Wings West RS Kit Install - Face Lift

I'm learning that putting a show car together can be lots of hard work. See, my life has been spent building race cars, where the emphasis is going fast and little attention is paid to aesthetic detail. However, in something of a new twist, I've spent the past few months building my first real show car, the EG project you may have seen in HT a few times by now.

Since aesthetic mods are relatively new to me (well, at least in practical application), all of the stories I've done with the EG thus far have been applicable to race cars, too. As you'll recall, up to now we've covered a budget Type R engine build for the car, and the addition of some street coilovers from Eibach. This particular chapter is my first step down the long dark road to the show world.

I thought I'd start with something easy and install the Wings West RS front lip and sideskirts I picked out for the little devil. The RS kit has a timeless appeal; it was cool 10 years ago and still is today. That's why this kit had been picked out even before I got the car.

The project was a challenge mainly because I did the labor by myself. I think a helping hand would likely make this a fun install to spend a Saturday doing. That is to say, expect at least a whole day from start to finish. If you think that's too much of a time allotment, don't e-mail telling me how you do this install every day in an hour flat. I feel accomplished, so let me bask in my perceived success.

Here are the supplies I bought...        read full caption Here are the supplies I bought to paint the kit. Clockwise from top left: Duplicolor Bumper Black paint, acetone, adhesion promoter, a Scotch Brite Pad, and Tack Cloths. All of this was around $40 total.	Behold the Wings West RS kit,...        read full caption Behold the Wings West RS kit, in all its unbreakable, polyurethane glory.	Start by sanding the glossy...        read full caption Start by sanding the glossy finish down on the sideskirt. Take your time-this is probably the most important step.
This is the difference between...        read full caption This is the difference between sanded and not sanded, note the dull finish.	After sanding, use the acetone...        read full caption After sanding, use the acetone on a dry paper towel to get rid of all the dust. Then rub it down with the tack cloth to pickup whatever dust and lint the paper towel might have missed.	The spray-on adhesive promoter...        read full caption The spray-on adhesive promoter will help keep the paint from flaking anytime down the line.
Now it's time to spray. This...        read full caption Now it's time to spray. This stuff in particular likes being held around six inches from the part, using a fast yet uniform motion to apply.	Once the paint has dried on...        read full caption Once the paint has dried on the parts, it's time to install them. Since its bumper black we're using, there is no post-paint work necessary (i.e. color sanding, etc.) Use some Quik Detailer to clean the surface you plan on mounting the part to. In this case, it's the front bumper.	Pull the tape back slightly...        read full caption Pull the tape back slightly to give yourself enough stick to mock up the install for fitment.