Genuine body vs. knock offs
 

Just curious about rx8club's opinion on it. Notice I asked which will you buy, not which do you like better.

When I was at Sevenstock I saw a few genuine Mazda Speed body kits, and several knockoffs. I can tell you that some of the knockoffs had better fit than the MS kit. That was surprising. If the MS bodykit fit like a glove, and didn't have lousy detailing I would pay the extra, but from what I saw that is not true.

I installed a genuine MS kit
 

It included the nose, side skirts, diffuser, and spoiler. It was a practically flawless install.

The "just in case" adhesive that I bought never came out of the package.

I'm sure that if you have a good body shop and are willing to pay/or a good body person yourself, the knock-off route may be the way to go to save you money.

For myself, I've never installed a body kit, but I was able to complete the project in about 7 hours-double checking everything and taking my time. If you know what you're doing, you could probably do it in half of my time.

I was very impressed with the fit and finish of the MS kit, it's rock solid on the car.

I can honestly say there was nothing difficult about the install.

All the parts cost me $2300 through various sources and then another $600 for paint (I went to the best shop and paid a bit more) so for $2900 and my time (which was a non-issue because I enjoyed the project), I'm done.

Compare that with the "total" cost of a knock off and the ultimate final product versus the MS option and make your choice :D

ha! the knock offs fit much worse than a poorly installed MS kit...

They virtually are almost the same, sans the materials involved. Personally, I like genuine bodykits, but even they can be poorly constructed. I fear this whenever I get my hands on the BN Sports kit. I don't know how their build quality is. :confused:

here's the ultimate solution...Don't get the MS Kit! Its played...everyone cry's and whines about how it doesn't fit..." i have a knock off and i love it!" others say.."i have a genuine MS Kit and it still doesn't fit" stop this madness!! there are like 300 threads dedicated to fitment issues with CKO's (chinese knock offs)..lets stop this madness!!

If it's designed to fit on your car, there's no reason why a good body shop can't make it fit perfectly.

Even when it's not designed to fit your car, a good body shop should still be able to make the necessary modifications to make it fit.

I used to make bodykits, some of which were off the shelf original equipment while most were "replica" kits.

Even the replica kits were never so far wrong that we couldn't fit them onto a car without a bit of ingenuity.

You can tell it definitely won't fit if it doesn't look "right" to the naked eye.

Hell, if a ricer can modify and fit a GTR bodykit to his Civic, I'm sure you can make a replica MS kit fit on an 8. :)

To answer the question posed at the beginning of the thread, yes, I would buy a knock off kit.
Cheaper to buy in the first place (even though you might have to spend a bit more to get it to fit right) but importantly, cheaper to fix or replace if damaged.

Just my 0.02c

Personally, I like the stock front-end. It's much nicer than most bodykits out there. The only bodykit I like is BN Sports. Very drifty. :cool:

Nojooc, the thing is, after you paint/install etc etc the knockoff, it'll be pretty expensive as it is. And if you get a knockoff Urethane, it's even closer to the real price of the MS kit.

Fiberglass is crap... I've had 3 bodykits on previous cars, all fiberglass, all cracked. A lot of problems with curbs.

So No, I would not buy a knockoff simply because of the time wasted to get it installed/painted just right, the cost of paying the install/paint etc etc, and the simple fact that Fiberglass sucks. Fiberglass = No No. Some Urethane is alright, but watch out for the final price + Paint.

Lastly, you just bought a 25k-30k car, why on earth would you be cheap and buy a $300-600 bodykit? I never settle for 2nd best, always get the original. If you can't afford the original, then save up until you can. The only remote chance I would ever get a knockoff is if the price was ridiculous, and the paint was dirt cheap for awesome quality. So If a MS Knockoff cost me 500 bucks Paint and install and looks great, yes I would go with the knockoff. If it's 2500+ for the Paint and Install etc etc... No, that would be pointless, get the real thing.

If you're concerned about poor-quality FRP, try investing in hybrid composites, like INGS+1's bodykit.

Here's the deal, if you are going to pay 2100+ bucks on the Hybrid Aero.. and have it paint/install for about 600+... that's already 2700+ bucks you already spent on this kit which is NOT exactly cheap compare to MS Real Kit. The Cost on that is about the same, AND the paint is identical to our existing paint.. AND the material is the same... AND at least this is covered under warranty if you get it installed at your dealership.

That is the only reason I've been held back to buying the INGs Hybrid... can't see myself spending that kind of money when the MS kit is about the same price, without all the hassle of having it painted and installed.

In the Market for a MS Kit
 

Pls PM with your sources. I ran into "something" on the freeway and it took out my right foglamp - front wheelwell shroud area thx

https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...8&postcount=82

Are you implying hybrid composites are the same as FRP? In a sense, they are both composites, but they have different mechanical properties. GFRP consists of continuous or discontinuous glass fibers in a polymer matrix. Hybrids take GFRP a step further. Hybrid material can consist of both glass and carbon fibers in a polymer resin. This may explain why hybrid material is much more expensive than GFRP. Also, hybrid material is much lighter than fiberglass. Is it worth buying? For the money, probably not. However, I would think it to be a good investment, especially if you're looking to shed a few pounds off the body. It probably won't be by much. I think using hybrid composites for bodykits is new, so it'll be a while before these succeed GFRP.