Rear Lights Don't Match Body Kits :(

[Iodes]

I'm looking at body kits, mostly from makers Vision Auto and VIS Racing, and I notice that most if not all of them include rear bumpers that fit over the small, circular back-up lights . And I noticed that *most* of the other Eclipses around town look that way, too. But mine are the big semicircle-in-the-center of the rear bumper style. So a couple questions:

Do all Eclipse models have the same light placement each year produced? As in, are the rear lights on a '95 GS the same as a '95 GSX?

What year did the style change to the spread-apart circular rear lights?

How difficult would it be to convert my lights to "circle style" to be functional with a body kit? So far I have not seen a rear bumper that matches the semicircle light style, but maybe I'm not looking hard enough.

Just so you guys can visualize what I'm talking about, this bumper: VIS Racing GT Bomber Body Kit - Rear Bumper for 95-99 Mitsubishi Eclipse at Andy's Auto Sport
has those little circle lights way off on the side, while mine are in the center, but the body kit fits years 95-96. Would I have to wire in some new lights or something? I'm so

I have a tendency to over-explain things so I apologize for talking so much.

 

[4Lurker4]

95-96 have that oval one, 97-99 have the more circular reverse lights.

As for wiring them, unplug and plug the new one not much to it. Really depends on you and how you want to mount them to the kit. A lot of nice bodykits in Germany have the oval ones, but shipping them might be a large $$ loss.

 

[Iodes]

Well I would have to find someone parting out an Eclipse with the round lights probably... I was just worried I'd have to do some crazy fabricating or something but I'm glad it's that simple! Ordering something as bulky as a body kit from Germany would cost an arm and a leg x.x

 

[4g63tc]

the 97-99 Back up lights cost.......$27.65 each. Plug and play right into the aftermarket Bodykit, also if planning to do a complete kit, the 97-99 headlights are required as well.

Mitsubishi Parts | OEM Mitsubishi Parts | Genuine Mitsubishi Parts
Back up lights, and a great vendor for OEM stuff.

The Kit is nice, but check out Extreme Dimensions they are a supporting Vendor, and offer a ton of different styles. (mine is in process of Kitting so take a look at the gallery)

 

[Iodes]

So when body kits say 97-99 is it really just the light placement? I read the thread about people having bumper gaps because of their headlights. Or are their minor body differences between 95s and 97s? I browse Andy's Auto Sport just to see what is available and to compare styles and brands. Good to know I can replace lights so easily though!

What do yall think of this wide body kit? http://www.andysautosport.com/mitsubishi/1995_1999_eclipse/exterior/body_kits/vision%20auto/visi00132869.html

I kinda like a wide look... it says "rally car" to me... possibly attributed to that giant spoiler. I'm picky about what kind of kit to put on my car, because I don't want a squared front bumper and I don't like jagged, angular rear bumpers. It has to look natural and not like a Hot Wheels car.

 

[kbiker76]

Keep it stock or do a 97-99 conversion... Looks mare natural than any body kit ever will because thats how the car comes naturally

 

[my98gsx]

Keep it stock or do a 97-99 conversion... Looks mare natural than any body kit ever will because thats how the car comes naturally

Agreed 100%, bodykits never look right , +1 for keeping it stock, you dont see too many 95-96's around anymore. I miss my old '95.

 

[4g63tc]

Bodykits do require some bodywork, and or modification of the kit. It's not as simple as people think, which is why My98GSX is somewhat correct. The Main thing to keep in mind is it's your car, and everyone else is entitled to their opinions.

Your Car is an N/A, so you won't be spending the thousands of dollars "Modding" the motor, so why not spend the money making it your own. Just the way you envision it.

The Quhees kit is in my opinion overdone. way too much going on and kinda clutter's up the smooth organic lines of the body. Not to mention you'll need to run a minimum of 19" wheels, and spacers just to get the look right.

Most companies will allow you to mix and match kits, the one on my car is a Buddy club2 front, with blitz Low sides ( to match the door cap line), and a Blitz rear. I'm going through the process of shaving the foglight holes in the front, and the wierd popped out vent/duct looking thing in the rear bumper.

I like it to be different, but clean, and tidy. Besides it's never gonna see the track, or make 1000 hp.

The point is enjoy it, love it, and make it your own.

