Well, this is kinda showroom, kinda not. I've had this Cuda kit for just under a year now sitting in my basement. I've been a weekend warrior modifying it and prepping it over the course of these months. I'm the third owner of the kit (originally SupermanShark's, then RedShark's), so I know the kit would fit. I spent some hours removing the nasty front plate "tooth" from the bumper, and filling the holes for the rear plate lights (which don't fit stock plate lights), in order to install LED plate lights. And I've been shopping around for paint for a couple months now (unsucsessfully... I'm very particular to who touches my car). I finally got the front bumper on, and it's a 90% perfect fit, (again, i'm a perfectionist when it comes to this kinda stuff). And all-in-all, I'm not too excited about the whole thing. weird. I told myself that if I get this kit on, I want the whole car repainted to fix all those little things that happen to daily drivers/winter cars (scratches too deep to buff, minor dings from parking lots, and minor rust), and to do so, looks like I'm looking at $1000-$1600 to do so. I could get away with just getting the kit painted for a few hundred, but it's either show-quality or nothing for me. So after all this hype in my head, I'm not even sure if I want the kit now. (Cost of paint (whole car), cost of buying a winter beater, cost of new exhaust (single in, dual out muffler like Spiffy)...) I think I'd rather save the cash. Well anyway, unless someone convinces me otherwise, I'm abandoning the whole trick car thing and saving my money. I'm not bitter... just re-evaluating how much I want people to stare as I drive by, and how much the stares are worth to me... wink1.gif


(It's shiny because I just hosed it down)

 

I tried to tell people over and over again about the kit, that it has alot of "pits" inside of it. Its not a perfect kit, but its fairly good. Trust me though, after you get it all done, it's beautiful to look at. And everyone else will love it too. (Unforunately, COPs love it also.. ) But one thing about this kit... I haven't had a single person who has seen my car and said they don't like it. Old guys, young guys, people pull up next to me in brand new Porches and complement me on how nice my car looks. I get it everywhere I go, and I love it.

The kit matches the attitude of the car perfectly, IMO better than any other kit. It doesn't have a huge "mouth" on the front of it, so it makes it alot different than 99% of the kits out there which put a huge mouth on the front of a car for direct access for an Intercooler.

I spent about 1500 to get my kit put on, the sides shaved, respray the whole car, etc. Its going back into the shop again now for another full car respray and a new front bumper put on. I dunno. If you really want your car as a daily driver, or a tuner car, I'd stay away from putting a kit on the car. But if you don't mind it getting damaged a bit and cracked just from being a daily driver, then go for it. After 6 months, its not going to look like a "show car", just be prepared. Stuff happens, but if you can get past that, then enjoy!

 

i dont like the body kits because of one thing if you get hit or someone backs in to you. it gets f***ed up.but u got to remember i live in korea and they dont start drivering here till they are 21 ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.. and there are 8-9 million people in pusan but that is my opion if you dont have that problem t say


cude it. fing02.gif

 

When I first bought my car I obsessed over every little scratch I found. Within the first six months my car got hit twice in the parking lot at work. I almost had an anyuerism!! I had to force myself to stop obsessing about the body. Especially living in the North East. I have resigned myself to accepting the fact that every so often I'm going to have to spend some money to "refresh" the body. Now I have the Ixion body kit and I'm looking for a winter beater because there's no way I will be able drive in the snow unless I want to plow my drive way.
So the bottom line is you have to make some sacrifices, but I think the extra attention your car receives is well worth it. Within 30 minutes of picking up my car after it was finished I had a group of people standing around it when I came out of the grocery store. They were asking all kinds of questions and couldn't believe that it was a Hyundai.
IMO the Cuda kit it the best looking kit for the 2k1. I was going to get it but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of the dual exhaust. I t was hard enough finding a single cat back. I say go for it!! But be prepared that it's going to cost money to keep it maintained.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (01importshark @ Jun 26 2005, 03:29 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'>.. little kids leaning out the window

<div align='right'><{POST_SNAPBACK}></div></div>

That's the best feeling. Even better than having babes stare at it and say how hot it is. When little kids point and stare with their jaws dropped, that's the best feeling ever.


DOOO ITTTTTTTT

 

heh, it does feel good to have all you kitted car guys encouraging... I'm going to be contemplating it over the next week here.

I'm well into the whole process of kitting a car...

<span style="color:green">step 1: pay for kit.
step 2: get it shipped or picked up safely.
step 3: fit and prep surface.</span>

And I only have a few steps left

<span style="color:red">step 4: find good paint shop.
step 5: pay for paint.
step 6: be without a vehicle for a week or two (hopefully).
step 7: find shop to fabricate a dual-out cat-back exhaust.
step 8: find and buy beater for winter.</span>

These last steps seem to be the hardest.

-OR- I could keep the $1500 I have saved up, make some more money by selling the kit, and pay off most of my credit card debt...

 

steps 4-8 are the worst steps, but it's part of the major sacrafices of having a hooked up car.

believe me, the satisfaction you get from having people compliment your tastes definently makes up for all the money your going to waste.

part of me wishes i wouldn't have spent sooo much money on my car, but if i hadn't, there's a part of me that wouldn't have been let out in the world. it helps you get chicks too hahahahaha

 

I have to agree with everyones comments. I as well have the Cuda kit on and still after 2 years of it installed, I still have to get the dual exhaust setup done. I get sooo many looks from people young and old and it makes me feel like all the money and effort that I've put into my car is worth it.

I once was in a smaller town and every single person I passed did the head jerk to take a look at my car. I tell ya, that weekend I felt like king. LOL.

Moral of the story, put the darn thing on and enjoy it. smile.gif LOL

 

It is interesting to read all of the different stories and I can relate! I have the Cuda kit (actually Concepto C1 kit) and I have got so many random people asking me what my car was and giving complements. Right from little kids to old women LOL.

Just this morning I had a guy honking at me at motioning me to roll down my window in an Intrepid. He says "I thought that was a Porche at first!!, looks great!!" I have had other people think that it was an Infinity and an Acura as well, can't believe how good that it makes ya feel to have people think that your car is worth alot more than it actually is. Another thing that is funny is watching people racking their brains trying to figure out what car is sitting in front of them at a stop light haha!

Dude, CUDA it! smile.gif