Genuine Body Kit: Self-Fitting Diary

body kit

excellent job with really detailed explanations, i expect lots of us are looking for kits now. BTW what does 'clay bar' do
regards
Paulc:)
 
Ian,

I have been a huge fan and follower of this thread form day one as you know, and personally I like the kit.

You should be, and have every right to be, more than happy with the end result and you also have good reason to be extremely proud of yourself. From the pictures that you have posted, the biggest complement I can give you is to say that the kit looks 'factory fit'; even the colour match looks terrific. :D

Well done once again on such a meticulous and professional job and finish.

Cheers,

Darren

P.S. If I ever decide to fit a kit, guess whose door I will be knocking on?! ;)
 
A job well done! It looks great. The front end seems to benefit most of this mod. It looks much more complete with the painted parts wrapping around the radiator air inlet. Thanks for sharing your experiences with the group.
 
Congratulations on the finished result. By putting in the work yourself you'll feel even more proud of the outcome.

That kind of dedication deserves recognition :).

Ben
 
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Now i will have to get my kit put on what are you doing next weekend Ian.
it is a very good job well done it lookes very good indeed.

When i went round to see how Ian was getting on and he was just finishing. (now thats what i call timing!!)

cheers
Robin
 
Well done! That was brilliant and thanks so much for the pictures and details! Now I know why I need to order those black spacers! It is a shame I will probably end up paying someone to do it as I don't thave the space of a garage/workshop.

You now have a great looking A2 and enjoy your trip to the 'ring!
 
Sterling work IAN i can see after 1700 views on this thread
im never gonna win a bodykit on Ebay again LOL :)

Great job Buddy get yourself a Brandy !!!!

Mind the Kit and the rims on them corners at the
Nordscliefe LOL !!!!
 
I agree with all the other congratulatory posts - you've done a sterling job here - better than a lot of bodyshops in fact, and you should be very proud of your achievement.

I can't help but be disappointed at the quality of the kit itself though:

If you'd paid £800 for the full kit originally, I think you'd be entitled to a refund for the frankly, poor fit of the kit. There is no way that you should be expected to put up with gaps around the inside bottom edges of the panels, so that you have to use expanding foam, I'll bet the A4 kits aren't like this.

This goes to make your fitting even better though.

Well done.

Cheers,

Mike
 
Yes great job done there!

The kit looks really good with those wheels, the kit does not really suit the A2 with sport wheels IMO.
 
Well, I braved the elements today and clayed, de-swirled, polished and waxed my A2 with the products I bought earlier in this thread.. I'll get some good pics next weekend as it'll need another wash to remove the traces of wax that are all over the place despite doing a thorough job of wiping it down afterwards!

pc759 said:
excellent job with really detailed explanations, i expect lots of us are looking for kits now. BTW what does 'clay bar' do
regards
Paulc:)
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Many thanks :) A clay bar is a 'detailing' product that is literally a 'bar of clay'. Quite simply I applied Maguairs quick detailer spray (in the kit) then rubbed the bar across the paintwork. This is REALLY effective at removing dirt and grime (tar, tree sap, pollutants etc) that are etched into the painted surfaces. As you wipe the bar across the paint you can HEAR all of the grime being lifted from the surface, and see all of the muck stuck to the clay bar. Once done the paintwork is VERY smooth, with a glass like feel. Definitely worth doing from time to time to keep a nice deep shine :)

Xiter said:
A job well done! It looks great. The front end seems to benefit most of this mod. It looks much more complete with the painted parts wrapping around the radiator air inlet. Thanks for sharing your experiences with the group.
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I agree, the last photo showing the A2 straight from the front is a view that up until now I didn't like much - as you say it does complete the appearance of the A2 from this angle.

robin said:
Now i will have to get my kit put on what are you doing next weekend Ian.
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Haha... :eek: Not again.. please noooooo!

Skipton01 said:
I can't help but be disappointed at the quality of the kit itself though:

If you'd paid £800 for the full kit originally, I think you'd be entitled to a refund for the frankly, poor fit of the kit. There is no way that you should be expected to put up with gaps around the inside bottom edges of the panels, so that you have to use expanding foam, I'll bet the A4 kits aren't like this.
Mike
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A very good point. Although you can't see it from these pics, there apre places where the kit really doesn't fit well. Yes, you can persuade it with force during fitting to get a better finish, however, there are still gaps and parts that don't quite line up. Over the coming weeks I'll keep this diary going and explain what additional things I'm having to do, and where.


Many thanks to all of your comments, just been a drive out to get some flowers for mothers day - parked opposite the shop.. When I looked over at the A2 I definitely thought 'yes, that looks great!'. I'm amazed at how many people were following this thread! Stay tuned, it's not over yet!
 
I have to agree with everyone. Looks great!

Congratulations on what looks to be a successful job.
 
DAY 6: Finishing Touches

DAY 6: Finishing Touches

This weekend saw me put the finishing touches (for now!) to my kitted out A2. As Mike had pointed out, the quality of the kit is somewhat lacking, and hence once fitted there were a number of areas where significant gaps were noticeable.

To remedy this, I needed to do some filling, but not using any old filler :p I decided to mix up a 60/40 'paste' of silicone sealant and un-thinned paint in a pot. I then applied this using my finger and about an hour of my time on a cold Sunday afternoon!

Areas requiring attention:
All along the 'top' of the side skirts (beneath the doors)
Wheel arch fittings of front and rear valences on both sides
Front of side skirts on both sides, infront of doors.

Here's a few pics:

DSCF1327.jpg


DSCF1328.jpg


DSCF1329.jpg


Any further updates I'll post in here, but due to time, that's all for now folks! Many thanks for your support and words of praise - I hope someone else will be brave/stupid enough to follow my lead!

Ian

BTW: Link to higher res picture thread to follow
 
Sarge786 said:
Phil, you should be able to see them here http://www.a2oc.net/pictures/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=2590
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Well done Sarge! I was looking for them myself last night and couldnt remember how to find them! - Members albums of course! :eek:

Its a great account of fitting the bodykit and I love the improvised towing eye cover! Nice one Ian - I trust the paper clips are still going strong! :D

Like others have said, the body kit from Stoke is a briliant bargain, and everyone is really well informed about fitting and whether it can/should be attempted by the DIY enthusiast. My name wont be going down for one - not my cuppa - but I think the Stoke deal is a cracker for those who do want a kit. Also very good that it has the front valance as this is hard to come by as Phil stated. :)
 
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