Removing bodykits and returning to stock bodywork

Morning chaps and chapesses,

My search for a facelift 6spd TT continues.... without much luck so far.

I am adamant that the car I buy will be either OEM or OEM+ in terms of bodywork, with no wacky aftermarket bodykits. Trouble is, finding one is proving a bit difficult.

I have engaged Torque GT to try to source me a car in Japan, whilst I look here in the UK. This means I am fortunate enough to have access to the live auctions and fixed price ads in Japan. There are some facelift 6spd TTs coming through, many of which are VVTis, but they are predominently 'R' rated (accident damage repaired) or wearing veilside-esque kits with ironing boards on the boot. The fixed price cars with traders are the same, wearing bodykits that would make Max Power blush.

I am curious however, as some of these cars are actually in pretty good condition. How easy and costly would it be remove a kit like that and return a car to stock bodywork?

Can you just remove aftermarket skirts and spats and with a bit of cleaning reveal the stock bodywork underneath? How easy is it to source standard bumpers with the ancilliaries to replace after market bumpers?

I have a good bodyshop locally so wondering if it might be worth considering the importation of a wacky and wild VVTi and then just return it to stock bodywork.

The edge of the skirts can have rubbed through the paint underneath and could have been stuck on with some pretty awkward (but doable) stuff to get off.

Fitting the front bumper is easy enough but it has the under tray and bits of duct for the intercooler and rad so sourcing all the bits and fixings to get back to how it came out the factory might be a pain in the ass depending how oem you want it

You can still get bumpers new but they aren't cheap and the pods are factory colour coded so second hand you'll probably want to go for the same colour of car you end up buying. I'd say buy a car and then see what you need and in what colour and go from there. It'd probably be most cost effective for you to buy a stock NA auto donor car and do a plastic swap over and then sell on the kitted up NA. That would obviously involve a much higher initial set up cost so it'd be available funds dependant as NA Autos are at least £5k these days to much more.

Possible issues I see are.

Removal of body kit could reveal old damage that annoys and will add to cost of transition.

Bonded and/or blend kits won't be simple to remove.

Stock Front bumpers might not fit if the car has a FMIC, so added cost for SMIC or faffing making it fit (though some FMIC's are too big for a stock bumper I think)

Rear spoilers don't always us the stock holes so further work, welding/filler and paint.

Sourcing new body parts is still possible I believe but the fixings all add up.

I don't think it's something I'd take on when already paying top dollar for a car, but I appreciate your position and slight impatience as time goes on.

Can't remember if you said why the facelift aspect is so important? As a prefacelift manual is pretty easy to (externally) facelift, might increase your choice that's all?

Got mine through torque GT 7 years ago. Mike is really good to deal with. Try Jurgan as well.

This day and age I would go for the best quality car then look at what you want to do. Dealers like Keron on here will have spares you need if going back.

As some have already said side skirts can rub the bottom of doors. If they are OEM skirts they will be held with pkastic clips on the sills and a 3M type tape on the top. If not OEM then any combo of rivets, screws, bodywork silastics.

The rear pods in front of the rear wheels maybe a pain to get hold of and front bumpers are rare but do come up second hand. As said MrT do have them. The worse bit as others have said will be all the plastics from the bodywork to the bumper underside but again Keron and the members on here will be able to help.

Rear spats tend to be glued on with 3M type tapes or bodywork silastics.

Mike at Torque was really good with mine and may even quote you for returning to stock as well.

Good luck with the hunt they are really worth it

I just looked and to be fair to you can't find any. I don't get why must be standard OEM look. Not generally the best look for a supra imo.

Do luck / Top secret / Amuse / Ridox supras (pending colour) all look way better than an OEM kitted car.

DO LUCK

TOP SECRET

MIX

(my look)

RIDOX

Each to their own mind.

Or you can go for

lol

Thanks for all your replies, very useful.

Sounds like the skirts and the spats can be removed easily enough, or at least with a few extra hours labour from my paint guy and some potential tidying up afterwards. Does anyone know the cost of a new front bumper and supporting parts from Toyota?

Scooter - as I am armed with a good budget I just like the idea of an OEM+ VVTi really. I am not buying for investment, but knowing how rare they are it would be a good place to put some money and just nice knowing you're driving something that is a bit special.

Supra_Aero - the cars in those pics just look tacky to my eye and not something I would want to be seen in. I fully appreciate that beauty is in the eye of the beholder however and the modifying scene would be dull if everyone liked the same things. Also the drops on those cars look a bit daft to me. Whilst no-one likes arch gap, I like my suspension modifications to be primarily focussed on impriving driving dynamics, as I often take my cars on tour into the Alps so they often get used in anger. Not into the whole stance thing at all.

Budget around £430 for a bumper from Toyota, got mine for just shy of £400 with some discount. Not sure on the supporting parts (if you can even get them new anymore)

Rob

Fair enough James, I'm in the 'tight' and 'risk free' zones of ownership and so I think the VVTi throttle issues would steer me away from them, or certainly not make them a must have.

Change the lights on a prefacelift and visually pretty much facelifted, diff and engine mounts are better on the early cars. I only say this as you are having issues finding them, but I'll stop now as you seem set and why not, there aren't really any bad Supra's and a late facelift (especially in one of the late only colours) is a great looking car

Some front bumper info.

http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?334043-Front-bumper-related-stuff-**BRAND-NEW-OEM-PARTS**&highlight=front+bumper+parts

Fair enough james. I'm keeping mine modified lol.

If whatever car you end up buying has coilover s james I'll happily swap for oem suspension

I agree with Scooter, I wouldn't be wanting a facelift car personally, a lot of cost savings seem to have been made on them by Toyota. I'd be looking for a non vvti.

Fair enough james. I'm keeping mine modified lol.

 

If whatever car you end up buying has coilover s james I'll happily swap for oem suspension

Stock are coilovers

A good damper with a sensible spring is all you need

I agree with Scooter, I wouldn't be wanting a facelift car personally, a lot of cost savings seem to have been made on them by Toyota. I'd be looking for a non vvti.

Mine was Facelift and non-VVTi - you should speak to Rider, he'll put you right on what's what!!

Stock are coilovers

 

A good damper with a sensible spring is all you need

Is it really? Can they be lowered then?

Is it really? Can they be lowered then?

A coilover is the spring mounted directly over the damper, CW supplies Bilstein dampers with 2 or 3 different height

platforms cut into the damper.

The coilovers your refering to are platform adjustable which gives you any height you want but imo not really req on

a road car and if left for a length of time will probably seize solid, especially the cheaper units