Body Kits.......

[RAVN NSX]

I looked in the search and couldn't find, but here's my quesiton:

Do the wide body kits necessarily weigh less than our original body kits after all the paint and materials are said and done?

 

[nsxinohio]

when i recieved my versus sorcery widebody kit i was shocked. i would say they weigh nearly the same but weird thing is i think the acutal stock panels weighed less. its amazing how light they are. literally pick them up with one finger. so do help out id say the stocks might weigh a little less actually

 

[synergy004]

Stock weighs less depending on kit. Atleast oem weigh less than my rear quarters. My front fenders seem to weigh the same.

gil

 

[Jin1976]

I have had the original Sorcery WB kit and the OEM definitely weigh much less not to mention thinner too.

 

[Ko-nsx]

i have the cantrell gt series and all the panels weighed the same or a hair more than stock. the hood was lighter than stock.

 

[john@johnhudakracing]

I looked in the search and couldn't find, but here's my quesiton:

Do the wide body kits necessarily weigh less than our original body kits after all the paint and materials are said and done?

Comparing weights of specific pieces (e.g. OE Front Fenders to aftermarket fiberglass Wide Fenders, etc...) is frankly irrelevant. As others have mentioned, in most cases.. depending on the composite's thickness, construction, and process the OE aluminum and plastic pieces will likely still weigh slightly less in such a direct comparison- and any savings garnered or lost on an otherwise stock car either way will be completely insignificant in real world application.

From a net project view point, in terms of final curb weight, either using OE or aftermarket parts or a combo thereof the real difference is the way the vehicle gets disassembled & later re-assembled during the process. The design, added/removed items, implementation, execution, hardware, etc.. is far more relevant.

Most owners are likely just doing a typical install at a body shop.. a kit for aestetics on their street car- in which case depending on the pieces and other factors it could well end up weighing more and being less functional than stock in many ways.

Others well might have elected parts for purpose, deleted other significant components explicitly for weight reduction (from AC & bumper beams to sensors & horns to all sorts of little stuff that quickly adds up), as well as fabricated many more additional neccessary pieces including under paneling, radiator shrouds, wheel well liners, ducting, trays, brackets, hardware, etc... in which case the specific item weights are entirely irrelevant. All told, the net project weight post install could well be several hundred pounds less and the targeted aerodynamic & other benefits of the modifications further realized.

As always weight reduction, in either top-down or bottom-up construction, is a linear process whereas any one specific data point alone is entirely insignificant as it applies to the target curb weight.