I know to most of you this might seem like a really stupid question. I am a real pain when it comes to looking different. I have heard of a lot of people asking if it is possible to mold on body kits on their cars. This, I know is not the greatest of ideas if it is a daily driver. My question is if it is possible to get a certain kind of body kit made out of metal and mold that in to the car. I don't really know if this is possible or feasible so please school me.

I've never heard of anyone making a metal body kit... if you can find someone to make one for you custom, go right ahead.

And yes molding of body kits that are fiberglass and urethane based has been done... it is NOT recommended for a daily driver, and is NOT recommended to do yourself if you don't know what you're doing... no one on here is going to post up a how-to... takes entirely too long and if you don't have any basic skills you may not understand what's being said.

So in conclusion...

1. molding a daily driver is a stupid idea... unless you have money flowing from your arse and don't care if you have to repair it at least once or twice a year and repaint your whole car...

2. Never heard of anyone making a metal body kit

3. Molding isn't "different" or "origional" on a wide spread basis

4. Sorry if I come off short, it's not intended that way... I didn't sleep for crap last night, forgot to take my medicine this morning so I feel like crap, and I'm debating on taking a nap LOL

I am guessing know one else can be to sure.

Fallen Angel pretty much summed it up.

vipercavy wrote:I am guessing know one else can be to sure.

How many auto body people do you have to hear from to be sure?

I was not attempting to offend anyone, if I did I am sorry. It is just I am sure there are a huge amount of people with different kinds of knowledge about different things. I don't think you know everything there is to know about auto body work. I was just want more answer from different people. You never know, someone may have caught wind of something. Sorry if I am reaching here.

I would advise against molding a daily driver unless like fallen said you got money flowing out the arse. Mine is molded, has lasted for over 3 years I think it has been but I drive my car about 2 miles a day. Not much really. It is all about how well you do the work. It can be done but I advise against it.
I did see someone make a metal body kit, mainly the front bumper. It was nuts. Came out looking just like the real thing. I saw it on MR2oc.com It was some guy in Malaysa I think. Made a Border front bumper out of sheet metal. They did not mold it in but man what a job that was. So it is possible but you need a really really really good metal worker that has alot of time to do it.

Ask yourself this question, and you'll have all the answers you need:


How many CARS (not trucks) do you see in production today that come with metal bumpers?

Answer... VERY few... if any. I can't think of any at all offhand, but there might be one or two maybe.


now... WHY do they not use metal bumpers anymore? I'm not 100% on ALL of the answers I'm going to give you below, but I'm pretty darn sure about all of them.

1. It's more cost effective to mass produce bumpers made out of plastics/urethanes.

2. A urethane/plastic based bumper is going to hold up better in a collision

3. The design of the "crash bars", with the bumper pad and the bumper cover, is more effective at absorbing the energy from an impact resulting from a collision than one made of strictly metal

4. Urethane/plastic is cheaper to replace and produce


If you had a metal body kit, it's going to sit lower to the ground, and it's going to damage a lot easier than urethane. Why? Urethane/plastic bumpers flex... metal flexes, but doesn't normally flex back into it's natural position. Not to mention it's more expensive to produce a metal body kit than it would be urethane. That = cost reduction. For the amount of money it would cost to produce body kits in metal, not enough people would be willing to spend thet money to buy them... = company losing money and sitting on product it can't sell.


Usually on this site, if someone has an answer not already posted, they'll say something. My guess as to why you haven't gotten more responses is because no one can offer you any other response.


I'm NOT trying to come off as a biotch, so please don't take it that way.

Now see that is a much MUCH better explination, alot more for what I was looking for. Thank you Fallen Angel for the professionalism in your answers you have more than convinced me in my decision to not try this as well as Alameda^^. Thank you and hope you can help me in my future endeavors.

vipercavy wrote:Now see that is a much MUCH better explination, alot more for what I was looking for. Thank you Fallen Angel for the professionalism in your answers you have more than convinced me in my decision to not try this as well as Alameda^^. Thank you and hope you can help me in my future endeavors.

No problem, that's why I frequent this forum... to use the knowledge and training I had to help others and answer questions. Next time though, try to be a little more specific in the answers you're seeking lol

Just out of curiousity my front bumper is plastic/urethane, can I mold my front bumper into that and be ok. I might put 6000 miles on my car in a year. I am not driving to often.

if you want to risk it... go ahead. I personally don't recommend molding unless the car is a show car... i.e. trailer queen. All it takes is one road hazzard to have the potential to mess it up... so if you're willing to take that risk go ahead. Personally you'd be better off molding the sides/rear and leaving the front alone IMO... but it' sup to you

Sounds like you have molding on the mind and it also seems as if this maybe something you've always wanted to do....

I would suggest going ahead and doing it....you already know that one bump into a curb, one moron kicking your car ( cause there are Jbody haters out there ) a dead animal on the road ..any type of hit will cause a supreme amount of damage to a molded car.....

However...l was told by many not to kit my car because they all liked the way it looked without one...they mention a ton of posibilities that could happen ( damage ) because of it sitting as low as it does, but l went ahead and did it anyway. Not because l did'nt take peoples advise but instead l took what they said and adapted myself to look for those hazzards on the road.........I have yet ( knocking on wood ) have damaged anything with being as low as l am ( daily drive summer months).....

Point being....Its your call...when you mold in your simply tossing caution to the wind..because like mention above, it won't take much of a hit to cause a pile of work.....

Good luck with you choice and modding...