Review of Popular Celica Body Kits and some photosBy Isaac DeCoursey @ EverythingCelica.com
I've had so many kits on my car, so I thought I'd share with you a few observations of each.
1)
Vizage Body Kit - Excellent fitment, installation was simple and straight forward.
The FULL Vizage Body Kit consists of FIVE pieces; 1x front lip, L/R sides, L/R rear stock-bumper add-on 'corners'.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/isaac-20031211/More photos...
https://celicahobby.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/49508/And-the-vizage-kit-is-here.htmlVizage Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=VIZAGE2)
R2 Auto Design Body Kit - Fitment is good. The quality of the Fiberglass was excellent - a bit thick, but it didn't require any modifications. You will need to cut your under plastics and move your fog laps about 1" in-wards for a perfect install. The kit is very low to the ground. I highly suggest, as a minimum size, 17" wheels on stock suspension height or at least 18" wheels if you ever plan to lower your Celica.
The R2 was my first kit, and as of this writing, it is still my number one body kit of choice.
Factoid: The "R2" in "R2 Auto Design" stands for "Race Ready." R2 Auto Design closed shop in 2002. Of the two owners, Mike B. went on to start BRS Tuning in 2003 which worked with APR Performance in 2004 to design the APR GT300 Wide-Body Celica body kit.
The FULL R2 Auto Design Body Kit consists of THREE pieces; 1x front bumper, L/R sides. The suggested rear bumper is Blitz but BudyClub works just as well. R2 Auto Design never created a rear bumper for their kit.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-r2/More photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/isaac-20030817/R2 Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=R2+BODY+KIT3)
Revmotion front lip Kit, fiberglass version - It was wery easy to install. A very cost effective way to upgrade the looks of your Celica for "pennies", and piece of mind that if you drive over something with it, you can just replace for minimal costs with a new one. Simply painted black, will match just about any setup.
Factoid: The Revmotion front lip was created in 2002 by MB Autosport, located in Whittier, California. Though MB Autosport closed shop in early 2003 (for personal reasons), it was deemed to be quite successful online and always had a high amount of turnover in it's inventory warehouse.
The FULL Revmotion Body Kit consists of ONE piece; 1x front lip.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-revmotion/more photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/isaac-20030627/Revmotion Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=REVMOTION4)
Revmotion, carbon fiber version - PERFECT fitment and its installation was a no-brainier. This was the the prototype that Tony and MB Autosport worked together on. It was handed-down to me when Tony got his TRD Kit. I'm not sure what was going on at the time, but I didn't respect it as much as I should have - Parallel parking, I drove in to a curb once, and over a parking block twice, and on top of that I misjudged a 3 point turn with it. A fellow Celica owner (Steven) watched that one happen. Being that it was carbon fiber, it held up very well. The clear coat was damaged beyond repair but the carbon fiber did its job well.
The FULL Revmotion Body Kit consists of ONE piece; 1x front lip.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-revmotion/More photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/isaac-20020221/Revmotion Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=REVMOTION5)
Blitz, polyurethane version - The sides were a bit short for the fender installation around the top of the wheel-well area, so it will take a professional to do installation. Because it needs accurate drilling at the mounting points, the installer must get it right on the first time for best results.
Because the front is made of thick polyurethane, its very heavy and began sagging over the first week since installed. Mine looked great for about a week and even though it was only driven mainly to local area destinations for photos of it, and garaged for the other 95% of the time, the sagging of the front was quite obvious.
Other than the above-mentioned things, its a good looking kit. I would recommend buying the Fiberglass version instead, since this is much larger and will get banged up - polyurethane is difficult to repair, and to prevent paint-pealing it needs to be repainted when problems arise. Fiberglass can simply have additional fiber-glassing added to it and then have the paint touched-up.
It was sponsored to me my MB Autosport so that a review could be written on it. Since then, it had been kept in perfect condition, uninstalled, put aside in my garage. A month later, it passed on to Dooly (RedDevil)
The FULL Blitz Body Kit consists of FOUR pieces; 1x front bumper, L/R sides, rear bumper.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-blitz-polyurethane/More photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/isaac-blitz-bodykit/Blitz Polyurethane Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=BLITZ6)
Blitz, fiberglass version - Used for Test-fitment
The FULL Blitz Body Kit consists of FOUR pieces; 1x front bumper, L/R sides, rear bumper.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-blitz/More photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/isaac-blitz-bodykit/Blitz Polyurethane Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=BLITZ7)
Octane - This is another bumper in which the fenders need work for correct installation. Also the front grills are so open, that you will need a tight-weave mesh grill to cover them or your Celica's crash bar and fog lamps will show through, making your Celica look incomplete or even "ghetto-rice"
The kit consists only of the Front Bumper. This front bumper's looks flow very nicely with several other brand side skirts and rears.
