bodystyle - RetroUSA

BODYSTYLE
PACKAGE DEALS
By Diana Merrill Claussen
BUNDLE A GROUP OF PRODUCTS
TO MAKE MORE THAN A SINGLEITEM SALE.
This month we decided to change a few things up and invited wellknown aftermarket suppliers and designers to pick their ultimate ride
and deck it out. The theme is to give restyling shop owners additional
insight into creating their own “restyler’s choice” packages for customers who, say, might come in for a body kit only, but once shown
preselected wheels and graphics that will make their ride even more
of a showpiece, will capture the eye of these customers and add to the
shop’s bottom line.
Each of our seven suppliers and designers offers their own takes on
their own vehicles. Their responses range from mild to wild, and their
creativity — mixed with encouragement and insights to body shops,
jobbers and restylers — is exactly what we wanted. And though some
restylers might not go to the lengths our designers go toward, their
ideas certainly can inspire your own.
We asked RKSport of Murrieta, Calif.; NE Wings of Hamburg, N.Y.;
3dCarbon of Newport Beach, Calif.; Rick Bottom Designs of Mendota,
Ill.; Performance West Group of Bonsall, Calif; Retro USA, Burnsville,
Minn.; and ACV Motorsports of Youngstown, Ohio, to create their
ultimate “restyler’s choice” package.
RKSPORT
Specializing in interior and exterior modifications
and styling, RKSport features many manufacturers
and accessories from scoops and carbon fiber
hoods to spoilers, grilles and body kits. For their
featured vehicle, RKSport’s sales manager, Sean
Tito, made these choices for his “restyler’s choice”
package.
The Car: 2011-12 Mustang GT
The Accessories:
TSW Vairano wheels/tires
Eibach Sport Lowering Springs
Limo tint
RKSport ground effects
Custom paint
Profit Margin:
49%
Why these choices:
Wheels: Replacing the wheels gives the vehicle a
new look immediately. I feel by adding bigger and
wider wheels it fills in the wheel well space giving
the vehicle a more aggressive look and style.
Lowering Kit: After the wheels, you want to lower
the vehicle, which completes the stance. Most of
the time after adding a lager-sized wheel the vehicle
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RESTYLING | MAY 2012
raises so, therefore, adding lowering springs
plays a huge role in getting the vehicle to
appear lowered (by closing the wheel gap).
Tinted Windows: This simple modification
enhances the appearance of any vehicle. I think
it’s a necessity.
Ground Effects: Always good to add if one is
bored with the look of their car. If you have the
extra money to do the vehicle right, this modification is a must especially with the above
enhancements.
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3D CARBON
3dCarbon is very well known for its body kits
especially when it comes to sport compacts and
muscle cars. Many of the kits even include up to
seven accessories in each box. Vice president
of sales, Ernie Bunnell, chose a fantastic mix of
3dCarbon’s accessories as well as other wellknown brands to produce the ultimate “restyler’s choice” ride.
The Car: 2012 Ford Focus five-door hatchback.
The Accessories:
3dCarbon body kit: front air dam, side skirts
right and left, rear lower skirt, upper rear spoiler
Wheels: Forgiato Monoleggera 20” painted red
Tires: Falken FK 452-235/30ZR/20
Painted side mirrors
Daytime LED running lights
3M window film
Profit Margin:
$1,100
Why these choices:
We chose the 2012 Focus for the application because the newly restyled Focus has the
design and features of a European sports sedan. The 3dCarbon body kit truly enhances
the styling of the 2012 Focus while the wheels offer unique fitment and styling that compliment the car’s styling. We picked Falken Tires because the FK452 tire truly defines the
ultra-high-performance tire. It has five linear ribs and three-dimensional rounded tread
blocks that offer precise handling response. The running lights offer the true European
lighting look — like you see on the new Audis.
RICK BOTTOM DESIGNS
Owner Rick Bottom has been building dream cars since
1996 and has shown more than 30 cars at SEMA since that
time. His projects have been published across the globe
and he, along with his work, can be seen at any given time
on motorsports channels. Bottom partners with OEMs to
create many customized rides, which are predominantly
displayed at some of the industry’s largest annual events.
One of his personal mottos is to “inspire the uninspired to
buy a car, and then personalize it and make it their own.”
His “restyler’s choice” package is reflected in that creed.
