I am very attracted to the Artisan SC430 body kit. But I only want the fenders and the front bumper. I called the US Artisan Rep and they want !1200 for the front bumper and $1,100 for the side fenders.

What is most daunting is that they want $750 for shipping from Japan and delivery will not be for over 2 months after you order.

The shipping and wait is too onerous. Does anyone have an alternative suggestion for me as I really want to upgrade my 2002 SC430, but I see that this is going to get quite costly.

There is a body kit on Ebay the mimics the artisan kit but from the research her on this forum it is clear that the kit does not fit all that well and it is trouble fitting it onto the car. And so that is a no no.

Please guys, if you have any suggestions or alternatives for me please offer them

 

hi
the shipping is always the problem. i'll do without the kit because of shipping.
if it was made here I think sells would be up.

 

What about a group buy. Ask them we want to be a dealer and place a group order of 10 what they could do for price and shipping

 

Whatever you do, don't buy a cheap kit on ebay. You will spend more money in body work to get it to fit than if you had bought a quality kit in the first place.

You could try getting quotes from multiple vendors on the Artisan kit. One might be a little cheaper.

Also, if you go the rout of front bumper and fenders only, you'll probably at least want to get a rear lip too. The front bumper will be quite a bit lower to the ground than the rear if you only replace the front. Which looks unbalanced in my opinion.

 

I am wondering if I could modify the front, much like our japense friend did using the gs430 f sport front, but with a gti front. The upper mesh grill is available without a badge spot.

I think I would like the continual line going inward to break up the front bumper, instead of the japenese design.

Can anyone photoshop this?

 

Yea, I was really tempted to go with the knockoff on ebay but after reading the nightmare that one of our forum members went thru, I quickly backed off.

Well, I am back to square one. I really wish i could find that ArtiSAN KIT HERE in the states because it is marvelous looking.

But one question, dod you guys think it is worth modifying our cars with the body kits to update them or selling the SC430 and maybe getting another up to date car. It is something I am really turning my head over. Should I update my 2002 (70,000 miles) with the body kit or sell it and get a 2007 Mercedes Benz SL 550 with only 40,000 miles. The only thing that makes me hesitate is that the SC3430 has given me zero maintenance or mechanical problems. And I figure if I put a few thousand in it I have a truly reliable gorgeous car. Maybe that would be the best way to go rather than selling the car and then having to put $15,000 up to get the Benz. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK??

 

It's up to you. If you modify your car with a kit, you'll never get back out of it what you put into it. As a general rule, you'll get about half of what you paid for your aftermarket parts when you sell them used. On the other hand, when you sell your car and buy a new one, you'll lose that much in the transaction anyway.

Personally, I'd bite the bullet, buy the kit and never look back. I did the full Auto Couture kit on my car a yea or two ago and it's like having a new car. Except no one else on the road has it. I get more looks and more compliments than I would driving just about any brand new Mercedes Benz.

Also, my last car was a Mercedes and the maintenance was a nightmare. As soon as it went out of warranty, it started falling apart. The last year I owned it, I put over $5,000 into it in repairs.

 

Man Liquid you make great points and lend great guidance.

Thanks for kicking me back in place. I get so tired seeing all of those look a like benzes on the road. They have really become watered down with everyone driving them. You are right that if I modify my car it will be truly unique.

And I do not know how I forgot about maintenance. I just got rid of a BMW for that reason. I ran out of warranty and simply could not keep up with the mechanical and maintenace problems. My SC on the other hand has given me zero mechanical problems, save needing to fix my antenna, which is a negligible matter

Again, thanks for waking me up!!

Now if I can only find an affordable kit

 

No problem. You didn't mention whether or not you already have aftermarket wheels and either coilovers or lowering springs. If not, I'd start there. Nice wheels make a big difference. And in my opinion, there's no point doing a kit unless you also change out the wheels and lower it.

 

Yes to all of the above and that is why I am ready to move to the body kit.

Like I said I love the Artisam Fenders. Have you seen anything that yu like better than that kit (that is reasonable)?

 

The price you were quoted actually sounds reasonable to me. The issue you might run into with that kit is it was designed to go with their side skirts and rear bumper. The front bumper is quite a bit lower to the ground than stock. The rest of the car won't line up. Also, it might only be available for the 06+ front end. If so, you would need to upgrade your headlights and grill.

The most reasonable kit I found was the Auto Couture kit. I paid $3,300 shipped if I remember right. The other kit I was considering was the Job Design kit for about $1,000 more. The Wald kit is less expensive, but it's a lip kit, rather than full bumper replacements.

 

There are many factors with buying a kit from Japan. The first is the exchange rate.....the dollar is weak (although impoving a little) so price for the kit is inflated to begin with. Second, shipping is expensive because it will be shipped in a shared container or via air which is even worst. Keep in mind, most Japanese companies do not "stock" thier kits. It takes about 2 weeks to make and then anywhere between 2 weeks to 2 months depending if it's a shared container ocean freight or air.

When you say resonable.....what is reasonable for you? As stated, most full bumper kits from Japan run about $3k plus shipping. Also, unless you find a wholesale importer, you may have to also pay customs, duties, and tax in Japan.

 

I bought my kit through Carson Toyota in LA. Their shipping was a lot cheaper than other places quoted. I assume they ship a ton of stuff from Japan and get a better rate. You might try talking to them and see which kits they can order. Also, don't be afraid to negotiate with vendors. The worst they can say is no.

 

Liquid SC:

You just saved me a boat load of money. I contacted Carson Toyota in LA and talked with them. All of the other dealers or suppliers wanted to charge me $800 shipping from Japan to the US, and then another charge from their operation in the States to my door in Washington DC. Because Carson does a lot of shipping from Japan they quoted me a much lower price to my door from Japan. But maybe the reason why my shipping costs will be reduced is because all i am getting is the front bumper and fenders

Thanks LiquidSC for hanging in their with me.

 

This is badass too

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/clu...gain-aero.html