How to make and paint your own fiberglass bumper

15.07.2016,

Tuning is the only way today to own a completely exclusive car. Many manufacturers began to make cars unified. Owners of premium brands can no longer boast of their dissimilarity. For example, a Mercedes S-class or a Maybach Mercedes is not difficult to confuse with a budget representative of this brand: the same headlights, radiator grille and the entire appearance. If desired, you can order an identical interior. Not to mention other manufacturers, globalization is in full swing. All are the same, bloated, but there is only one small snag - the spare parts still don’t fit. We generally have to remain silent about the Chinese representatives - they have “licked” all the famous brands, and the rear of the car can be similar to one car, and the front is completely different, and even of a different class.

However, tuning is also not a panacea for all ills, because there is a limited number of manufacturers of body kits, optics, rims and other things. But in reality, the situation is not so dire; you just have to show your imagination, combine components from different manufacturers within the framework of your concept, or make some parts yourself.

This category includes the appearance of the car. It is not necessary to buy a body kit and some body elements; you just need to put some effort into it and create a masterpiece with your own hands.

Do-it-yourself body kit - how to make a beautiful car tuning?

Many car owners want to make their car more attractive in terms of appearance. One of the options for increasing attractiveness is a body kit, which emphasizes and in some cases even changes the contours of the car, giving it courage and a sporty character. You can mount the body kit yourself, but the main task is to purchase a high-quality body kit directly for your car model. Here it is important not to overdo it and not make your car overly intrusive and funny.

If you want to purchase and install a body kit on a car, first imagine what it will look like, look at photos of other cars that have already been subjected to these processes, and also look for different opportunities for purchasing materials for visual tuning. This will help you get exactly the materials you need to create a beautiful car.

We choose and buy body kits for your car

Many people decide that the prices for these materials are too high, so they can make the aerodynamic body kit themselves. We warn that without good equipment and sufficient skills in this area, you can only spoil the appearance of the car, therefore we urge you to abandon the production of body kits.

Moreover, today you can buy budget body kits for any car, buy equipment of different price segments and types. There is equipment made from different materials, as well as different shapes and appearance. Therefore, it is important to choose bumpers and body kits according to all the appropriate characteristics. The most important points in this matter are the following:

• high strength body kits that will be subject to constant influences and loads;
• unpretentious appearance, normal perception after installation on the car;
• no negative impact on the technical characteristics of the car, lower ground clearance;
• the possibility of simple installation without compromising the integrity of metal body parts;
• made from good materials and without the risk of losing shape over several months of use.

These are the important points you should observe if you need to buy body kits. Today, body kits for your car can be found in plastic, fiberglass and metal. The latter will be more preferable, but the most expensive. Most car enthusiasts prefer plastic options - the cheapest. Fiberglass is the most optimal offer in this area.

Choose the design of bumpers and body kits very carefully. If you do not want to get a problematic appearance of your car as a result of repairs, give preference to calm and discreet designs. Sometimes the front bumper separately from the car looks quite modest, but after installation it turns out to be too pretentious.

What function does the lip perform?

This is a very interesting question. If you approach its purpose strictly, then on sports cars it is mandatory to be installed on both the front and rear bumpers of the car, and serves to reduce the aerodynamic drag of the car. In other words, the front bumper lip improves the aerodynamics of the racing car. In addition, such cars are also equipped with spoilers that improve the grip of the wheels on the road surface by creating additional aerodynamic downforce.

For driving in the city, where speed is limited by traffic rules, such body kits are no longer so much practical as they are purely decorative. In this case, the car receives, firstly, a unique individual look, secondly, it acquires a sporty and aggressive character, and, thirdly, its owner enjoys all this. This is if we talk about the aesthetic side of this issue. There is also a practical one.

The lip is a good protection for the car's bumper while it is driving on uneven roads, taking on all possible damage from stones or speed bumps.

After all, if a car has an expensive and exclusive bumper, then its damage and subsequent repairs can cost a hefty sum. The lip on the bumper is also useful for drivers who try to park as close to the curb as possible. It will reliably protect the bumper from collision with an obstacle.

