Your Melbourne, FL Auto Body Modifications Experts
Customizing Your European Vehicle
There are many examples of European vehicles that are gorgeous, and timeless in their design. One such example is that of the Porsche 911 it has remained largely unchanged for the better half of a century. Other vehicles, such as the BMW M3, may have been stylish for years after it rolled off the line, but, it has evolved significantly since its first production year.
In both the 911 and M3’s cases, along with all other European vehicles, there are purists who love stock, period-relevant looks, and others who want to enhance the aesthetics of their vehicle. These body modifications may be completed to update a vehicle with an outdated look, add aerodynamic performance, or simply for owners to differentiate themselves from everyone else on the road. No matter what the reasoning is, body modifications have become increasingly popular in circles of European vehicle owners.
Body Kits and Aero Kits
One obvious way to modify a vehicle’s look is by changing out or enhancing major body parts such as bumpers, side skirts, and spoilers. Body kits come in many shapes and sizes and can be constructed out of various materials such as fiberglass, urethane, and carbon fiber. These kits can drastically alter the look of a vehicle, and in recent years have become much more “bolt-on ” than body kits of the past. Most body kits require some level of bodywork and paint in order to look their best on a vehicle.
Aero Kits are different from body kits in that they do not replace whole body panels, but rather add to them. For example, front lip spoilers and rear bumper diffusers are molded to the stock curves and accents of the vehicle and bolt onto the bottom of each bumper. These accents can be purely cosmetic (for a more aggressive look) or affect performance by impacting how air flows around the vehicle. These kits may need to be painted to match, but a popular style in recent years has been to leave exposed material, such as carbon fiber, unpainted.
AUTO BODY MODIFICATIONS SPECIALISTS
Hoods, Roofs, and Trunks
Other popular body modifications include installing a more aggressively styled hood. These hoods may be styled to match a body or aero kit to complete a look or be very functional and standalone in their design. Scoops, vents, and other openings are often present to change the airflow around the vehicle or to help force cold air into a turbocharger or supercharger more efficiently.
Believe it or not, there are many roof replacements options on the market today. The main purpose of replacing a roof is to save weight, thereby increasing the performance of the vehicle. As with aero kits, many owners opt to leave these aftermarket roofs unpainted and exposed in carbon fiber, mimicking the look of factory options from vehicles such as the BMW M3 or M5.
Trunks also are generally replaced with carbon fiber or fiberglass options to save weight. Just like hoods, roofs, and aero kits, these replacement trunks can be left exposed for cosmetic reasons.
Other Body Modifications
There are many other popular body and exterior modifications owners complete on their European vehicles. Changing lighting is one exterior modification that many owners choose. By replacing headlights and taillights, an older looking car can be brought back to life with crisp, bright LED lights. There is also new technology on the market that allows you to adjust headlight color and functionality from an application on your smartphone. In addition to these lighting changes, replacement grilles, emblems, and other accents are just a few of the other popular options to improve the look of your vehicle.
Your Space Coast Resource
If you are interested in modifying the look of your European vehicle, trust Melbourne Motorsports to help determine the best resources available to get the job done right the first time. Having been in business on the Space Coast for over ten years, owners have come to trust our resources when modifying their vehicles.