Duraflex AG-S fiberglass bodykit install help - - fitment issues w/ pics!

**Birdman12** · 04-06-2012 09:02 PM

Hey guys,

I'm sure I'm not the first person to install a fiberglass kit on my car so hopefully someone out there can help me out. I've tried the searches and theres nothing specific to my application, yes I know there is more work involved in getting the kits to fit compared to OEM body panels but I thought I would give it a try.

I bought the Duraflex AG-S 4 piece (front and rear bumpers + side skirts) bodykit off eBay. I am going to be completely repainting my car, so I thought I might as well get a whole new bodykit.

Here are the goodies:

I'm no bodyman, but I do know how to tweak the bumpers and stuff to try to get everything lined up as best as I can. I was outside today test fitting the front bumper and overall, its not too bad but I ran into a couple problems.

First, I started by removing the headlights and then followed with the whole front bumper. I then went on to seperate the rebar, which I want to re-use eventhough many people with aftermarket/fiberglass bumpers tent to remove, from the OEM bumper. There were several rivets, both aluminum and plastic, that had to be popped out in order to get them seperated. I put the re-bar back on and then test fitted the bumper on. It looked terrible...so after I took a few more brackets off the re-bar (for more clearance), it fit a bit better. It seems like I just can't get the bumper raised high enough to close the gap between the bumper and headlights/front grill. There's atleast an 1" of gap and eventhough I maxed out the stock bumper height adjustment. The only thing I can think of is to trim the re-bar which I am not a big fan of. I was thinking of using some expanding foam ontop of the re-bar and then shave it down so when I slide the bumper over the re-bar it will be kind of "stretched open" causing it to close up the gap. Another problem is that it is going to be very difficult to mount the bumper on the sides because the lip to mount screws through is quite small and I am afriad it might crack and break off if i was to try to drill it through.

Here are some pics of whats going on: (I havn't washed my car in a very long time so don't mind the mess and headlights are taped in place just for fitment...it's a work in progress)

As you can see there is quite the gap...I did notice that on the duraflex pictures for the bodykit the front bumper pretty much sits almost in the same place on their demo car. So is this actually how it's supposed to fit?

So if anyone has gone through something like this and can give me some points/direction that would be great! Thanks in advance.

**Greedo** · 04-06-2012 09:10 PM

Pointer: You're putting that on the wrong car. You couldn't tell by those wheels in the pics of the display model that they have horrible taste? I'm all for people doing their own thing, but within reason and with taste. That's beyond atrocious.

It belongs on this:

**Birdman12** · 04-06-2012 09:19 PM

^ That's your opinon. As you can see, I don't have fugly chromers on and its going to be repainted, I'm going to put some fog lights in and put some blacked out RS4 rep metal mesh in. I'm all for clean looks and after searching the internet, this is one of the cleanest looking kits out there compared to some of the ridiculous ones you are talking about. I'm just tired of seeing people do the S4 or RS4 bumper conversions and calling it a day. Sure they look nice, but why would I want my car to just look like another S4 (eventhough I have a 1.8T)? Do you have any actual pointers and not just opinions?

**jeffrey146** · 04-06-2012 09:21 PM

I agree with Greedo. Keep rice with rice. Maybe if you kicked it really hard it would be better ?!?! Maybe eyelids would look good too?!?!

I guess it is his car to do what he wants with.

**Birdman12** · 04-06-2012 09:29 PM

It might be my previous Nissan experience that is pushing my towards the "rice" but like with all things, there's always haters :) I just want something different. Rice or not, I like it.

So some help please! It's pretty easy to give your 2 cents on something rather than to explain and help a brother out.

**murdered APR a4** · 04-06-2012 10:56 PM

Looks like that is how it is supposed to sit, screw the other idiots on here if they can't give you advice then they shouldn't post. The foam idea might work but with the pressure on the bumper from the foam will cause the paint to flex while it's curing which will lead to spider cracks. I would leave it how it is and wouldn't want to risk the new paint job. What rims are those?

**TConklin821** · 04-07-2012 05:17 AM

Honestly, I kinda dig the way the bumper looks. Just because it isn't OEM doesn't mean it's rice. To each their own.

**Jtroiano** · 04-07-2012 09:05 AM

I have that same bumper sitting in my shop ready to go on my car!!! It looks good and not all riced out!! I am a little nervous about fit and called the manufacter and left a message. Of course a week later and no call back... I was thinking about using 3M windshield urathane to glue it on. I figured the factory could tell me what would stick good to the inside surface.