The lip is usually made of light and durable materials such as plastic or fiberglass. A universal rubber lip for the bumper is also offered for sale, which can be easily installed on any car model without much difficulty. We will consider the possibility of making a lip yourself, where the main materials are polystyrene foam or polyurethane foam, which is accessible to everyone.

Installing body kits on a car with your own hands

Securing all the purchased equipment is the most difficult task assigned to you. To do this, you need to acquire the appropriate tool, which will depend on the chosen type of body kit. Metal body side parts may often require welding, which is a difficult process reserved only for professionals.

In the case of plastic parts and fiberglass body kits, you can use simpler mounting options and start the process of assembling the body kit in your own garage. Otherwise, it is better to immediately contact bodywork specialists and get professional help. The sequential steps when installing a plastic body kit are as follows:

• remove the front and rear bumpers of your car to make room for purchased parts;
• remove the fender liners, which will be put on after installing all the body kits;
• attach the front bumper to the same fasteners that held the factory version;
• then you should immediately install the rear bumper using the same factory fasteners;
• with the side parts of the body kit everything is much more complicated - you need to position them as accurately as possible;
• after an even and precise position, use the fasteners that come with the set of body kits;
• Next, all that remains is to install the fender liners in place and evaluate the appearance of the car.

Often the body kit is purchased unpainted, so it is necessary to pre-paint it. This must be done before installing the body kit, otherwise you will have to deal with rather complex painting of an already installed part. You can fully count on an excellent visual result if all the tools and materials were selected with high quality.

If certain inaccuracies occurred at the stage of selecting materials, paints and fastenings, installing the body kit yourself will not go so smoothly. Some Chinese body kits do not have fasteners, which forces the driver to use self-tapping screws, screwing them into the car body. This will cause corrosion of the body in the drilled areas after just a few months of use.

Dismantling

Any work begins with preparing tools and, if necessary, dismantling old forms. It is advisable to find a garage with a pit or overpass. After removing old parts, rust may well be discovered at the fastening sites. Don’t start the new life of your body kit with old corrosion - sand everything properly before you start auto creativity.

The following are used as fastenings in different machine models:

• screws or double-sided tape. This mount is typical for the Japanese auto industry;
• pistons;
• standard latches.

In the most unpleasant case, you may be stuck with a sealant if the car was purchased on the secondary market and has already been “decorated”. Removing the old body kit will require time, patience and a set of screwdrivers. Go for it.

We order the installation of body kits to professionals

The surest way to install body kits on your car and make visual tuning of the car is to contact specialists who will complete the tasks in a few days, and will also help you purchase good equipment for performing external tuning. Specialists who deal specifically with this issue can provide you with the following services:

• independent selection of several options for tuning device kits;
• modeling the exact appearance of your car in the future;
• ordering high-quality equipment to carry out all work during the tuning process;
• painting of parts and excellent processing to give the desired appearance;
• installation of body kits on a car, taking into account all the important features of this process;
• servicing body kits, repairing plastic parts and painting chips and scratches in the future.

Shaping the part

At this stage, it is necessary to carefully separate the resulting workpiece from the old bumper, which served as a template. This is quite easy to do, however, caution will not hurt, since the hardened foam is quite fragile.

After cutting with a knife, you need to sand the part with sandpaper. The more accurately this process is done, the less work there will be in the future. After sanding and obtaining the desired shape, the newly made bumper is sealed with putty. At this stage, all the flaws that were made when cutting with a knife are eliminated. The putty layer is also sanded with sandpaper, gradually reducing its grain size.

Let's sum it up

To obtain the necessary goods and services in terms of external car tuning, many people prefer to turn to specialists to save time and money. However, you can complete all the processes yourself. Buying kits of body kits and installing them will not be difficult for you. The main thing is to choose the right kits, as well as paint them well.

Take advantage of the exterior decoration options for your car that you will love. But remember that excessive pretentiousness does not always suit your car. If you have experience in external tuning your car, share your conclusions in the comments.

Making your own fiberglass body kits

An aerodynamic body kit can greatly improve the appearance of your car. Different shapes and designs of body kits can give vehicles a bold, sporty, stylish, modest and even funny look. In addition, a high-quality part can significantly improve dynamic characteristics: controllability, operational stability and fuel consumption. That is why we can say that the work is carried out according to complex tuning. Moreover, if we consider a specific type, then the front bumper body kit, as it were, lands the car at high speeds, and the rear bumper body kit removes air turbulence that can lift the car. Aerodynamic body kits are presented on the market in a wide variety, but all of them, as a rule, have a considerable price. There is only one way to save significantly on tuning - making the body kit yourself.

