PaceThis

Hi guys,
I received this aerobody, but it doesn't have the Lingenfelter Logo in the rear bumper. I wanted it a specific way and they won't fix it for me. Nor will they give me a refund. Right now, I'm really pretty upset about them, and it's ruining my view of them as one of the top tuners in the country. It's a shame too, as I had been planning on some engine work that was going to cost over $30k.

Anyway, I won't get into it here. I've got the aerobody, paid over $3900 for it. Anybody want it for a $100 savings? Plus you wouldn't have to wait 2 months to have it made, mine is in stock. It's in new condition. Like I said, the only difference from the early kits is the Lingenfelter logo is no longer molded in the rear bumper. Tim did say he could arrange for COA and some decals though...

PaceThis

It's all still packed in the original packing...currently in Greenville, SC, will deliver from Charlotte to Atlanta for free...


[Modified by PaceThis, 7:50 PM 11/5/2003]

PaceThis

It's the complete kit, minus the high rise hood...

Jeffvette

Jerry, how much did it cost you to fit and finish yours?

PaceThis

These can cost a pretty penny to do fit and finish, so be prepared. However, if you can do body work, or know someone who can cheaply, it will save a lot. I've worked with salvage rebuildables for years, so the body guy I was going to use was going to charge $10/hour as a favor for me...probably 100 hours...

Rkreigh

from what I remember talking to Jerry at BG it was around 15K (including a super nice paint job) and the kit required some pretty serious fitting work to really make it work right.

but the end results are AWESOME!!! one of the nicest looking zr1s in the country. congrats on the article jerry. very nice.


[Modified by Rkreigh, 8:06 PM 11/5/2003]

DDSLT5

Yep - that sounds about right - Jerry's is very nice, but like Ron said - alot of serious fitting and finishing. When done right, this aerobody can be quite fetching, as Jerry's is quite beautiful indeed.

Josh - any way to have the rear end sent back to the manufacturer for exchange with one that says LINGENFELTER? Since this was John's creation, it would be nice to have the creator's name in the proper place. I think I already know the answer, otherwise you wouldn't be selling, right? Did you try to contact the original manufacturer? :seeya

A26B

Jeff,
As nearly as I can recall until I check my records tomorrow, costs should be approximately as follows;

Body Kit (no hood) $3,500
Toledo Pro FG hood $1,150
All new weatherstripping $ 850
Body & Paint $8,500
Lights (turn/park & brake) $ 150
Vent grills/screens $ 150
Centermount exhaust $ 500 (depends on what you want to do)
All new emblems $ 100

This kit is NOT a bolt-on & paint project. Unless the quality has changed, and I doubt it has, it requires a great deal of custom fitting and modification to achieve decent alignment & gaps. The nose had a LOT of air bubbles under the gel coat that you can't see. We pecked around all over on it with a knife & ice pick and found literally dozens ranging in size from large to very small. When we painted, we thought they were all found & repaired. Now I have one that shows as a quarter size bubble in the right light. One of these days, I'll have to repair & repaint the nose.

What is 3 pieces on a stock body is one piece on the Aerobody, the gill/rocker/rear body lwr panel. The lower half of the door is modified first. In order to get the Aerobody gill/rocker to line up, the entire piece had to be slit lengthwise, aligned & then "glued" back together with an added strip. It needed about 3/4" more than how it came.

Sorry Josh, this is NOT a 100 hr job, if it's done right. It's very exasperating. The body has to be virtually completelyt dismantled, hood, front & rear bumpers, hatch glass, doors, rockers, top, gills, side mouldings all weatherstripping & emblems. Stock turn/fog lamps do not fit & cannot be cut down to fit. I finally found by trial & error that Jeep Cherokee parking lamps could be made to work, hand fabricating complete mounts, but it requires cutting clearance into the front bumper impact bar & eliminating the fog lamps all together.