Owned by Tony. It was test-fitted and neither of us were too impressed with it. So he re-sold it a few days later. A few months afterward, I met the new owner and inspected his Celica with the kit professionally painted (White) and installed. It honestly didn't look bad at all - but it was apparent that the bumper still had flaws.
The FULL Octane Body Kit consists of ONE piece; 1x front bumper.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-octane/Octane Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=OCTANE8)
TCS - The fitment of the genuine TCS piece I tried installing was way off - the headlight placement on the kit was much wider by about 2" than the actual sock headlight placement on my Celica...
The kit needs a bit more work before it should have been sold to me. We used this kit only for Test-fitment and to prove that the fitment rumors were wrong. Unfortunately, the rumors were correct and the fitment was poor. UPDATE: I have heard that TCS did a full review of their Celica body kit and the fitment has been improved substantially.
The FULL TCS Body Kit consists of FOUR pieces; 1x front bumper, L/R sides, rear bumper.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-tcs/TCS Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=TCS9)
K2 - Used for test fitment, this is Genuine K2 Body Kit. All the pieces of this kit were HEAVY Fiberglass - making it very difficult for modification just to get a good install of this kit. This was the heaviest (and thickest) fiberglass -- with the intended purpose for use as a body kit -- I had ever seen before.
The hood lines didn't work out too well - it seemed as though I needed to removed my crash bar for this to install correctly. That's not going to happen. I prefer my safety over my car looking good.
The front also required me to REMOVE the factory stock fog lamps. I wasn't too happy about that either.
I have TRD Extended Exhaust installed and the K2 rear bumper just barely was able to fit that into its exhaust ports. It also looked awkward with just a single exhaust protruding from it.
Factoid: I really wanted this kit to be perfect. In 2000, It was actually my first choice of a body kit to purchase for the Celica. But when I was shopping around at the time, no shops had one. My first kit was instead, the R2 Auto Design Body Kit. To this date, I would have not wanted to change a thing about that purchase. The R2 body kit has worked out very well for me. NOTE: "R2" and "K2" are only similar in name. They are not manufactured or designed by any of the same persons.
The FULL K2 Body Kit consists of FOUR pieces; 1x front bumper, L/R sides, rear bumper. The wind splitter in the front and rear is attached to the bumper and considered to be part of the bumper.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-k2/K2 Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=K210)
Kaminari, polyurethane version - Fitment is perfect, hole locations came premarked and your factory plastics and line-up perfectly for a simply bolt-on. All hardware was included. I just had to see for myself how well this kit actually fit... its damn near perfect. PERFECT!
The FULL Kaminari Body Kit consists of FOUR pieces; 1x front bumper, L/R sides, rear bumper. The Kaminari race wing is sold separately for an additional charge.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-kaminari-polyurethane/Kaminari Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=KAMINARI11)
TRD, polyurethane - Genuine TRD kit fitment is perfect, all hardware was included and it came with installation papers. The full body kit also arrived pre-painted directly from Toyota. It is Genuine TRD.
Thanks to Steve Ganz of Carson Toyota for doing the legwork of getting this kit to us
The FULL TRD Body Kit consists of FIVE pieces; 1x front bumper, L/R sides, rear bumper add-on lip, wing (with third-brake-light.) The TRD wing can be purchased on it's own, without the body kit. Alternately, The TRD body kit can be purchased without the wing as a FOUR piece body kit.
Factoid: If you are looking to save some cash, purchase a GENUINE TRD front bumper and order WingsWest sides and rear bumper add-on from your preferred speed shop. The WingsWest side skirts and rear stock-bumper add-on are very similar in appearance. Purchase the genuine WingWest parts only in polyurethane.
TRD vs WingsWest Body Kit...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-trd-vs-wingswest/Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-trd-polyurethane/TRD Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=TRD+BODY+KIT12)
BRS Tuning - I've wanted this kit for a long while and when I saw it in person it just made me want it more. The fitment was great. Only minor modifications necessary for install - but this is normal for most high quality body kits.
The FULL BRS Tuning Body Kit consists of ONE piece; 1x front bumper. The suggested L/R sides are the R2 Auto Design side skirts. The suggested rear bumper is Blitz but BudyClub works just as well. As mentioned above, R2 Auto Designs never created a rear bumper for their R2 body kit.