Car with body kit

Before you make a body kit with your own hands, you should decide for what purpose you need it? If to change external tuning, then the product must be without extra holes and design changes. When it comes to driving characteristics, changes in the body and deformation of other parts are inevitable.

Please note: at low speeds the benefits of the aerodynamic body kit are not visible, but from 100 km/h everything becomes apparent. At high speeds from 140 km/h, the body kit begins to affect handling. Because of this, aerodynamics should not be discounted.

Types of materials

Before you start creating, it’s worth considering the question of what materials are body kits made from?

1. ABS plastic (ABS plastic).
2. Carbon.
3. Polyurethanes (rubberized or foamed).
4. Fiberglass.

Aerodynamic body kit made of ABS plastic

This material is an impact-resistant plastic containing a copolymer of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene . It is used most of all by domestic body kit manufacturers. It is used both in the creation of automobile parts and in household appliances.

Its advantages:

• moderate cost;
• resistance to mechanical stress;
• flexibility, allows you to restore the previous shape with a slight impact;
• holds the paintwork for a long time.

ABS plastic body kits

Cons of ABS plastic:

• if the technology is violated during the creation process, then in operation the part will begin to easily succumb to low temperatures;
• elements need to be adjusted during fastening.

Carbon body kit

Carbon is a composite material consisting of graphite threads and epoxy resin . Belongs to the category of carbon fiber plastics. Car tuning elements are made from carbon fiber: strut braces, hoods, bodies, bumpers and interior elements. Today, carbon is used not only in the automotive industry, but also in many other areas.

Material advantages:

• excellent quality;
• lightness compared to steel;
• low weight with high impact resistance;
• unique appearance.

Flaws:

• price;
• cannot restore shape;
• If the manufacturing process is not followed, it is susceptible to targeted impacts.

Carbon body kit

Body kit made of polyurethane

Polyurethane is a polymer containing macromolecules of the urethane group -NH-CO-O- in its chain. There are two types:

1. Rubberized polyurethane (PP) The best quality material. It is manufactured using cast iron, non-deformable dies under pressure. His resistance to impacts is amazing. The rubber content makes this type the most flexible. Even if a mechanical impact occurs several times in a row in the same place of the part, it will still return to its original state. A polyurethane part may fly out of place, but will remain unchanged in condition. You can create a defect on it only by cutting. The paint coating lasts on rubberized polyurethane for a long time.
2. Foamed polyurethane (VP) is slightly inferior in properties to rubberized one. Direct exposure will not affect the condition of the product in any way. The downside is that over time the material will deteriorate due to kinks. The polyurethane itself is lightweight, but the edges of the product are thicker. Abroad, the production of material from polyester resins is popular - this increases resistance to frost. Disadvantage : Both types are expensive.

Making a bumper from foam and polystyrene foam

Fiberglass body kit

Fiberglass is a type of composite material. It consists of fiberglass impregnated with resin. The new generation material allows you to implement any ideas. Fiberglass allows you to make a body kit for a car with your own hands of any complex shape, and represents the best solution in all areas of activity. Due to its qualities, it is widely used in the field of tuning.

pros:

• affordable price;
• if all manufacturing nuances were observed in production, then the quality is not inferior to ABS plastic and polyurethane;
• easy;
• easy to use;
• after an impact it can return to its original position.

Minuses:

• toxic;
• defective material can easily crumble and break in the cold;
• Parts need to be adjusted before installation.

Fiberglass Matrix for Bumper

Choosing a direction

As a rule, companies that produce their own body kits for tuning focus on a specific brand and model. This allows you to “not be scattered” and achieve the best quality of workmanship, optimize production and sales processes. The “sources” for modifications can be completely different - from popular VAZ new products like Vesta and XRAY to frame SUVs Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX.

For example, in the niche of tuning kits for Japanese all-wheel drive cars, the most famous manufacturers are Khann and Invader. Despite a small staff of specialists and relatively small production volumes by world standards, the brands today are well known not only in Russia, but also abroad.

