64

The ZERO Widebody Kit

Posted on by Nick Letsom

Back in late 2014, we started playing with some concepts and ideas to develop a widebody kit for the Z32. There have been a few kits on the market before, but none of them seemed to nail it. Rocket Bunny and similar kits have done some really great things with platforms like the FR-S, but the Z32 is a tough shell to crack. From the factory, it isn’t desperately pretty. It’s not a car that really drop jaws, but it does look good from every angle. Every line is exactly where it should be. Like something designed by Apple or Dieter Rams, it’s perfect, in a way, and that’s what makes it difficult to modify.

So we started simple, and sort of like a lot kits before it, it didn’t look quite right. I quickly learned a few rules, the most important of which is to follow the natural lines of the car. This meant it’s best to minimize the amount of abrupt, new lines introduced. For this reason, oversized fender flares started to become complete body panels.

The rear quarter panel still became a difficult area, mostly because the area is so large and clean from the factory. So that panel started to get bigger, too.

Around this concept, we had pretty much settled on how we wanted it to look, for the most part.

At this point, you can see that most shapes match up, in some way, with another shape on the car. The front and rear fenders both stop at the “accent stripe” groove. They go up to the single line that starts at the A-pillar and ends at the tail light. The front fenders swoop upwards slightly, and the outer arc of the front fender lands right at the corner where the front bumper mounts up.

PixelWB2_JDM

Towards the end of the year, we ended up picking up a car to start mocking the kit up on. It was just a bone stock NA AT 2-seater. Nothing special, and in really ratty condition, but the chassis was 100% straight and that’s all that mattered. We did some basic work to the car (injectors, new connectors, fluid changes, leak fixes, etc) so the car could move under its own power, and we shipped it off to California where the kit was to be manufactured, and left him with my concept drawings to get started. For the next few months we went out to Cali, to give input on the kit. We exchanged photos, drew on the car, drilled into it, all kinds of stuff. There was lots of going back-and-forth to change lines, curves, angles, everything.

Incomplete/Pre-production working sample

Incomplete/Pre-production working sample

Incomplete/Pre-production working sample

Incomplete/Pre-production working sample

 

This went on for several months, it was quite a slow process (especially when you don’t have any free time!), and we had a few setbacks, so things stalled for a bit. We continued to play with mockups and concepts to make sure we were happy with the design.

But, after a lot of work, we finally received our first production version.

So far, only the pre-production versions have been installed on a car. The production version you see above has been mocked up, and will be slapped onto a car here soon. Once we know with certainty we’re happy with the fitment, we’ll begin taking pre-orders.

Part of the reason we’ve been so obsessive with the fitment on this kit is because this is also the first product to launch under our new brand, ZERO. Hence the watermark above. The ZERO name is reserved only for the parts we’re really proud of; this isn’t just the “store brand version” we’re slapping our name on. We have some new products we’ll be launching soon under the ZERO name, soon, but that’s another blog post for another time…

Nick Letsom

More Posts

64 Comments

    • No promises yet, but if the 2-seater kit sells well, we’ll do a 2+2 version too.

      • A 2+2 would be awesome for my drift build coming up. I really like what you guys did for the 2-seater kit. Looks great 🙂

        • We really weren’t anticipating this much demand for the 2+2 kit to be honest. If the 2-seater version sells well, that’s definitely in the future!

      • I will buy the body kit for my 2+2 soon is come out

  2. Looking at it can see it being really popular. Waiting (and hoping) patiently for a 2+2 version!

  3. MAKE SURE TO INCORPORATE A SIDE BLINKER ON FRONT (BEHIND FRONT WHEEL) AT SAME HEIGHT AS REAR SIGNAL. NICE!

  5. Any ideas on pricing so far? Will it be available in “just rear kits”? and hopefully 2+2 soon!

    • Under $2k, and we’ll probably do a discounted price for pre-orders

  9. I would buy one for the 2+2 right now, as well as a 2+0 kit for a future build.

  10. I would think some venting behind the front wheels would work since I am planning to direct air flow to the brakes. Any thoughts to the change in side skirts to assist the rear fenders?

  11. I’ve been looking and looking for something like this that I like. Can’t wait for pre order.

  12. Start doing a production for a 2+2 I’ll buy it immediately always wanted wife body rocket bunny kind of looking kit

  13. What kind of rims would be needed on this widebody kit to look stanced? Just wondering as I’m quite new into this whole Z community, bought myself a project 2+2, I hope you guys create a 2+2 version of this kit! I would defiantly buy

    • Something along the lines of 18×12 +0 Rear and 18×10 -15 in the front. But we won’t know for sure until people start messing around with different wheel setups 🙂

  15. Interested in the rear kit for the 2+2. For the fronts, would have preferred a whole pair of wider fenders instead of the add-on’s.

  17. Great job with the renderings, similar to the FuguZ wide body (240Z) they built on SEMA. Very well executed, if the actual production can nail it, i would love to buy one for my 2+2.

  18. Looks great, I will definitely buy this kit from you guy’s to put on my Z32 2+0 twin turbo, again great job and I will keep checking the website too see about ordering!

  19. I’m definitely in need of some widebody lovin if done right for the TTz 2+2 in the car park mate!~

  20. per quel poco che ho visto mi sembra fantastico acquisterei subito il kit per una nissan 2+2 se fosse disponibile gradirei prezzo + costo spedizione per l’Italia fatemi sapere grazie

    • Salve mi interessa sapere se avete già costruito il kit per nissan 300zx 2+2 sono deciso ad acquistare fatemi sapere il costo compresa spedizione per l’Italia inoltre vorrei montare delle minigonne potete consigliarmi quali sarebbero più idonei con il kit zero widebody

  21. The new-ish Twin Z Type 3 spoiler and JDM side skirts are the missing piece s

    • Very, very soon. We’ve finished test fitting it and we’re just waiting on paint before taking orders for the first batch!

    • We haven’t announced pricing and availability JUST yet, but very soon!

  26. What is happeing with this kit is it already dead?

  27. looks amazing! please contact me as soon as they are for sale.

    • Thanks! We’ll be blasting them all over the place when they’re available 🙂

  28. Pingback: ZERO Widebody Kit Installation!! – Concept Z Performance Blog

  34. progress on 2+2 rears? seen the kit in person and it is amazing quality! great work!

  35. Please tell me you guys are working on something for the 350?

  36. Hey got an idea on the 2+2 yet i got one recently and would love the kit

  39. Please come out with a 2+2 middle soon. I want it before I repaint my car.

  41. I’ll buy this for my 2+2. Let me know when it’s ready.
    I’m very interested

  42. Looks pretty good guys… I’ve a 2+2 from jap land here in Ireland and is buy a kit if available… Keep up the good work us z32 guys need and appreciate all you do to keep us on the 2 lane black top…😉

Comments are closed.