imported_majikstic

Hey Guys:

Anyone shave their side skirts? I'm planning on shaving my xenon poly side skirts and wanted to know if anyone that has done this has experienced and problems with cracking? How did you attached the skirt to the body...with rivets? Cause the xenon sides run all the way up to the mouldings and I want to make sure there will not be any cracks.....

PULOVR

All shavings will eventually crack over time. The only way it won't, is to NOT drive the car.

Those side are flexible..the car's metal is not. It will crack. It might not be this year, or next year, but it will crack.

My 2C's.

imported_terrible1

im doing mine right now, hopefully it doesn't crack, but ur bodykit paint can crack just as easy since it also flexes better then metal if u go by pulovr's statement

just MY 2 cents o_O

imported_terrible1

....?

by team rukus

imported_BoOsTd

yep...flex additive rules...no crack...

imported_majikstic

Hey terrible....is your kit poly or fiberglass? How are you attaching the kit to the body?...

imported_terrible1

fibreglass...and im using urethane glue, the black **** they use to glue wind shields in

imported_Team Rukus

yup PULOVR is right it will crack over time.
just dont mould them in man. think about it they are urathane which means OEM style quality this means they dont NEED to be moulded in the whole reason moulding came into place was cuz of fibreglass side skirts cuz the yare only like half a skirt (usually the back end was missing etc...
but the thing wit the urathane is that they come complete so dont mould it.
but if u do absolutely have to then get some screws and screw the sides in first then use some bondo to fill in the screws so u wont see it then get some caulkin and caulk the lines so it wont come off and it will look like its moulded once painted.

PULOVR

Even if that is done, it will still crack.

Why you ask?

Easy.

Urethane expands and contracts with the heat/cold. So in the summer, it will expand. On really cold days, it will contract. With all this going on, no matter how well you do the work, it WILL crack. No if ands or buts about it.

punkindrublic

what if you use some sort of rubberised stuff to blend? which would allow for the difference in material between plastic and metal??

turbo_ricer

PLus, if u use bondo(i guess its like FG in a tin like we have) to cover up screws or rivets, after a fairly shorts period of time, it will sink slightly and sometimes bubble too, from the air trapped in it. It will become pretty obvious through the paint!

imported_terrible1

the urethane adhesive is like rubber, very flexable

PULOVR

But you guys keep forgetting that the bondo/paint that is between the urethane and the body will crack. Metal and urethane expand and contract at different rates. You can't change this fact.....therefore, it WILL crack. You can't get around this. Even if you tried to secure it to the best of your ability, it willl still crack over time.


Don't believe me? Go ahead and do it then.


I'm just trying to keep you from having a headache later on.


I had a friend that filled in all the seams on his car......ie.....back and front bumbers into the cars body......sides.....door handles....EVERYTHING. It looked sooooooooooooooo cool..........but after about a year and a bit (no winter driving), the seams where the work was done slowing started to crack. After awhile, it started to look like ****. All that work down the drain.


Unless the car is a show car, and is hardly EVER driven, it'a a fact of life.

imported_majikstic

Thanks for the help guys.... I was also thinking that the different materials may cause problems with expansion and contraction. But the shaved mouldings should be fine right? It's only bondo and metal and that's what bondo was made for right?

PULOVR

Well, one good hit by someone opening thier door will crack that puppy. It may look nice, but in the long run, are you will to keep fixing it if it cracks?

imported_majikstic

I'm not willing at all to constantly keep fixing it. And my car is pretty low already so the mouldings aren't doing anything and I haven't had a door hit them (nmouldings) yet so I figure I'm safe from that.... My main concern is more like ...Will regular day to day driving cause the shaved mouldings or side skirts to crack...... I'd rather leave the side skirts as is but I think it might look a bit weird to have the fender parts of the skirt near both wheel wells running so high up the side of the car. The skirt might look more out of place without the mouldings.... but I definitely would like to loose the mouldings.... Any suggestion guys?

So the riveted and shaved side skirt will crack according to you guys right?

I've seen many cars with the xenon kit completely shaved..... does that mean they used the fake fiberglass ones? Anyone?

PULOVR

They probably used the fiberglass copies.


Even fiberglass kits will crack over time. Sorry if I keep bursting your bubble, but if you really have your heart set on doing the work, then do it. Don't listen to us........but......be fore warned, we told you about what might/will happen.

imported_majikstic

Thanks for all your help pulovr.... I really appreciate it.... Yes I did have my heart set on the work but at the same time I want to make sure that it won't be more hassles then it's worthand that's why I started this post..... and I think the shaved kit might be a big headache later on.... but I will go through with the shaved mouldings.... still deciding on the kit though.... but I don't want to be driving around always worried that I might crack it and have to paint half the car again....!!!


But thanks again for all your help!

imported_Team Rukus

yes pulovr is right about the cracking n ****.
but if u use caulking it wont crack at all. yes the paint might crack but the actual contact between the urathane and the metal wont cuz caulkin is like rubber it flexes. now i recommend using caulkin only for the sides cuz its not noticible that much cuz of the doors being closed and all.

PULOVR

yep, then the only thing you would probably have to fix everyonce and a while would be the seam........but even then, it will start to look like *** with the constant touch ups.