Matt Brannon - Midwest Bayless
Mad.Matt
Wheels and Body Kit
This kit, while cool, is NOT for the faint at heart. Yes, it is a Greenwood sourced body kit, we have sold his product for years, but it is not advertised on the website.
Many others have installed this kit, and can attest to the time and effort it takes to get it right, and how easy it can be to foul it up.
It took 8 months to install the kit and paint. And we weren't goofing off. It requires epic patience to let bonding agents cure, thin layers of filler to set and fully cure before sanding and putting the next layer etc. If you get in a hurry, at best you'll see the work through the paint, and at worst you'll have popped out seams in a couple months of driving.
We cut the original fenders off the body as shown, rough trimmed the fiberglass kit, and fitted it up with plain old screws to start.
Then we measured and fabricated replacement metal inner fender liners that extended all the way out to the fiberglass flares.
The flares were on and off a few times trimming the sheet metal and test fitting.
Once the fender liners were welded into place, the car went to the body shop to begin the actual bonding of the fenders to the body.
And the permanent bonding / fiberglass attachment of the steel liners to the backside of the fenders.
Every application and curing event of bonding agent or resin stretches and twists the panels, so it was a back and forth kind of effort between underside work, and topside work.
Like most kits, it has its flaws. I don't think the moulds are "first generation", so the fit is pretty good, but not perfect. It is not symmetric side-to side, you'll see some inconsistencies that have to be worked out during the process.
Regarding the wheels.
Front: 15x7 - 87mm backspacing. 195/45/15 or 195/50/15 tire.
Rear 15x9 - 100mm backspacing with 225/45/15, or 245/40/15
or
Rear 15x10 - 112mm backspacing.
In all cases, strut to tire clearances must be closely monitored, and typically resolved using coil-overs.
Having the wheels and tires in-hand and hanging the suspension and wheels before going to paint is required. Trimming of the inner wheel arch spats and inner edges will need to be performed to ensure clearance under full suspension compression.
This kit, while cool, is NOT for the faint at heart. Yes, it is a Greenwood sourced body kit, we have sold his product for years, but it is not advertised on the website.
Many others have installed this kit, and can attest to the time and effort it takes to get it right, and how easy it can be to foul it up.
It took 8 months to install the kit and paint. And we weren't goofing off. It requires epic patience to let bonding agents cure, thin layers of filler to set and fully cure before sanding and putting the next layer etc. If you get in a hurry, at best you'll see the work through the paint, and at worst you'll have popped out seams in a couple months of driving.
We cut the original fenders off the body as shown, rough trimmed the fiberglass kit, and fitted it up with plain old screws to start.
Then we measured and fabricated replacement metal inner fender liners that extended all the way out to the fiberglass flares.
The flares were on and off a few times trimming the sheet metal and test fitting.
Once the fender liners were welded into place, the car went to the body shop to begin the actual bonding of the fenders to the body.
And the permanent bonding / fiberglass attachment of the steel liners to the backside of the fenders.
Every application and curing event of bonding agent or resin stretches and twists the panels, so it was a back and forth kind of effort between underside work, and topside work.
Like most kits, it has its flaws. I don't think the moulds are "first generation", so the fit is pretty good, but not perfect. It is not symmetric side-to side, you'll see some inconsistencies that have to be worked out during the process.
Regarding the wheels.
Front: 15x7 - 87mm backspacing. 195/45/15 or 195/50/15 tire.
Rear 15x9 - 100mm backspacing with 225/45/15, or 245/40/15
or
Rear 15x10 - 112mm backspacing.
In all cases, strut to tire clearances must be closely monitored, and typically resolved using coil-overs.
Having the wheels and tires in-hand and hanging the suspension and wheels before going to paint is required. Trimming of the inner wheel arch spats and inner edges will need to be performed to ensure clearance under full suspension compression.