes the best one. This is the one I like. Please keep posts to helpful sugestions, my350z was turning into a flame-fest a few years ago, I am hoping this has gotten better.

Pic 1 is where I started.
Pic 2 is where I am now after a guy fishtailed his truck down the side of my car.
Pic 3 is where I would really really like to go.

My resourses are:

1)I'm quite handy. I'm not a mechanic, but I do learn well and dont mind putting a lot of hard work to get where I want to be.

2) My father-in-law is a retired auto-body guy who owned his own shop near Wash. DC for 35+ years. He has a private shop on his property, and nothing to do for 6 months.

3)I have plenty of time to get this done. Even if it takes a few months, I have another car I can drive for as long as this takes.

4) I have a decent amount of money left over after buying all the parts. I still plan on paying out about 1500 for new rims and 1200 in tires if we do this.

5) We are going to totally respray the entire car (same color), so if I'm going to make changes to it, I might a well do them now.

6) I am never going to sell this car, and if Nissan releases a 400z, this is going to be turned into a drag car.

So here is the problem. In order for the wheels to match up with the new profile of the fender wells, I have to go with at least an 11" wheel setup, and might need a 1" spacer for the rear.

I have never done anything like this, and I am trying to figure out how to relieve the stock fender enough to clear the tires, but I want to try to retain the splashguards.

I was thinking about cutting the fender wells back, and leaving "tabs" that could be bent in to re-create the mounting points for the splashguards. There will probably be some ajusting needed, but it's the best I can come up with on my own.

If anyone has any pics/sugestions I would really appreciate it.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....b9a0733ddd.jpg


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....cae51e52ed.jpg


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....58467c19eb.jpg


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....820b0067ec.jpg


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....f2a8642768.jpg


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....40f0948b81.jpg


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....d50bc8b176.jpg


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....f0b225c072.jpg

Omg that's horrendous

"Please keep posts to helpful sugestions, my350z was turning into a flame-fest a few years ago, I am hoping this has gotten better."

I guess I was wrong.

It's not horrible if you are ray charles, or helen keller

Did you read the thread at all. Do you have ANY helpful sugestions about the fender wells?

Man, that kit is hideous.

As for the quarters, do what this guy did
https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-n...50z-build.html

park it on some train tracks and it out of its misery.

Ok, IF I want to get a new kit, and IF I want to go widebody, and IF I don't like the Vader or Rocketbunny kits, what do you guys sugest?

Honestly anything but that ****

http://images.fineartamerica.com/ima...-edmondson.jpg

ignore the sign


Definitely dont do the RB kit...took less time to get played out than it took to hype it.

I would start with getting a new fender and mirror... Then I would start saving for those wheels because your probably going to need some custom made ones to fit after you mount flares... Like a -offset wheel... The car can handle some wide ass tires in stock form add another inch of plastic to try and flush up your probably looking for some custom made shitola...

Honestly most people will say in stock form the car looks better than your goal... But if thats your goal and you wont be embarrassed driving around more power to you.

And everyone seems to go gaga for the stardast ricketbunny or the vside...

okay will be semi serious now.... to me it looks like they are trying to make it look like a scooby or something, can't quite place it. if you went with a different front end i think it would help

Thanks Travlee, I love my car, but I really do need some help from people that know them better than I do...

If I skip the widebody, I've always been partial to this rear, but haven't been able to decide what front to go with it. I already own the exact spoiler show in the pic, so it would make things easier.

BTW, my front bumper was torn in the accident, so it has to be replaced one way or the other.....


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....c154435630.jpg

Can't say I like the Vader kit, not that much of a Stardast or Bunny kit either. I know there are others available that are a bit more subtle.

The car obviously needs repair and is a great candidate for some kind of an overfender kit

In the end, it is your car.... if you like it, then buy whatever you want. I am more of a simplist.... subtle changes. I just wouldn't want ya to get in over your head.... price out wheels and tires to add to the cost, can't do wide body without them

/thread.


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....19ca57d6a7.jpg

https://my350z.com/forum/exterior-an...thread-63.html

Brian's (bmccann101) is the only (current) wide body I like. I can count with just one hand the number of wide body kits done right since 2005. All the rest have been pretty much garbage.

If your father-in-law is a retired autobody man with a private shop, why not just fix it back to stock?

I concur!

I was thinking of going with these in 11" with the widebody. These run $1500 for 4, and the tires I am looking at are $300 each.

The only other size they offer them in is 9.5, so I'll have to look around for 10.5/9.5's if I go with standard fenders. I have to money to do these things, just having a hard time deciding which way to go.

To answer others: I do like the way a stock Z looks, but I want this car to be unique. Maybe the pics I posted are not the way to go, but thats why I posted here...

Does anyone know if there are widebody fenders that are stand-alone? If so, I could do the rest of the car now, and do the fenders later...


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....dd85a1fe03.jpg