The mess is cheap and is coming off!!

Jon

**howardfootball** · 04-07-2012 09:27 AM

The reason most guys get S4 and RS4 bumpers is because they look good. That looks horrible. I'm all for being different but not when you buy cheap crap.

**Nollywood** · 04-07-2012 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by Birdman12

It might be my previous Nissan experience that is pushing my towards the "rice" but like with all things, there's always haters :) I just want something different. Rice or not, I like it.

So some help please! It's pretty easy to give your 2 cents on something rather than to explain and help a brother out.

It looks like the areas under the headlamps dip. Have you considered bonding on a steel bar under each side, to hold the under-headlamp sections firmer? Or even combine this with your foam idea. No issues with getting too much expanding foam on, as you can gradually shave it down, till you're satisfied with the fit.

Good luck!

**Birdman12** · 04-07-2012 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by murdered APR a4

Looks like that is how it is supposed to sit, screw the other idiots on here if they can't give you advice then they shouldn't post. The foam idea might work but with the pressure on the bumper from the foam will cause the paint to flex while it's curing which will lead to spider cracks. I would leave it how it is and wouldn't want to risk the new paint job. What rims are those?

Thanks! Ya I thought about the paint cracks too but I won't be putting enough foam in to flex it past the point of cracking. It's just really tight around the re-bar, which is good, but because of that it sits the inch below the headlights/grill. I'll try the foam thing and see how it goes.

The rims are 17"x7.5" Enkei Fittipaldi, I have 25mm H&R spacers all around an will be putting another 10mm up front and 5mm on the back. I did the 043 stud conversion with extended 3" studs and got a set of green aluminum 14x1.5 lug nuts. It's so much easier to remove and install the wheels now!

**Birdman12** · 04-08-2012 05:50 AM

Originally Posted by Nollywood

It looks like the areas under the headlamps dip. Have you considered bonding on a steel bar under each side, to hold the under-headlamp sections firmer? Or even combine this with your foam idea. No issues with getting too much expanding foam on, as you can gradually shave it down, till you're satisfied with the fit.

Good luck!

That might be a good idea with the bar under the headlights along with some foam to give it some rigidity. I was reading about another member dealing with fiberglass body panels and he glued in some "L" shaped support brackets thought the bumper to give it strength and a couple more potential mounting points.

This is only the front bumper lol we will see how the skirts and rear go...I'll keep you guys posted. I'll keep taking pics, sorry about the shitty iPhone quality!

**murdered APR a4** · 04-08-2012 02:51 PM

I love the fact that no one can get over if it isn't OEM+ then it's shit deal......it's a frickin joke if you think it looks good then do it, it's your car anyways it has no effect on other people's lives. But back on topic the major concern with the stress on it is because when it is baking the temp will cause the duraflex to actually expand, I have seen it happen more then once and then its all set to go put it on the car and after a week imperfection already start to show through and cracks begin to form.

**Birdman12** · 04-08-2012 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by lorge1989

Nah, we can't get over it because it looks like complete dog shit. And you say in your sig and username that your car is murdered out. Siqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq.

As much as people hate on stuff like that, and how annoying you may think it is, it still is true. Audi took a lot of time to design the looks of this car and if you think a bunch of black spray paint and ebay bumpers can make it look better, then you are extremely confused.

Ok you just repeated what the others have said, but saying it looks like complete dogshit is a bit much. Sure you have your opinion so if you have nothing useful to say, like hmmm perhaps something about fitment or an idea to help me out, keep it to yourself. And second, are you really going to stoop down a notch and start taking personal hits on other members? Learn what the purpose of posting in threads is; clearly you are extremely confused. Plus, who said anything about black spray paint? Did you even read the tread? I'm repainting the car and this was just a test fit. Another thing about threads...you read them and not just look at the pics. I guess it's expected from critics like you.

Can we stay on topic here, this is starting to be less helpful.

**Nollywood** · 04-09-2012 04:12 AM

Originally Posted by Birdman12

Ok you just repeated what the others have said, but saying it looks like complete dogshit is a bit much. Sure you have your opinion so if you have nothing useful to say, like hmmm perhaps something about fitment or an idea to help me out, keep it to yourself. And second, are you really going to stoop down a notch and start taking personal hits on other members? Learn what the purpose of posting in threads is; clearly you are extremely confused. Plus, who said anything about black spray paint? Did you even read the tread? I'm repainting the car and this was just a test fit. Another thing about threads...you read them and not just look at the pics. I guess it's expected from critics like you.