Your own training center for 55,000 rubles.

The price includes a set of materials for conducting all programs in person + 2 days of live online training. Indefinite right to conduct 10 programs. No additional deductions or payments. Launch in 2 days.

In addition to kits with individual design, some manufacturers produce a so-called replica - this is a set of external parts that allow you to restyle the car. For example, a car produced in 2008, after installing updated elements, will look like a similar model released in 2018. Ordering and supplying a set of restyled parts will be significantly cheaper than replacing your car with a newer one.

Instructions

Let's look at how to make a fiberglass body kit with your own hands. The work can be divided into several stages:

1. You need to start by considering the appearance of the product. It is worth calculating the parameters and deciding on the shape. For easy perception, you should make a layout or sketch a sketch based on ready-made selling options. Find interesting types of body kits on the Internet and implement a unique design based on them.
2. Next, based on the sketch or image in your head, prepare parts of the body kit from fiberglass. Beginners are advised to first cut out a rectangle and then give it the desired shape. If you cut out the parts with small bricks and then glue them together with resin, then when attaching them to the car they will lie more evenly.
3. Let's move on to the most difficult part of the work - preparing the bends in the arch area. This part is tricky because it is along the edge of the wing splitter. It is worth approaching the task responsibly, since the transition of the extender into the fang of the rear bumper may have flaws.
4. If the body kit is not designed correctly, dents will appear. When a defect has already occurred, it can be corrected using plastic putty. Fill the cavity of the product with it.
5. Remember that gaps should be left between the tuning parts. For example, between the bumper and the fender.
6. After the preparation is completed, we proceed to applying the primer and wait for it to dry completely.
7. Making car body kits with your own hands also involves painting the structure yourself, so the paint must be selected in advance to match the body.
8. If the paint has dried, install the body kit on the vehicle. We take sealant and screws.
9. During fastening, parts may need to be adjusted.

Manufacturing process

At the initial stage of organizing production, it is necessary to decide on the materials from which the complex body kit of the car will be produced. If everything is relatively clear with exhaust systems and chrome decorative elements, then there are different opinions regarding the manufacture of bumpers and aerodynamic body kits (spoilers, “skirts”). Recently, many experts agree that it is best to organize the production of these parts from fiberglass.

Fiberglass fiber can be easily painted in any color, which allows you to avoid “multiple colors” when installed on a car. When using high-quality paints and varnishes, the color coating lasts quite a long time.

And also, like any other fiberglass products, car body kits are quite simple to manufacture - which is important for a novice entrepreneur with minimal experience in this field. For manual molding, you will only need a matrix and a few tools (brushes, rolling rollers, measuring vessels, and so on).

Initially, a drawing of the part planned for production is made - for this it will be necessary to master specialized programs for 3D modeling. Some entrepreneurs in this area themselves have good design and visualization skills, some resort to the help of hired specialists. In any case, if you are thinking about working for the future, you cannot do without a good designer.

DIY body kits

Tuning, to one degree or another, changes the factory design of the car, attracting the eyes of passers-by with unusual shapes. It is for this reason that aerodynamic body kits have become a classic type of tuning. The changes can be small, from a bright pattern on the body, or large, up to the replacement of all body panels.

The aerodynamic body kit on the Skoda Octavia is made according to an individual project, in contrast to the serial kit, which is considered traditional for cars styled as sports cars.

The car has wheels of large width and diameter. For them, enlarged arch extensions were made, and the door sills were formed in width. The front part of the car is made in the style of Audi cars.

The round elements of the Hella headlights play off the headlight covers.

The rear of the car has much in common with the front: the molding arc is designed in the same style - in a characteristic horizontal version. The numbers have been moved from the trunk lid to the bumper. Other changes affected the large rear wing: it is mounted on the trunk. Holes specially cut for air outlet are also clearly visible. The rear view mirrors were replaced, the door handles were completely removed, and sports locks appeared on the hood. The wing is imported and has adjustments.

The body kit project was completed for one of the companies. The technical specifications were drawn up with the owner of the car. The search direction for creating the appearance of the car was discussed with him. He wanted to give the design an aggressive character and add dynamics to it.