 

[4Lurker4]

^^ Great advice, do to it what you want as in the end, it's there to make you happy, not others.

As for the kit, like he said, some fabricating will be needed because close to all bodykits need work to fit properly. As a personal suggestion, if you like the widebody look I would simply go with wider wheel arches and whatever kit you want for side/front/rear. Rounding off the wheel arches on a 2g always looks incredible if done correctly. By correctly I mean clean, smooth and obeying to the lines of the car like the red one in this thread

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/appearance-interior-exterior/401389-hood-scoop-hood-hump.html

Notice the difference between yellow (stock) and red (widebody) This was a purely custom job though.

Here's a good example of the Buddyclub bodykit with a custom widebody (this is just a drawing though, don't think he ever went through with it).
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/appearance-interior-exterior/150673-buddyclub2-widebody-2g.html

 

[Iodes]

That red car looks really good, if I didn't own an Eclipse I'd think that's the way they're supposed to look, factoring out the scoop on the hood bump, but even that doesn't look too weird.

I was initially leaning toward the GT Bomber kit, but now compared to the Quwhees one I think the front bumper is too pointy. I like the wide body look cause it looks like a rally car, at least the car model does (probably due in part to the spoiler but I'm not keen on that style). My fiance went to school for painting and body work so whichever kit I decide to get, he'll help with the aesthetics

Whatever I end up doing, for now my car will remain a daily driver until I have an amalgamation of upgrades ready for it.

 

[2GEffect6]

I'm looking at body kits, mostly from makers Vision Auto and VIS Racing, and I notice that most if not all of them include rear bumpers that fit over the small, circular back-up lights . And I noticed that *most* of the other Eclipses around town look that way, too. But mine are the big semicircle-in-the-center of the rear bumper style. So a couple questions:

Do all Eclipse models have the same light placement each year produced? As in, are the rear lights on a '95 GS the same as a '95 GSX?

What year did the style change to the spread-apart circular rear lights?

How difficult would it be to convert my lights to "circle style" to be functional with a body kit? So far I have not seen a rear bumper that matches the semicircle light style, but maybe I'm not looking hard enough.

Just so you guys can visualize what I'm talking about, this bumper: VIS Racing GT Bomber Body Kit - Rear



Bumper for 95-99 Mitsubishi Eclipse at Andy's Auto Sport
has those little circle lights way off on the side, while mine are in the center, but the body kit fits years 95-96. Would I have to wire in some new lights or something? I'm so

I have a tendency to over-explain things so I apologize for talking so much.

2ga has the lights like yours 2gb has the spread round lights 97 to 99 is 2gb 95 and 96 are 2ga. Just make sure that if you order a rear bumper you get the 95 96 model not the 97 to 99 unless you are good with fiberglass then it doesnt matter what bumper you get

by the might say that it fits a 95 96 but the picture is just of a 97-99 just for an example of what the kit looks like.

 

[4g63tc]

Mad fiberglassing skills are not required to fit the 97-99 back up lights, just a bit of trimming from the molding process.

you will need 97-99 headlights, that gets rid of the "bumper" gap between the headlights as 95-96 headlights are longer, and shaped slightly different. the hood, and fenders will be unaffected by installing the 97-99 headlights.

Any Bodykit, can become a "widebody", but honestly do you just mean "flared" fenders?

The Fender Flares can be added to any kit, they will just need to be molded into the body.

 

[Iodes]

Any Bodykit, can become a "widebody", but honestly do you just mean "flared" fenders?

The Fender Flares can be added to any kit, they will just need to be molded into the body.

I thought widebody was when a front bumper extended past the natural fenders, so you'd need new fenders to line up with it, right? If you had a wider bumper than the OEM one it wouldn't be flush with the fenders. So if I got one, it would be nice if the kit already included flared fenders. Because without them it would look stupid.

The bigger question on my mind is... the Quwhees kit is eleven pieces. With a front and rear bumper, side skirts, and front and rear fenders, that's only eight. So what the heck are the other three?

 

[4g63tc]

The quewhees kit has 11 pieces because there are addons to the front, and rear of the bumpers.

Honestly if you're looking for a kit consider Duraflex, from Extreme Dimensions, it's a bit more pricey but the added "flexing" built into the pieces, will save you headaches, and repairs later when you run in to your first curb.