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Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 5:12 pm
by Gro Harlem
I mean, the Mazdaspeed kit is cool and everything, but it is pretty mild, especially the sides which are just caps. The OEM sideskirts are kinda plain looking. Why can't anyone produce a kit that could be installed on a daily driver and not get fubarred in two seconds?

I drive 30k miles a year, every single kit besides the mazdaspeed would be destroyed easily in that time period. I don't want to have to be all careful when I go over speed humps, and drive on bumpier roads.

Yes I'm referring to all of the FX bumpers and skirts, Pakfeifer, the recent drift kit, and others. They are too damn low to the ground. If you wanted to be safe, you'd have to ride around on stock-height springs, which makes the car look like @$$ even more. I like my car to have no wheel gap, and the stock bumpers are booooring so someone PLEASE MAKE A GOOD KIT. I know there are others who agree with me on this and would definitely buy a practical kit, if one was made, and was tasteful.

So again, I ask....why-o-why aren't there any other kits out there :(

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 6:09 pm
by Steeb
someone please come out with a non rice kit that looks nice!!!!!! :shrug:

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 6:13 pm
by Sean Mandell
Good luck! I got myself the oem sides and I think they are mint because they don't scrape when I go over bumps and my car is dropped 2 inches. I think by far the best skirts for our cars are those jdm presso oem ones and the front lip. Hard to find and very pricey but I havent seen anyone yet in north america with them and the best part is that they are urethane.

If someone would make a kit that is urethane and actually functional I would be in for that. :pimp:

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 6:14 pm
by monty73741
i also have the oem side skirts.....think they look suttle.........

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 6:22 pm
by Sean Mandell
Originally posted by monty73741:
i also have the oem side skirts.....think they look suttle.........
I like suttle. I mean I am keeping my car a sleeper and I don't want anything too rice. Those jdm presso ones are sick, I wonder how hard it would be to source them used.

what would be really sick is if we can get the oem Jdm ones in c/f.

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 6:50 pm
by streetconcepts
The new kits we're building would be fine for a daily driver. What kind of kit do you want? If you want a mildly styled kit that just has a lip spoiler, sideskirts, and a rear valance then razzi or wings west would have been the best choices but they probally would not do them now b/c the car is no longer made

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 6:50 pm
by marshmallow15
gro harlem. i agree with you whole-heartedly. unfortunately, its widely known that once you buy a kit, you understand the risk of it being too low and its just one of those responsibilities that you need to take care of when you drive around a kitted car.

hopefully there will be some nice future kits out there like the mazdaspeed, except a bit more aggressive (i think thats what you wanted correct?) but an aggressive kit mixed with a safe enough gap from the ground looks a bit off to me. hopefully you guys will be satisfied with what im producing and if so, drop me a line :D

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 6:54 pm
by marshmallow15
Originally posted by nvrsrndr:
what would be really sick is if we can get the oem Jdm ones in c/f.
if anyone can provide me with jdm skirts, i can make a mold and produce a few of these if there is well-enough interested. i've worked with cfiber plenty of times in the past to know that im confident i can pull it off.

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 7:02 pm
by myway326
totally agree, although the flashy kits look nice, they would get torn up by the roads in NJ =) ....wish their was a kit that would make my mx distinct enough from the crowd, but wouldnt be a flagrant rice. someone should build off the mazda speed kit n make it more aggressive.. (as stated before by others countless times)..

i agree.

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 7:13 pm
by Sean Mandell
Originally posted by marshmallow15:
Originally posted by nvrsrndr:
what would be really sick is if we can get the oem Jdm ones in c/f.
if anyone can provide me with jdm skirts, i can make a mold and produce a few of these if there is well-enough interested. i've worked with cfiber plenty of times in the past to know that im confident i can pull it off.
Bud, You are my new best friend. If you can pull off a front jdm presso lip, sides and rear mudguards in C/F I will pay top dolla. :pimp:

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 8:14 pm
by marshmallow15
i have some skirts that i modified that i can post pics of (when finished, its still not sanded down) and can see if there's interest in a carbon fiber copy which i can easily duplicate (its pretty much all smooth and no vents like the oem skirts) and the rear mudguards if i had a set i could make a female mold for it (ive never thought of that one before good one.)

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 8:54 pm
by DVH
:( :roll:

I drive my car all you round in Barrie,ONtario , Canada and we get a sh*t load of snow in the winter, you buy a kit, u HAVE TO understand that you have to drive more carefully, if you don't wanna drive carefully then buy a sh*t box and drive like a maniac! or DON'T A BUY A BODY KIT

lates :idea:

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 9:38 pm
by Curtis
lol.. damn Derek,i totally AGREE. Not trying to start up an arguement but....DAMN GUYS!?!?!? you guys FLAME..and yes totally BURN someone that is trying to make a kit for us.. then you cry :D

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 11:08 pm
by Gro Harlem
Before you guys try to start flame fests, re-read this entire thread, the replies and get your facts straight.

I am NOT against any company who is willing to design bodykits for our car! NOT NOT NOT!! I don't think anyone else is either.

My point is...there is NO REASON WHATSOEVER why I should have to give up 80% of the practicality of my car just because I want to improve the appearance of my car with some form of ground effects, whether it be a lip, full bumper and/or skirts?? Why do these bumpers have to cut the ground clearance by 2-4" as compared to OEM????? Why can't a company make skirts that won't scrape? Why can't a company make a bumper that doesn't touch the ground if the car IS lowered 2"?? In other words, why are most daily-driven MX3's with these kits forced to ride around with LOTS of wheelgap just so they can sport these kits?

Honestly, the first few people who replied already stated that they ARE interested, deeply interested in a mildly styled kit. Did you fail to read these replies already? I have nothing against aftermarket support. I am trying to have my voice heard, along with the others who replied stating that WE WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT. Not these knock-off kits of existing bodykit styles like spyderman, blitz, drift, black widow, buddy club, etc. which traditionally call for very low bumper heights, and are mostly aimed for car show purposes only, not daily driven cars.

Based on my stay here on this board, I've noticed that 95%+ of everyone here drives their MX3's daily....why not design a kit that fits our lives?

There are other car makes and models that have kits available that many people sport on their daily driven cars, and they don't have to worry about destroying their kits when they drive into Detriot-quality roads. My buddy's Protege has a erebuni kit that is only 1" lower than stock. In the 3 years he's had it, he has yet to crack the front end. Although there are a few scrapes, that IS a sacrifice you have to make, but destroying $400 bumpers shouldn't be one of them.

So again, I ask why won't anyone listen?

Re: Why aren't there any PRACTICAL body kits?

Posted: November 18th, 2003, 11:12 pm
by Gro Harlem
Originally posted by marshmallow15:
Originally posted by nvrsrndr:
what would be really sick is if we can get the oem Jdm ones in c/f.
if anyone can provide me with jdm skirts, i can make a mold and produce a few of these if there is well-enough interested. i've worked with cfiber plenty of times in the past to know that im confident i can pull it off.
anyone got a picture of these presso skirts? I've seen the US spec OEM's and they are OK, but making replica presso ones might be up my alley.