Can we stay on topic here, this is starting to be less helpful.

I agree whole heartedly.

**lorge1989** · 04-09-2012 08:17 AM

Fiberglass does not stretch like the factor plastic bumpers, therefore you can't just put a bar in there. Therefore in order to make the bumper fit you will need to do custom bodywork. Adding fiberglass on top will add weight which could cause other parts of the bumper to sag but it is one of the only ways to make it work at all. A professional could definitely make it work but no doubt it will cost your at least double what you paid for the bumpers.

Adding screws in places they are not designed to be is just going to promote cracking and still it won't fit 100%.

My original point stands not only for looks but the reasons stated above.

Originally Posted by Birdman12

Ok you just repeated what the others have said, but saying it looks like complete dogshit is a bit much. Sure you have your opinion so if you have nothing useful to say, like hmmm perhaps something about fitment or an idea to help me out, keep it to yourself. And second, are you really going to stoop down a notch and start taking personal hits on other members? Learn what the purpose of posting in threads is; clearly you are extremely confused. Plus, who said anything about black spray paint? Did you even read the tread? I'm repainting the car and this was just a test fit. Another thing about threads...you read them and not just look at the pics. I guess it's expected from critics like you.

Can we stay on topic here, this is starting to be less helpful.

1. This is a public forum and my opinion is welcomed even if you don't like it.

2. Did you even read my post? I was talking about the guy above me and the spray paint that is typically used to "murder out" cars.

3. I read the whole thread. You posted something up on a public forum expect to get both positive and negative feedback.

**murdered APR a4** · 04-09-2012 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by lorge1989

Fiberglass does not stretch like the factor plastic bumpers, therefore you can't just put a bar in there. Therefore in order to make the bumper fit you will need to do custom bodywork. Adding fiberglass on top will add weight which could cause other parts of the bumper to sag but it is one of the only ways to make it work at all. A professional could definitely make it work but no doubt it will cost your at least double what you paid for the bumpers.

Adding screws in places they are not designed to be is just going to promote cracking and still it won't fit 100%.

My original point stands not only for looks but the reasons stated above.

1. This is a public forum and my opinion is welcomed even if you don't like it.

2. Did you even read my post? I was talking about the guy above me and the spray paint that is typically used to "murder out" cars.

3. I read the whole thread. You posted something up on a public forum expect to get both positive and negative feedback.

Ah yes I am so poor that I have a fully built motor (internals) and I went to Lowe's and bought black spray paint to murder out my car! God you are a fucking genius!! And it has been over a year my car as of tomorrow will no longer be black thank you very much. Get over yourselves seriously you directly tried to insult me? how ridiculous are you? lmao it is people like you that crack me up.

**lorge1989** · 04-09-2012 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by murdered APR a4

Ah yes I am so poor that I have a fully built motor (internals) and I went to Lowe's and bought black spray paint to murder out my car! God you are a fucking genius!! And it has been over a year my car as of tomorrow will no longer be black thank you very much. Get over yourselves seriously you directly tried to insult me? how ridiculous are you? lmao it is people like you that crack me up.

I never said anything about your financial status? And once again sharing my opinion. If you call your car murdered out, most likely it looks like shit. It is possible to pull it off, but rare.

edited to prevent further bunching of panties.

Anyways, I'm done. I gave my 2 cents, and apparently no one can take criticism.

**murdered APR a4** · 04-09-2012 11:24 AM

When you post shit so ignorantly then no I won't take criticism lightly. And that is your own opinion, so your telling me that any murdered out vehicle looks like shit or just a B5 A4?? I have not seen many cars that are "spray painted" to get the murdered out look unless it's a honda.

**Birdman12** · 04-09-2012 07:14 PM

It stopped raining for half an hour today so I went outside and test fitted the driver's side side skirt. They fit great! Minor trimming will be needed here and there but overall they slide right into place and fit snug. I'm going to fasten them down with two screws on each end using the factory screws and locations and then get some heavy-duty velcro and run a strip the length of the skirt. That way it will be held in place but also removable if needed. Using an exacto knife I trimmed a strip from the bottom of the door trim that wasn't allowing the doors to close. My trim was all wavey and warped so when I cut that strip off it cleaned things up a bit. I'm going to be shaving all the door trim so for now it will do. Sorry I did't get any pics, hopefully I can get out tomorrow and try it out again and snap a few if I don't get rained out again.