Side vents (8), both front & rear have to be cut out & it's necessary to make from scratch whatever you want to put behind the openings. I made aluminum, billet grills, painted to match the body. Rear side marker/backup lights were not reinstalled due to weight & difficulty mounting behind grills.


Not trying to discourage anyone, but just want to make clear the scope of the project. Look close at the red LPE Aerobody on LPE's web site. It has less than ideal alignment of parts.

Hope this is informative & helpful for anyone doing the LPE Aerobody. I love ours but didn't realize it would appeal to so many others until I won the C4 show at Eureka Springs last October. Makes it all worthwhile.

Ron, thanks for the nice words on the Vette magazine feature!!

Jerry

Bans25

From the LPE web site

"Prices shown do not include installation, paint or exhaust system. Rear bumper features molded in "LINGENFELTER" logo. Kit requires standard prep work before installation and painting. Prices do not include packing or shipping fees. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. "

:rolleyes:

PaceThis

Yeah, kind of makes you wonder eh? I'm still working on maybe getting them to take this back for a refund unless they can provide me with what I purchased (ie w/ engraving). If I'm going to spend the kind of time involved, that was important to me.

Jerry,
Thanks for the input on your car. It's your car that made me decide to undertake the project. How many hours (professional labor) would you estimate for fit/finish/prep/paint? The body guy I was going to use put an entire 308 Ferrari kit on a Northstar Powered Fiero I owned a few years ago in less than 100 hours. The gaps were impossible, had to be completely refiberglassed on that kit to make them work. It took about 10 hours to disassemble to car, about 30 to reassemble (including fiberglass bonding on the hood) and another week and a half to redo gaps. I understand the nature of the project, but was curious as to how many hours yours took...

A26B

Josh, I would say 175 ~ 200 hrs. Sounds like you have a phenominal body man and will work for you at a really low rate :eek: What a deal!

PaceThis

Yes, actually I have 2 body guys that work for me. One is just much better at paint :)

I've helped to keep them in a job for several years. When I do a repair project I always pay them nicely. When it comes time to have a personal project done, they usually help me out with cheap labor. Plus, I always let them take my creations for a drive! :D

The guy that was going to do it is the same guy that did my Grand Sport replica a few years ago...he had to disassemble half the car to do a color change (it was originally white) the right way. When it was done, it looked better than most true grand sports...(it was a 96 and had the LT4 already).

PaceThis

Also,
The paint job was going to be about $3k on top of the body work...it'd be show quality. He can do a factory-like paint job for about $1500

Bans25

Come on! I worked in a body/repair shop for years (as a mechanic) I know how it works... all the beer you buy the guys adds up! $$ so you have to add that in to your $10 an hour figure! :D

:cheers:

racer959

I am also looking to put on one of these LPE aerobody kits, do you have to paint the entire car, or can you just paint the aerobody kit to match the rest of the car :rolleyes:

Bans25

I think with all the work the kit needs, the $ to buy the kit and install it, you would be crazy (at least in my eyes) not to paint the whole car...
At least I would!

PaceThis

Yes, there would be a fair amount of beer budget involved too :D

You replace so much of the car that not doing a complete repaint would be foolish...at least to me. I suppose if your car was recently repainted, you could do it, but I still would do a complete repaint...

A26B

There's virtually nothing left except the top half of the doors & the rear hatch surround (quarter panels??) Remove all the weatherstrip, do all the jambs, everything. Remember... the lower half of the door is made of 2 pieces and that assembly glues to your stock door. It does not bolt on. This is not like an Ecklers/Greenwood kit. Paint the whole car!!



[Modified by A26B, 11:42 AM 11/6/2003]

racer959

I don't think I would paint the whole car :)

PaceThis

Like A26B said, there's not much left to not paint...but to each his own. LPE has said they are going to fix my issue and have the rear bumper redone. I'm a man of my word, so if anyone wants this, I'd sell it as proposed. Otherwise, I'll keep my eye out for the right donor car and get started building it!