I know, I know: rice rice rice. Hear me out though.

It is a silver ’99 LX 4D. The previous owner was an old woman who apparently drove over hundreds of rocks and curbs. The front end is basically shot, with plastic snapped and scratched everywhere. Part of it is literally hanging off, and the sides and back are loose.

So, the car needs rear and front bumpers. I’m thinking, why not get a simple, tasteful body kit? I don’t have any interest in making the car look “Fast and Furious”-ish, just crisp and clean. I also don’t have 1k to drop on cosmetics. I was looking at this one:

http://www.bodykits.com/productImage...7_1_546062.jpg

It is the most simple, tasteful body kit I could find for under $500. What are my other options? The car only has 80k miles, and I’m going to take the car to medical school next year, so I planned on fixing the body, painting it all black, and keeping it for at least 3-4 years.

Suggestions please! (Yes, I have lurked around the forum, and yes I have tried google.)

 

I seriously doubt a body kit like that will fit with little to no modification. Then you have paint. The cost gets up there fairly quickly when considering that you are adding a part to a Civic that no one will buy from you in the future (either on or off the car) unless the new buyer is still in high school!

That is not a simple body kit IMO. It does not flow with the natural body lines on the Civic. However, I would not be mad if you bought bumper PURELY to house a monster intercooler for a 800whp turbo set-up.

IMO, your best option is to buy replacement bumpers and a lip kits. THAT is a simple, tasteful addition to the car. Body kits are too extreme IMO.

I will ALWAYS end with this, it is your car, do what you want/like. However, do not get upset if you ask us for OPINIONS and we say it doesn't look good.

 

get a used set of OEM bumpers off of craigslist or some place, then go to ebay and buy a lip kit. Install all of it, then paint it.

If you're dead set on a "body kit" rather than oem bumpers and a lip kit, then I suggest this: search for the walker front bumper by BYS. Its really the only aftermarket bumper replacement for the ek civic that looks any good. They don't make side skirts or a rear bumper, so you'd have to go with my first suggestion for the rest of the car...

 

Great advice guys, thanks.

So, the body kit idea is out. I guess what I'll do is buy a new OEM front bumper and a lip kit. Should look better, and be significantly cheaper. Also, I've noticed that lip kits are harder to come across online. Would I buy it separately for front, back and sides? Or can I buy them all together?

 

I wouldn't worry about the sides. Just pull the side skirts off and sand/paint them to match.

ebay should have millions of lip kits for the 99-00 Civic. You can buy them separate, or as a package. Invest in a $10 heat gun to help mold the lip kit to the car since the ebay ones are never 100% perfect.