The Car: Chevy Cruze
Debuted at 2011 SEMA Show; 2012 CES (Consumer
Electronics Show); and Chicago Auto Show
The Accessories:
3dCarbon/Air Design four-piece body kit
Custom two-tone paint treatment with contrasting stripe
E&G Classics mesh grille kit
Pedders lowering coilovers
Axiom premium three-piece wheels
Pirelli tires
Custom upholstery
Painted trim
Why these choices:
The Cruze is the hottest-selling car in the United States and
owners want theirs to stand out. The 3dCarbon kits always fit
great and their designs have broad appeal. The new, sporty
look is completed with premium wheels and a paint scheme
that gives the car a rich “want it in my driveway” look. The
interior upgrades make the driver’s seat a great place to be.
All of this and 36 mpg make this car a winner.
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BODYSTYLE
PACKAGE DEALS
PERFORMANCE WEST GROUP
With more than 30 years in the
business, Performance West
Group has a rich history in
designing and constructing many
radical vehicles that have been
showcased all over the world, at
major trade events such as SEMA
and CES and within the pages of
many automotive publications.
Performance West’s president,
Larry Weiner, shares his magnificent automotive creation.
The Car: Racer Edition Cuda
Package for all 2008-12 Dodge
Challengers
The Accessories:
Racer Edition Cuda Saw Tooth
Grille and Blackout Tail Light
Panel
Racer Edition Cuda Hood with
black satin accents
Racer Edition Cuda “Strobe
Stripe” Vinyl Graphics
Black-out tail light panel
Satin black accents on roof
Profit Margin:
(Dealer profit at the suggested
retail price) 25%
ACV MOTORSPORTS
Aaron Vaccar Signature Series
ACV’s owner/designer and namesake
Aaron Vaccar chose a model which
he debuted at the 2011 SEMA Show in
Las Vegas. The vehicle was displayed
at the Ford Motor Co. booth and took
personalization and customization
to a new and exciting platform. While
this concept featured many one-off
parts and prototypes, it also featured
products that car owners and enthusiasts could easily purchase and install.
Vaccar’s goals include utilizing
exterior products that are a direct
fit, affordable, ready to buy and are
perfect for giving ACV Motorsport’s
chosen vehicle a one-of-a kind look.
The Car: Aaron Vaccar Signature
Series: Ford Fiesta (2011+)
The Accessories:
3dCarbon four-piece kit (fits 2011-13
Fiesta Models)
(Includes: front air dam, R/L side
skirts and rear lower skirt)
Flowmaster dBX Cat-Back Exhaust
Kit, Part No. 819115
Advanti (Konig Vago V3 Wheels), Part
#: V377D08406
Megan Racing coilover damper kit
MR-CDK-FFS10
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RESTYLING | MAY 2012
Why these choices:
3dCarbon’s four-piece Styling Kit quickly
appealed to us due its high quality and fit, as well
as its ability to dramatically change the look and
feel of the vehicle. We also like that the designs
are original and compliment the vehicle’s body
lines. As a major bonus, these simple-to-install
body parts are available “unfinished” or prepainted in all OEM factory colors.
Advanti Racing / Konig: Vago V3 Wheels
brands are known for standing behind their
goods, having a nice variety of products and
being priced at an excellent level. There are a lot
of wheel brands out on the market, so make sure
to stick with a reputable company. Finding the
right look for the car, the correct bolt pattern and
in-stock was not an issue with these guys.
Megan Racing’s Street Series coilover
damper kit reflects how Megan Racing is always
a good choice to turn to when looking for performance lowering springs or adjustable coilover
kits. The variety of options, features and
customer service you get for the money is hard
for other brands to compete with. Our personal
taste is to always jump for the fully adjustable
damper kit, but the springs are a very nice way
to go, depending on your needs and budget.
Flowmaster’s dBX Cat-Back exhaust kit is
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Why these choices:
The Racer Edition Cuda package for all 2008 through 2012 Dodge
Challengers features a carefully chosen ensemble of parts and
accessories that infuses this vehicle with the appearance of the
highly collectible 1970 AAR Cuda. This restyling package utilizes
modern interpretations of the original AAR Cuda parts, including
the unique hood, body side strobe stripe, sawtooth grille and blackout tail light panel. Following the appearance of the original, satin
black accents on the hood and roof are also applied. A lowered
suspension and more aggressive wheel and tire package are available options. The result is a quick, easy to install package for the
Challenger that enables it to stand out from its stock siblings, is
affordable and can be rolled into conventional vehicle financing.
The advantage of a professionally designed package such as the
Racer Edition Cuda as opposed to just bolting on random parts and
accessories is the fact that the completed vehicle has an integrated
appearance that looks as though it was developed in an OEM styling
studio rather than just a jumble of mismatched parts and graphics.