The terms of reference indicate the working conditions - to create a modern Audi style in the form of a front bumper, but make it more daring by adding massive openings for air access. The arch extensions should be clearly visible on the body. The top of the body with body kit had to be made laconic.

As for its lower part, it needed to be done with detailed work. The sketches were presented within a few days, and one of them went into production.

Together with an assistant - a modeler - a version of the body kit was made from plasticine on the right side of the car body. Subsequently, changes were made to the model regarding proportions and other aspects of the model. According to the plasticine model of one side, this form was symmetrically transferred to the other side. Complex parts were made using the matrix.

So, fiberglass was molded onto a mock-up of the rear bumper. The material used was 5mm thick. Then the frozen matrix is ​​removed from the body along with the plasticine. It is trimmed, cleaned and leveled with sandpaper. Next, the sill and wheel arch matrices are peeled off in the same order, preparing them for molding. Next, the parts themselves are molded using the matrices.

To do this, they are processed along the contour using a saw and adjusted. The arch extensions are made closed. They are made with internal panels that are adjacent to the surfaces of the wings. With such panels, the expanders are attracted to the wings using self-tapping screws. The rear extensions have a complex shape - they consist of two parts, of which the front part is attached to the door.

We make metal brackets for bumpers, or more precisely, for attaching them to the body. Using these devices, in the area of ​​the flanges, we screw the bumpers, securing their lower edges to the bottom of the body.

We mold the front bumper with the radiator grille. The edge of the grille goes under the hood from above and is held on the panel with screws. A flat panel is molded to the bottom of the bumper. It extends far under the body and is mounted on the bottom.

After installing the bumper, air holes were cut on the sides and immediately glued in place. We add new fragments without worrying about strength - fiberglass allows this. The tinsmith made holes right in the metal of the hood, with an undercut that bent inward.

It was secured from the sides with tin wedges. The locations of the handles were covered with metal, just like the trunk lid. When all the parts are in place, you can start adjusting the body kit elements to the body and to each other. We even out the gaps between the parts.

For this work we take glass-filled putty. Now the car is ready to be sent to the paint shop. It took 2.5 months to make the body kit.

We installed the already painted parts, and glued the sills and arch extensions to automotive sealant. Place the rear bumper in the prepared area and secure it with bolts. Next, we cover the air intake holes in the front bumper with a metal mesh. And the bumper sat comfortably in its place.

Some good advice

To ensure maximum quality of the final result while minimizing effort and resources, we recommend following the following tips:

• It is best to attach the body kit with glue-sealant or using self-tapping screws (or even better, combine both methods);
• Before painting the body kit, cover its surface with Scotch Brite;
• it is advisable to dry the painted body kit at a temperature of about 50ºС, which can only be achieved in a drying chamber;
• Observe safety precautions, work in special clothing, protective gloves and a respirator.

By following these simple rules and the algorithm given above, you can relatively quickly and without significant effort independently install a body kit that will radically change the appearance of your car.

DIY aerodynamic body kit

All body kits are considered elements of external car tuning. With their help, the vehicle not only gives a sporty appearance, but also improves dynamic performance. The main reason why body kits are installed is the desire to give the car style, improve speed and other characteristics.

Content:

This method of modifying a vehicle is quite an expensive undertaking, but many car enthusiasts find a way out by making external body kits with their own hands.

Business registration

The production of car body kits does not require licensing. To register a business, it will be enough to open an individual entrepreneur or LLC. The activity code according to the OKVED classifier directly for the production of body kits must be specified as follows:

In addition, you should indicate that your company will not only produce products, but will also be able to offer customers installation and modification services:

For your product line, it is better to immediately register your brand, which you will promote not only on the Russian but also on the international market.

Aerodynamic properties

Aerodynamic body kit elements give the vehicle a new look and make it more exclusive. Most often, most fans of such tuning change the appearance of bumpers, hoods and trunks.

Fenders and car doors, sometimes even the roof itself, can be altered. There are some difficulties in the work here, and it is almost impossible to do everything on your own. Not many people can afford to use the services of specialists, so everyone tries to make the body kit themselves.

