fiberclass body kit install

[loumacri07]

I wanted to see if anyone has any experience with a black widow 12-piece body kit for a CRX. I recently picked one up and want to get as much of it installed own my own before taking it to a body shop. It defiantly trys your patience if you’ve never done something like this before. The parts are not an exact fit and I believe I had the front bumper on and off at least a dozen times before I was content with how it lined up (a lot of shaving of excess fiberglass). The fenders weren’t too bad. Actually, they are probably the easiest part. I’m working my way back and this is where I start running into some uncertainty. For the door panels, do I put them over the existing sheet metal or do I remove the sheet metal? I’d like to remove what’s there to keep it as light as possible, but will doing so impede on the doors structural integrity? My next question is in regards to the quarter panels. Since this kit is a wide body kit the gas tank lid needs to be moved. Again, can I remove the sheet metal and use panel glue and just the fiberglass quarter panel, or do I have to go over the existing panel? Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I am assuming I can have some tubing welded to the fuel tank fill line to make up the gap. Lastly, the kit didn’t come with a fuel lid. Does anyone know where I can get aftermarket fuel doors or would I be better off just fabricating something out of fiberglass? Any advise, if you have worked with this kit or not, would be greatly appreciated. I’m pretty sure this isn’t the only kit that would present these issues I am trying to resolve so any feedback would be helpful

 

[INJEN78]

well to answer some of your questions..most fiberglass kits dont exactly fit quite right,,and you do not need a new fuel door..it is supposed to be set back in the kit...really there is nothing you can do about it...and on another note...fiberglass kits blow..they crack,have poor fitment,,and just make the car look stupid..but hey go for it..and you are spposed to just put all the pieces(besides the fenders,front,rear bumpers)over the existing metal...

 

[93civicracer]

My Z3 front fenders with the vents are so cheap it feels like they're made of plastic and you can bend it really easily with one hand. I love the way they look tho but I have to find some kind of glue now to keep the left side vent on since I kinda leaned on it while lifting the engine out a couple days ago during my swap and I broke all the plactic clips underneith holding it on so it just sits there..

 

[invisibledemon]

do not, for the sake of not killing yourself, cut any metal.
im all for the widebody shit. i have a civic with one, but not the 12 piece kit.
cut the metal and yuou risk structural integrity.

 

[loumacri07]

do not, for the sake of not killing yourself, cut any metal.
I'm all for the wide body shit. i have a civic with one, but not the 12 piece kit.
cut the metal and you risk structural integrity.

I am more concerned about the doors not staying square than safety. I will be installing an 8 pt roll cage that will run along the door for protection. I thought that maybe I could do without the sheet metal, but thats why I threw the questions out there. I heard that corvettes are all fiberglass and thought maybe I would be able to go the same route.

As for the previous individuals comment (INJEN78) about "fiberglass kits not fitting well" I knew that the kit would not be a perfect fit and it would need to be shaved when i chose to buy it. I don't mind the work, I just want to do it right. I agree with you that some kits are made like crap, but not all. There are different grades of fiberglass and the mount of resin used and grade of matting determine the flexibility, or lack of. Also as for painting, paint adheres to fiberglass better than Polly. You do need to make sure the body shop that does the painting uses a paint mixture that will not crack when there is some flexing of the panels.

I would prefer comments on the technical questions not personal preferences on what someone may feel looks good or not. Thanks

 

[invisibledemon]

well as far as the doors go, theres a big steel bar that runs through it and for the amount of sheetmetal that you could actually remove, it wouldnt be worth it at all.
theres so much structural design, the metal bracing thats spot welded all through the unibody that it wouldnt be worth trying to remove the outer skin.
its just more trouble than its worth. it wont remove much weight.

the best thing to do, after you get the kit on and shaved in, primer it.
ride around with just primer for about 2 months, give time for everything to vibrate and settle, then go back and fill all of the cracks. then paint it. that way you dont have to pay for a paint job twice.

 

[loumacri07]

well as far as the doors go, theres a big steel bar that runs through it and for the amount of sheetmetal that you could actually remove, it wouldnt be worth it at all.
theres so much structural design, the metal bracing thats spot welded all through the unibody that it wouldnt be worth trying to remove the outer skin.
its just more trouble than its worth. it wont remove much weight.

the best thing to do, after you get the kit on and shaved in, primer it.
ride around with just primer for about 2 months, give time for everything to vibrate and settle, then go back and fill all of the cracks. then paint it. that way you dont have to pay for a paint job twice.

Yeah, I agree. I figured the same but wanted to get a second opinion. I like your Idea about driving it around for a while just primed while everything settles. Ha Ha I going to be that guy! I never though about that. I always thought it was done because people bought the kits, but couldn't afford the paint. What you said makes a lot of sense though. you mentioned you have a wide body kit, did you have any issues with your fuel door? if so, how did you address the gap?

 

[invisibledemon]

the fuel door. kinda looks stupid. the stock fuel door is there, on the kit theres a square cut out and fiberglassed down. basically a square hole thats molded with it. will get a pic later if i get off my lazy ass.

 

[dacheat]

i'm in for pics plz, lou!

 

[loumacri07]

What's up Casey. I'll try and take some pics tomorrow since I have off and post them for ya. I'll also post some of the quarter panel to see if anyone has any Ideas about fitment and the fuel door. Here is a picture of the kit on a crx from the Internet. This isn't my car, but it should look similar when done. I am still deciding on a color.

 

[dacheat]

sweet, if you're not gonna rock stock, you might as well rock that bodykit! looking forward to pics as you progress, g'luck!

 

[invisibledemon]

def post pics of your project as you go.

 

[loumacri07]

Some quick pics

Here are two quick pictures I took this afternoon. I'll get more later. As for now, I am going to wait and do some more research before going any further with the body kit. in the meantime, I am going to yank the motor in the CRX and drop it in the hatch in the background for my daily driver. I have other plans for the CRX motor. I'll get more pics when it warms up a bit. Right now my immediate goal is to install the harness, compliments of dacheat, in the hatch and drop in the motor.

 

[loumacri07]

what a mess

I started working on the hatch a bit this weekend. Casey you'll appreciat these pics. anyway a little at at time and I'll get it done. here are some pics of what I worked on this weekend.

 

[dacheat]

lol, that's no easy job! ps if you want to disable the door chime, now's a good time to do it (i.e. before you get it tucked under the dash). props on getting the work done though!

 

[invisibledemon]

wow. FUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKK that.

 

[loumacri07]

I got it wired back up today, and put the dash back together. It too quite a bit of time B/C some of the connecting harnesses didn't match. So I had to depin the one I have and re-pin the the other plug to get it to click together. I have a few more things to do before I start the motor swap. I'll clean it up, take some pics, and then start the swap.

 

[92civicb18b1]

I'm not a fan of that kit, really hurts the beautiful lines of the CRX.

I mean, I guess you could extend the filler neck but I'd just leave the hole or just make a fiberglass door.


Some of my crappy fiberglass and bondo work.

 

[elvismach]

hey

how did u get the front bumper on?

 

[loumacri07]

Dry fit, measure, measure, measure, dry fit, measure and mark with sharpie, dry fit, measure, drill small hole, dry fit, measure, measure, dry fit, measure drill bigger hole, dry fit, measure, drill final hole just big enough to fit the mounting screws through.
Hole should be just right as long as you measured.
Seriously though, it is a pain in the ass to get right. Make sure that the bumper you are starting with is straight too. I have an extra for sale because mine wasn’t bent.
I have been a bit side tracked and havn't had a chance to work on it. I am still trrying to find someone to be able to fix my JDM trans.