Factoid: The BRS Tuning body kit was designed by, Mike B., the same person who designed the R2 Auto Design body kit. The BRS Tuning body kit was in limited production for a few months of 2003. The design got a full over-haul and became what is now known as APR Performance's GT300 Wide-Body Celica body kit.
BRS Tuning Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=BRS13)
BuddyClub - Used for Test-fitment. The rear bumper fit great and matches with several other body kits. the sides are just too bland and do not go well with the Celica's aerodynamic shape. the front looks fine in white, blue or black - but other colors make the design also look too bland. I had problems with the fenders not lining-up correctly and requiring additional labor to make them fit. I have seen several owners just bypass these problems all together and get the front molded to their fenders - which also looks good, but creates other problems.
The FULL BuddyClub Body Kit consists of FOUR pieces; 1x front bumper, L/R sides, rear bumper.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-buddyclub/BuddyClub Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=BUDDYCLUB14)
VIS Racing - Used for Test-fitment. Looks like TRD Elegant body kit, but it is not. The pieces are all in fiberglass and the fitment is not perfect. This will need the work of a skilled body kit instal shop to make it look perfect on your Celica.
The FULL VIS Racing Body Kit consists of FOUR piece; 1x front bumper, L/R sides, rear bumper.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-vis-racing/VIZ Racing Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=VISRACING15)
Invader6 - Used for Test-fitment. The fitment of the front and rear was good, the sides needed a bit of work. The entire kit just doesn't flow too well with the natural lines of the Celica.
The FULL Invader6 Body Kit consists of FOUR pieces; 1x front bumper, L/R sides, rear bumper.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-invader6/Invader6 Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=INVADER16)
WingsWest, polyurethane - Fitment is perfect, all hardware is include, along with detailed installation directions.
There is absolutely nothing difficult about this body kit at all. Once it's arrived, get it painted by your preferred shop who is skilled in prepping and paining polyurethane pieces. Then have the shop perfectly install the front and rear lips on top of your stock front and rear bumpers. The side skirts are just as easy to install - they go over-top of your current side skirts and require only minimal drilling.
Wings West Body Kit install directions at...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/picture.php?/16291/category/tech-wingswestThe FULL WingsWest Body Kit consists of FOUR pieces; 1x front stock-bumper add-on lip, L/R sides, rear stock-bumper add-on lip.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-wingswest-polyurethane/WingsWest Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=WINGSWEST17)
Bomex - Used for test-fitment. Fitment is perfect, everything came pre-drilled and ready to just fit on to factory locations - This thing fits BETTER THAN STOCK!
The FULL Bomex Body Kit consists of FOUR pieces; 1x front bumper, L/R sides, rear bumper. The Bomex side-mirrors can be purchased separately. The Bomex hood scoop can also be purchased separately but at the time of this writing, it was very difficult to find anyone selling it outside of Japan - contact Bomex directly for this. I am not sure about the Bomex wing, but the APR Performance GTC-200 Adjustable Wing flows nicely with this full kit.
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/kit-bomex/Bomex Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=BOMEX18)
Stock, polyurethane - oh, and we mustn't forget about the standard front that came with the car when it was originally picked up from the dealership
Review photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/album-2001b/More photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/album-2001a/Stock Celica photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/index.php/category/stock-7th-generation-celica/I am probably forgetting a few body kits in my 'installed-kits' listing... but you get the general idea
Here is the final body kit that I have to make comments on
Special mention...
19)
Trial, polyurethane - Perfect fitment, simple install, high quality, looks nice but doesn't flow with the lines of the Celica too much - its definitely a more "cyber-style" upgrade though!
Trial Body Kit photos...
https://celicahobby.com/gallery/qsearch.php?q=TRIALMORE body kit reviews can be found at...https://celicahobby.com/reviews/g8-bodykits26-ground-fx.html*** How difficult is it to install a body kit?
I always recommend that you have your body kit installed by a professional who is experienced with custom Fiberglass body work. A normal auto body/collision repair shop may not be able to install the aftermarket body kit properly.
*** How good is the fitment of body kits?
The fitment of body kits depends on the part and the car. Kaminari, Bomex, Veilside, TRD, and Wings West body kits fit extremely well and require very little work. Other parts may require modifications including grinding, sanding, cutting, glassing, etc.
Please note that many people purchase body kits as a result of a car accident. If your car has ever been in any accident, regardless of how minor, this may effect the fitment of the part.
My car has NEVER been in a frame altering collision - the above reviews were based on the manufacturer's unmodified parts they had supplied me with