I'm very happy with the fitment but the only problem I ran into is that the bottom of the driver's door is coming into contact with skirt as you close it. The problem is that the hinges are worn out/loose and make the door sag :( However, I have some replacement hinges that should be here next week so that will slove that issue.

**Birdman12** · 06-08-2012 03:20 AM

Hey guys, I had to put everything on hold for a while but I'm slowing getting back to it!

Updates:
-fitted driver's side skirt and it fits like a glove!
-the rear door rubs the top of the skirt a bit when you close the door so I am still contemplating whether to remove the stock lower trim running along the door jam or not...its tight but might just need a bit of sanding
-sourced some newer S4 doors all around so I can shave the trim off
-found out that driver's door hinge is actually rusting out the back and giving the door some play, the pin is fine! I did the ghetto fix and slid a thin metal plate between the hinge and door and it actually worked! This is temporary until I can find some new hinges

Pics:

I'll be working on the skirts more within the next couple weeks and definitely try to get the rear bumper on. I decided that I'll be modifying the front re-bar to make the front bumper sit up higher.

Almost forgot....ordered some plastic mesh from Regula Tuning in Germany, legit!

I am going to use this on the front bumper and make a RS4-style front grill out of it too. Should be here soon. I just need to find a way to mount some foglights and to actually pick some, was thinking about maybe some stock A4 fogs and just fibreglass a mount in. Any foglight suggestions?

**CCA4** · 06-08-2012 05:31 AM

Those skirts actually look nice. Would make a nice alternative to S4 sides if they were available separately from the rest of the body kit.

**Clewe** · 06-08-2012 06:05 AM

IMO that bumper is poop, fiberglass is poop, and duraflex is poop, I can't stop laughing at how ridiculous that looks, it doesn't accommodate the looks of the rest of the body AT ALL, like greedo said that looks like it belongs on a ricer or any type of box shaped car, not a b5. That being said, when you buy cheap bullshit like this you should expect fitment issues, to make it fit properly it's going to take a lot of your own ingenuity and patience, good luck Mr. 99.5 S-Line.. I just hope you don't look back on this and regret it..

**howardfootball** · 06-08-2012 07:29 AM

The skirts look really good and it would look good with an S4 front bumper.

**Birdman12** · 06-08-2012 09:03 AM

I do agree that it has a bit of a box-y look but I can always swap the front bumper for another because I won't epoxy it on to the rebar so I can pull it off by removing a few screws and clips. Plus you can't always get what you want when ordering kits off the Internet. I'm going to try to reuse my stock bumper mounts that are on the sides that clip onto the car and get everything lined up and epoxy them into place. I read about people mounting their bumpers with a couple screws at each end but that won't work with this bumper for a couple reasons; I'm afraid the fiberglass will crack if I mount it using screws at the ends and there is no lip that would allow me to put a screw in the bumper straight up into the fender (if you can picture that). I'm going to try the same for the rear bumper.

Any tips/suggestions for fog lights? I was looking at some aftermarket projector fogs that might not look/function all that bad. I will have the mesh cut out around the fogs to make them flush and hidden when off.

**Seerlah** · 06-08-2012 09:15 AM

Those are my favorite side skirts for this vehicle. They were originally designed by Avant Garde in polyurethane. Then a company made a replica, and people scooped them up years ago for cheap (still poly). Now, they are damn near impossible to find in poly, and duraflex may be your best option. I cringe on the thought of having non-poly panels on my vehicle, but I want those skirts.

**EuroSwag** · 06-08-2012 10:53 AM

I want those as well, how would you go about mounting those with lower door moldings though? Have to remove and find an alternative?

**DRock3d** · 06-08-2012 11:12 AM

The gaps make the whole kit look like garbage, maybe if it fit right people wouldn't give you so much shit over it. The only way to pull this off is to have it professionally molded.

**Birdman12** · 06-08-2012 12:32 PM

I'm with you on that one Sherlee, poly is key.

EuroSwag: It's only rubbing the door in that one place with the door and its minimal but it will scratch the new paint. Other then that it is a perfect fit, with mild fitting and trimming of course, and I do not see the need to remove the lower mouldings. I don't even think I will even use velcro because they sit so nice and it would just raise the skirt that much close to the door when clearance is an issue.

