Your car has some serious power hiding under its hood.

It’s fast.

But if your car doesn’t look the part…

… don’t be upset when you’re treated like a regular Joe at the stop light.

This is where body kits come in.

A body kit will command the respect you deserve on the street, and it could even give you some performance benefits.

These kits are offered as individual components if you want to transform your vehicle incrementally.

Or you can opt for a complete package if you don’t have the time or patience for waiting to finally see your ride as a mean race machine.

HOW DO BODY KITS WORK?

A body kit will add aerodynamic contours to your vehicle’s shape. These mods will allow your vehicle to literally slice the air without facing any unnecessary resistance.

And your ride will be pressed down into the street or track for additional traction.

Installing a high quality body kit will also reduce your vehicle’s weight. And a lighter vehicle is a faster vehicle.

Body kits are available with different component combinations. Generally, ground effects kits are packaged with a front spoiler, side skirts, and a rear air dam.

A full body kit will be packaged with bumpers, side skirts, fenders, hood and grille.

When air flows under your car, it lifts it up and away from the ground and reduces traction.

Front Spoilers reduce the amount of air which makes its way under your car by re-routing it around its top and sides. The air which actually manages to flow under your car creates a low-pressured area and sucks your car into the ground.

Spoilers will also make your car look like it’s almost touching the ground. Which is awesome.

Side Skirts work together with the front spoilers to generate additional traction while exaggerating your car’s ground-hugging style.

But not all body kit components are designed for faster speeds.

Race car side scoops will actually lead cold air to the brakes and oil coolers for an improved performance.

Rear window louvers will give your vehicle a cool fastback roofline, while keeping the cab temperature cooler and averting harmful UV rays.

BUT AREN'T BODY KITS JUST FOR SHOW?

Some body kits will give your vehicle a racing look for character, without necessarily making it more aerodynamic.

Yet other body kit will sculpt your vehicle for the sole purpose of making it more aerodynamic.

Just For Show Kits

A body kit makes a world of difference on racing applications.

But if you want to transform your road vehicle, installing a body kit won’t really deliver any performance gains.

This is because aerodynamics make an insignificant difference in performance when you’re driving at a street legal speed.

So a good body kit will convince everyone that your car is aggressively fast.  And really, that’s its only function if you don’t race with your car.

Just-for-show body kits closely imitate the style of real racing body kits. Their panels will go down to the ground to give you the sought-after ground hugging effect.

But please keep in mind that lowered racing panels are used on the smoothest race tracks, and not on our pothole ridden city streets. And without correcting your suspension, your new body kit panels could easily be destroyed.

To avoid this problem, consider installing an airbag suspension. This will allow you to adjust your vehicle’s ride height and ground clearance depending on the road conditions.

Body Kits for Racing

A vehicle’s aerodynamics will either win you the race… or lose you the race.

But aerodynamics are more complicated than you think.

Body kits do much more than streamline your vehicle’s shape. Streamlining is the process through which a vehicle is reshaped to allow it to slice the air with minimal resistance.

And while it’s important, if a car is “too streamlined”, a lot of issues come up.

For one, it the car will become extremely unstable at higher speeds, causing it to lose traction. And how will the engine and brakes cool off, when all of the air just slips past the car’s body?

This is why modern aerodynamic body kits are made up of different components which interrupt the streamlining to redirect cool air where it’s needed.

Air dams force air into the brakes, the cooling systems and the engine comportment. This air creates the needed pressure for frontal downforce, while ventilating heat away from the vehicle.

Side skirts ensure that air flowing at the side of the car does not disrupt the air flowing under the car. And flanges on the hood and rood ensure that air flowing on top of the car does not disrupt the air flowing at the side of the car.

The rear spoiler is set at a specific angle to create the optimal downforce for the car’s rear, based on the track. The belly pans and rear diffuser create a low pressure area under the car to keep it fully grounded on the track.

All body kit components work in unison to stabilize the car and to minimize drag.

WHAT’S THE BEST BODY KIT FOR MY CAR?

One of the most popular body mods is the rear spoiler. And if that’s the mod for you, you’re in the right place. We have a huge selection of spoilers which means you can find the perfect one for your car.

But if you want something more subtle, consider installing a stylish lip spoiler to highlight your trunk edge.

If you drive a sedan, a cab spoiler will give your roof line an understated performance note. If you drive a hatchback, the cab spoiler will appear more exaggerated.

Installing rocker panels and custom flares will mod your vehicle to fit wider tires, while making your it look lower than it actually is.

Still not sure what body kit is right for your car? Drop us a comment and we’ll help you figure it out.