Why do people think so badly about bodykits?

[TBSpyder]

Originally posted by halik
there are no bodykits that i've seen that will flow with the organic lines of your cars. most bodykits were made for different vehicles

I disagree. IMO, the Rudora and Kaminari widebody kits both flow VERY well with the original lines and curves of a 2g. Other kits, on the otherhand, do tend to get a little exotic..but I think there are still a few that are clean enough to look good..ie, the drift kit.

 

[Spyder FX]

that red talon doesn't look too bad actually, but i'll tell you bodykit guys this. You can't please everyone, to each his own Personally I hate any kind of body kit on a dsm, but that's just me.

 

[dave99gst]

Originally posted by talon43
Thanks for all your opinions. I'm stuck between the 97 + body or a simple nice clean kit such as the one i attached below. Hmm not quite shure yet, but i've got a while to decide. haha

i like it

 

[Turbo_Frog]

Stock bumper in my opinion is sexy as hell, stay clean, sleek and free of stickers lowered on rims and you will turn just as many heads. (I just wish I had wheels ) But for all you kitted guys, more power to you! If you feel thats your way of making your car stand out above the rest go for it! You drive an Eclipse, lower it and its already a sexy head turner.....my two pennies!

 

[logic]

Originally posted by talon43

I've been pretty strongly in the "no kits" camp for 2g DSMs. However, since my stock front clip is starting to show signs of age (the underside has had the living crap beat out of it because the prior owner didn't know where the car ended and the curb began) and has a few defects that really irritate me (rather than get the proper mounting hardware, the previous owner or the dealer attached the license plate to the holder with a long wood screw, which drove all the way through the urethane), I've been interested in the subject of aftermarket front clips.

The stock 97-99 front clip is a real work of art as it stands. But I'm requoting the front clip you mentioned (I believe it's called Combat or Kombat), because this has been the only other front-end I can stand. No oddball lines on the sides, a exceptionally functional front opening (your intercooler core choices just expanded dramatically), and a complimentary style to the rest of the car. It eliminates a clean foglight housing, but I don't think I'd miss them all that much, and fitting a pair of PIAA fogs back into the side vents doesn't seem like too much of a problem if I really wanted them back.

I suspect that this front-end, by visually turning the side vents upside-down compared to the stock 97+ appearance, would compliment a set of S14 headlights very nicely (the stock 97+ headlights, while being head-and-shoulders better than the 95-96, still have a "droopy" look to them, IMHO), giving the whole front of the car an up-turned aggressive look, without going overboard.

Of course, none of this makes my car go any faster...

 

[meef]

Originally posted by halik
there are no bodykits that i've seen that will flow with the organic lines of your cars. most bodykits were made for different vehicles

i was just wondering what your opinions about 300zx's with bodykits? ive seen a few and i think they look nice..just wondering what you thought

 

[EuroGSTSpyder]

Well I gotta get in here too and add an opinion:

Why does any one even have to argue about another persons car? I mean...if I have a car and I tune it up AND add some styling...what does that matter to a "serious tuner" ? He may not like it but does he have to bash me for it? No.
If I am a styling guy and see some sleeper...do I have to tell him his car looks like ass? No.

Can ppl respect the fact that differnet ppl like different things? No.

WHY?

I know all kinds of ppl...ricers,tuners, stylers(showcars etc) and pure racecars..and we all share garage and are happy with the fact that we all love cars in one way or the other. Its the interest in cars that keeps us friends..not the way we use the car.

Its all about wat eacj and everyone uses the car for and what goals they have with the car.Some wantthe car to lok good and thats all...some wants speed and thats it...some want both...It doesnt matter as long as the owner is happy with it!

 

[leet]

Originally posted by ZoomBy
i was going to say that, kits have bigger openings in the front allowing better air flow, as well as make the car more aerodynamic as well as make it look better, and thats a good point that person raised above me about the tints, systems ect being rice, it must be rice then right, its not adding performance to the car in anyway, haha all you gst and gsx guys are rice burners too

Sorry buddy, having more/bigger openings on your front end creates DRAG, which is DETRIMENTAL to your aerodynamic coefficient of drag.

Cliffs notes: It does not make you faster.

 

[logic]

Originally posted by leet
Sorry buddy, having more/bigger openings on your front end creates DRAG, which is DETRIMENTAL to your aerodynamic coefficient of drag.

Possibly correct, but I've yet to see any actual wind-tunnel testing to determine the additional drag of any of these kits on DSMs, and would love to see any data if you have it.

That said, the stock CoD floats between .29 and .30 on both 1g and 2g DSMs, and I'm having a hard time seeing how most of the kits on the market would perturb the air enough to affect the ratio a noticable amount. (Compare the stock '90 front end to a late 2g, as an example of how radically different front-ends have little or no impact on CoD.) A large aluminum wing on the back could certainly introduce a large amount of drag if mounted and adjusted poorly, but I'm just not seeing it for most of the front clips on the market. The worst effect I'd imagine would be to increase front-end lift, which is a completely different problem (and easily addressed).

A large opening up front does, however, have a secondary effect of making more space available for use by a front-mount intercooler (and can potentially leave room for air to get to your radiator more effectively than with a stock front-end fitted with an FMIC), which can help with cooling efficiency and can open up your core selection options. And that's where the performance benefit lies, in my opinion.

 

[cait sith]

I'm more than partial to the Bomex/Veilside kits (I'll probably end up with either one of those next year), although I think the Combat (Front and sides, the rear is awful)/Rudora kits are really nice and clean looking.

Kits I don't like are the ones that are clearly grafted from other cars, like the fake Veilside ones, the Skyline wannabe ones, etc...

The majority of sideskirts that are on DSM's these days are awful. The fake Supra Veilside skirts, the tall Blitz ones.. All yuck. The short blitz sides are good with the Drift front, but I think the Bomex/*REAL* Veilside/Rudora ones are the best fitting to the DSM form.

The rear end is probably the toughest thing to tackle on the DSM. I like the Bomex because it's so DIFFERENT than just your standard blitz rear, but the Rudora is good.

I initially hated the Bomex kits, but you have to realize that it's playing with both the forms that the 2G Eclipse has, the sharp edges (Like on the tail lights, the windows, the sideskirt bumps...). Bomex has actual race experience creating aerodynamics for JGTC cars, so I don't think they're that stupid when they created the front/sides/rear for the Eclipse.

I'd love to do some wind tunnel testing with my Eclipse and a huge bunch of body kits. I quite enjoy vehicle aerodynamic thought with downforce, drag, etc.

Oh, and one of the biggest problems I see with kiddies and body kits is that they don't stick with a theme. They'll put those awful fake veilside skirts which are all swoopy and shit, and then put on some super square vent front end like a Blitz, and nothing flows well. You have to stick with a theme.

 

[Burrito06]

I'm going for a sleeper. I like the 98' body on the Eclipse as it is. I care more about power then putting a body kit on. However I do want to get a paint job. My only advice is if you're going to put a body kit on just make sure you're going to get the paint job right after you put it on. I hat when HONDA'S drive around with a body kit with nothing but primer on it. If you're going to do something do it right. Good luck on the Body work of your car.

 

[Burrito06]

The only body mod that I am seriously considering is the fornt lip that fits on the 97-99 Eclipse. Man that thing is sick as hell. Otherwise I'm keeping the stock bumper.

 

[leet]

No logic, I am just going on aerodynamic principle. I have no hard data, just aerodynamic theory. In ALL honesty you would not even notice the effects of more drag on a street car. I just watch too much Formula 1