DRock3d: It was the first test fit and its far from the final product. I hate gaps in body panels as much as anyone man, I'm obviously not done yet.

**Grip99** · 06-08-2012 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by murdered APR a4

When you post shit so ignorantly then no I won't take criticism lightly. And that is your own opinion, so your telling me that any murdered out vehicle looks like shit or just a B5 A4?? I have not seen many cars that are "spray painted" to get the murdered out look unless it's a honda.

Dude, you own an Integra...Same crap as a Honduuuuh....Seems like you got the ricer in your veins

Birdman12, I love those side skirts...How do they clip on? Is your car Volcano Black?

**Birdman12** · 06-08-2012 05:51 PM

I just have them slid on into place for the pics but they almost don't even need screws. The screws will go on both ends, one up front and one on the back. As for keeping the middle fastened down, I haven't decided yet but prob some small Velcro strips perhaps.

**Birdman12** · 06-08-2012 05:54 PM

And yes, it's supposed to be volcano mica black but every time I wash the car it seems to rain like 2 days later so unless the forecast is clear I don't even bother. Plus the roads are very rough and there's lots gravel and sand around where I har to drive through to get to my house.

**Seerlah** · 06-08-2012 06:06 PM

Don't use velcro. Use 3m double sided sticky tape.

**murdered APR a4** · 06-08-2012 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Grip99

Dude, you own an Integra...Same crap as a Honduuuuh....Seems like you got the ricer in your veins

Birdman12, I love those side skirts...How do they clip on? Is your car Volcano Black?

Oh man that was like a year and a half ago when I sold it do I really need to update my garage??? Lol pathetic I bet you 90% of the ricer honda's around here will eat your audi any day. Those skirts look good but I already have S4 skirts. I like what Birdman is doing with his car though and actually taking the risk. Two thumbs up for that!

**Grip99** · 06-09-2012 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by murdered APR a4

Oh man that was like a year and a half ago when I sold it do I really need to update my garage??? Lol pathetic I bet you 90% of the ricer honda's around here will eat your audi any day. Those skirts look good but I already have S4 skirts. I like what Birdman is doing with his car though and actually taking the risk. Two thumbs up for that!

When ever i decide to waste my money to go to good ol' Darien, Wisconsin ill let you know. You seem to have the ricer connection...

**murdered APR a4** · 06-10-2012 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by Grip99

When ever i decide to waste my money to go to good ol' Darien, Wisconsin ill let you know. You seem to have the ricer connection...

okay hood rat I will be waiting.

**Grip99** · 06-10-2012 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by murdered APR a4

okay hood rat I will be waiting.

haha ok you go ahead and wait....

**Birdman12** · 06-13-2012 02:48 PM

Anyways, back on topic. I went out and got a new dremel with a bunch of different attatchments to shave and grind a few more spots on the skirts. I will also try it out on the re-bar to shave some tabs off.

I was looking through some boxes in the basement and stumbled upon my pair of OEM foglights that I removed from the car because my front bumper grills got trashed by a big ass branch that fell on the road right in front of me in an ice storm. So I'm going to retro-fit the OEM fogs in! After roughly mocking up positions of the OEM fogs on the ag-s bumper I went outside and looked at the support brackets on the OEM bumper and I'm pretty sure I can make some support brackets and just epoxy them onto the bumper to avoid drilling holes. It's surprisingly very sturdy and the fogs are in spots where torquing or twisting of the bumper will have no effect on the setup.

This is what I'm thinking but I'm waiting on the mesh to get in to start working on getting everything mounted. These are with the stock fog surrounds which I will be trimming to the shape lens to give it a clean finish, I think it should look good with the mesh:

The fogs are a great size for the spot and they angle/flow with the bumper very nicely. The brackets will give the fibreglass even more rigidity and there is plenty of space to work with so I can make large brackets. I just need to re-seal the foglight housings and get some bulbs then I'ill restore the lenses because they have lots of road debris damage.

Sidenote: I was in Toronto this past weekend and picked up some S4 doors and an S4 front brake set-up with spindle, calipers, carriers, pads and rotors. I have lots of work ahead of me!

Yay! Parts, parts, parts!

The doors are clean and in very good shape. I'll be shaving the trim and patching all the holes to tidy things up. The guy already sold the lowers so it works out for my case. The brakes are in great shape too and the rotos have even wear and same goes for the pads. I'll clean them up and paint them....and of course find some nice S4 decals for the calipers :)