Opinion on rep kits?
 

What is everyone's opinions on rep kits for widebody and bumpers? Like the Duraflex GT500 V2 kit on CarID. https://www.carid.com/2013-scion-fr-....html#warranty Would fitment not be anywhere near good? Would this be a good alternative for a budget build? All opinions welcome.

Not sure on that specific one, but typically cheap replicas take WAY more money in body work than they save you in initial purchase.

If its unpainted will take more prep prior to paint, mostly.

some fit dead-nuts others will bite you in the nuts.

Find someone who has already tried the kit you want and ask is my advice.

I dried to help a friend install a Duraflex Rocket bunny look alike kit and the fit was so bad we couldn't do it.

Before you even buy a widebody you want to ask yourself how much money do you have allocated to finish this "build"




If it's anywhere less than 3k, you might be in for a world of hurt.

Dont do duraflex. You might as well save up and get the real deal to save you from trouble when the kit doesnt fit properly.

bear in mind that even legit rocket bunny kits will be slightly off upon close inspection. you can only imagine how bad a replica kit would be that has worse quality control.

This is a fiberglass kit.
In my experience the bigger and more complex the chunk of fiberglass is the worse it is to get to fit and the more likely it is to crack even if you do manage to get it on. You couldn't pay me to use a fiberglass body kit.

Duraflex is cheap but the stuff never fits right. It's like trying to use saran wrap for a condom.

Get this kit instead, Duraflex is trash!

but a good shop with experience in installing widebody kits wont have any problem with a good replica, i run one.

http://www.kd-aerostop.com/for-ft86-...ers_p5887.html

In addition to the low quality concerns others have voiced, my opinion is that rep kits steal all the R&D that went into making the legit kit. It takes time, money, and skill to make those rocket bunny and company kits fit as well as they do. All a rep kit maker has to do is buy a rocket bunny and make a mold of it, which I'm not entirely sure how it isn't stealing of some kind. Then they take some sales away from the people who put the time and effort into making the kit they stole (see: TJ Hunt). Kind of like how the chinese J20 is a rep kit of US stealth technology: there's a good reason why that jet looks so similar to the f-22 and f-35 from the front. If it isn't obvious, its espionage.

boo not one of these opinions. I vote capitalism and thank anyone who can produce a quality product for a fraction of the competitors.

So if you put lots of time and effort into designing and making something you'd be ok with it if I stole those designs to make money for myself? Literally copy paste your product, sell it for profit, and give you nothing in return? Potentially ruining your livelihood? I doubt that very much