In most cases, the appearance of the car is fundamental. At low speeds, the advantages of the body kit do not appear, but as soon as the speedometer needle exceeds a hundred, it begins to remind itself. And at high speed it can even affect the handling of the car. A well-made body kit improves it, increases stability, and reduces fuel consumption.

Installation procedure

If you are driven by design motives, then this idea is simpler, everything can be done directly on the machine. And when you're looking to improve aerodynamics, get ready for a more difficult, but fun process.

When the main goal is to improve your appearance, then large financial expenses can be avoided. In a special store you will purchase all the necessary elements - bumper, spoiler, etc. All this is attached directly to the body part.

The factory base remains unchanged; you don’t even have to drill new holes. Any motorist can install the body kit himself. No special skills are required here; all the work will not take you even three days. But immediately get ready for the fact that decorative elements can fly off at a decent speed, because they are more intended for urban recreational skating; on a serious track at good speed, the decor will show its weakness.

Installation of a body kit is considered an average tuning option in terms of its costs. The elements are made of a special plastic material, are lightweight and have good strength. There are craftsmen who make their own bumpers or spoilers according to their own sketches, but most prefer to purchase ready-made products, although this option is considered more expensive.

First you need to decide what you want to replace. It is best to prepare drawings of new body shapes. After this, you can move on to the technical aspects of implementing everything planned.

What we need for this:

• Actually our project, in the form of a drawing or drawing. There should even be, rather, not a completely finished project, but a draft version of it, meaning, without small details (everything may change during the processing process and then your project will have to be redone)
• A huge amount of elastic material. It can be plasticine, or (now gaining popularity) plastic. In its soft form, this plastic is very similar in structure to plasticine, but when heated it hardens greatly. It is much more convenient to work with such plastic. Be prepared for the fact that this material will take more than one kilogram.
• Epoxy resin
• Fiberglass
• Gypsum, clay, or something similar
• Well ventilated area
• Fine flexible mesh (you will need a lot)
• Wooden blocks of different lengths and widths
• Cream or Vaseline
• Thick (5-6 mm) flexible wire. Ideally aluminum or copper

Bumper replacement

This can be done in two ways:

• modernize the factory;
• install new one.

In the second case, we are talking about a purchased part that needs to be fixed in place of the old one. The downside is that the cost of the bumper is quite high, and sometimes it’s quite difficult to find it in stores.

But in the first version, all factory parts are preserved, the design features of the car do not change. At the same time, it is possible to think about the removal of air that cools the brakes, and to arrange mounts for “foglights”.

Most likely, you will not be able to test a new bumper made by yourself in order to identify any mistakes made in its shape. The quality of the work performed will only be evident on the track. The car will either be pressed to the asphalt, and the control sensitivity will increase significantly, or the car will start to wobble from side to side. This will mean that all efforts were in vain.

Manufacturing procedure

The most affordable method is epoxy. Plastic and metal are considered more expensive options. Some people use fiberglass in their work.

The base for the future part is made from ordinary foam plastic. Using a sharp knife and using plasticine, the surface of the body kit is exposed for subsequent gluing. Then fiberglass is applied, the thickness of which is determined according to your wishes. The foam is removed, the surface is cleaned, and fasteners are installed. The body kit is ready for installation. Finally, all that remains is to putty it, cover it with a primer and paint it.

If you decide to use plastic, the technology of work remains virtually unchanged. You just need to make a suitable base from balsa, linden or dense foam. To give it strength, the surface is primed with nitro varnishes, to which talc or baby powder is added. The surface of the base of the body kit is leveled with the same mixture.

When using polystyrene foam, it is treated with diluted acetone, varnish or epoxy. After this, the surface must be rubbed with a candle or polish.

Pulling out plastic

To do this, it is necessary to make a frame from a piece of plywood with hooks onto which the bars representing the base are attached. The plastic is heated to the required temperature, becoming soft and elastic so that it can be applied to the workpiece. The frame will help make it better and hold it. When the plastic has cooled, the part can be removed from the base.

Experienced craftsmen, working with plastic material, choose different options, taking into account what they have to work with. The characteristics of the parts and certain materials themselves determine the technological stages of the work. It is possible to make a simple part yourself, but for more complex elements it is recommended to use the help of experienced specialists.