To illustrate the point (no pun intended) we worked with noted
designer Ben Hermance to create the artist’s rendering for the
Racer Edition Cuda. Each of the restyling elements outlined in
the Package Overview and Rationale can be seen in the artist’s
rendering. We contract a professional artist’s rendering for every
vehicle program we develop, and have found them to be an essential
element in the design and build process.
a choice we believe that (fully) classifies
as a great exterior “style” modification, as
well as “performance” upgrade. When we
first heard how the kits sounded, we knew
that Flowmaster would be the only choice
to help give our own car a more “beefedup” tone. The kit included a nicely polished
tip, designed perfectly for our rear bumper,
and the sound was very “street-able” —
just loud enough when you want it to be,
and quiet enough for when you don’t.
Use INFO # 29
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BODYSTYLE
PACKAGE DEALS
NORTH EAST WINGS
North East Wings specializes in a variety of aftermarket products for cars and
trucks such as rear deck wings (spoilers), body side moldings and fender flares.
Their products come in matte black finish or can be custom painted to match
any OEM color. President/sales Ed Walker made some very dynamic choices
when it came to representing North East Wings’ “restyler’s choice” package.
The Car: 2012 Chevy Cruze
The Accessories:
NE Wings spoiler model #NEW 23 manufactured by PUTech Spoiler
(#ABS261A-L4)
NE Wings body side molding model, manufactured by Wingz Express
(#BMCRUZE 4DR-0A); Rims manufactured by Original Wheels (#5476).
Profit Margin:
Averages 35%
Why these choices:
“Times are tough so I wanted to choose inexpensive additions, something
someone can add and almost double their money with a low install time. From
what my clients tell me, customers like to get in and out (of the shop) so we can
be quick by installing moldings, rims and completing with a spoiler.”
Spoiler: This custom ABS plastic spoiler’s design compliments the back of
the vehicle and gives the Cruze a sportier, racier look more so than the flushmounted OE style does.
Body side moldings: These moldings give the doors a silkier and more stylish
look. I also chose these moldings for the fact that they are manufactured out
of impact resistant polyurethane and painted with a urethane-based paint and
also include OEM-grade 3M tape pre-installed for optimal quality and strength.
RETRO USA
The comeback of the American pony cars has generated many new aftermarket
possibilities and consequently given birth to companies passionate about taking
the retro look to the nines. Companies such as Retrokits, Retro USA and Rocket
Wheels fall into that category. “The big three automakers gave us a great place
to start”, says Gary Green of Retro USA. “The 2005-09 Mustangs, the new Challengers and the Camaros were just begging for the crowning touch that would
really take them back to the day.” It’s no wonder that these three companies found
each other and have put together a winning Camaro the past two years at SEMA.
The Car: 2012 Camaro SS convertible
The Accessories:
Rocket Wheels’ Modern Muscle Booster: chrome finish – front: 20x9; rear: 20x10
Four Flat Angle Retro Spinners
RetroKit 5/1 System RS Version
Cockpit cover
Retro USA back Chrome-Tech bumper; rocker molding; quarter molding (“shark
gills”); hood vents (“ice cube trays”)
Profit Margin:
These prices are retail; wholesale discounts average 25% plus installation profit.
Why These Choices:
Starting at the front fascia, Retrokits redefines the new with the old by installing
a front clip with a truly ‘69 look. Retrokits
5/1 Systems are available in two classic ’69
designs: SS version and an RS version. Both
versions feature a combination of an actual
’69 Bumper, grille and lower fascia with a
custom-designed fiberglass fascia. Photo
features the RS version with hideaway head-
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lights that operate with a factory light switch.
Either version installs on any 2010 and up
Camaro using factory mounting points and
subassemblies that simplify installation.
This 2012 Camaro convertible also
features a cockpit cover that blends with
the top boot for a sporty two-seater look.
The cover can be installed whether the
convertible top is up or down. The back seat
is accessible to use as storage.
Retro USA also combines the look of
old with the technology of today and offers
iconic-style trim with rear bumper and
rocker moldings of chrome film laminated
to TPO; they incorporate internal mounting
brackets to raise the bumpers off the fascia
for a real muscle-car look. Hood vents and
quarter moldings (or, as they were called,
“ice cube trays” and “shark gills” are exact
’69 replicas for today’s Camaro.
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Use INFO # 109
Building on the retro styling elements
continues with the Rocket Booster Modern
Muscle wheels specifically designed for
fitment of modern muscle vehicles. Wheels
are crafted from A356 aluminum. Customers
can choose from Hyper Shot, gloss black
and chrome finishes. The Modern Muscle
Rocket Booster is compatible with tire pressure monitoring systems and is hub centric
and use vehicle-specific hub rings.
Use INFO # 120
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