I want to order the saleen body kit on here, and I have a kid who says he will put it on for me for 100 dollars he is doing this as a side job he works at a body shop. Now I need to know how this saleen body kit fits. If I bring it to a shop will I need to get it sanded primed and painted or is it sanded and primed already? And can I have the kit painted and then put it on right after? Or do I need to have it prefitted first?

 

$100 is wondrously cheap for this - I wonder, does this include painting to match your car? I can only assume this doesn't include materials, else this kid is really going in the hole here...

In any event, I have only general knowledge of body kit installs, not Saleen kits (I have a cervini kit on my 2002 gt) and bodywork, but...

The hood will probably come in gel coat, which means that yes, it will have to be scuffed down, primed and (hopefully) sanded before paint. ALL replacement parts should have small defects and low/high spots evened out with thin skim coats of filler and good primer before final paint. Hoods should be allowed to "rest" in the heated paint booth for several hours prior to paint application (this includes primer) to cure.

The bumpers will probably be of the flexible urethane variety. This comes 2 ways: with or without primer coat. Those without primer will require the correct primer to match the bumper's materials. Primer designed for metal work and fiberglass will probably fail - use the right primer.

You don't mention whether or not your current pieces are damaged - if they are, you may need repairs to the unibody or other components. Small-looking dings in the stock urethane bumper cover can conceal big dents in the header panel, and the fenders can be distorted. Pre-fitting your new parts is a must, and allowance must be made for clearance after paint (tight joints can become TOO tight if no allowance is provided).

Good luck - I've seen the saleens, and they are sharp!

tripleblack