I need some advice/ideas. I've had a Stillen body kit sitting around for a few months and would like to install it soon. I'd rather not use double-sided tape because if I ever need to remove the kit it is a pain to get all the adhesive off. Besides, I'd rather have real metal fasteners holding my kit on.

So I'm planning on drilling holes and using either sheet metal screws or maybe rivets for the side skirts and rear pieces. Only problem is, when I drill the holes in the car body, it's creating places for corrosion to start. Is there a good product I can use to seal up the metal around the holes before (or after) I screw on the body kit? Or would something like silicone sealant around the screw thread work? Or maybe anti-seize on the screw would be enough to stop rust in the sheet metal (doubtful)?

Regarding the fasteners, would sheet metal screws be fine or should I go to Harbor Freight and buy a cheap hand riveter? I'd like the fasteners to be stainless or aluminum but I'm not sure sheet metal screws come in SS or Al.

 

Drilling holes exposes bare metal. Use some quality rust preventative paint (like por-15) on the bare surface and then use a silicon to seal the hole and then the screw or rivet thru the silicon before the silicon sets. That should be enough to prevent rust. Either one alone (silicon or paint) probably wouldn't be enough with how salt happy Madison is. You can get sheet metal screws in stainless (check with Fastenal) or you can use rivets. It is really preference. Rivets are aluminum or copper. I have not seen stainless rivets. If you go the rivet route I have a rivet tool you can borrow.

 

You should use a combo of only a few screws in key places and double sided tape to hold the kit in place. The residue from the tape is very easy to remove with a power eraser tool and a drill.

 

IMO, screws should only be in the wheel well areas for the front lip and side skirts, double sided tape for everywhere else. The rear is a little bit different whereas a few more screws are needed; but that's ok because most of it is in plastic and if the rear skirts are ever removed, no holes can be seen w/o getting under the car.

Goo Gone and a little elbow grease will remove pretty much any adhesive residue.

 

Yes what they said, use the double sided tape and only use screws in the wheel wells.

Good luck! Show us pics of the outcome or step by step

 

OK guys, thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. I will pick up some 3M double-sided tape.

How does this look? 1" wide, weather-resistant. Do they sell this stuff at Home Depot?

 

Cool. We just don't want your car to wind up looking like this (and believe it or not, a shop did this while installing a lip kit on a 350z)

 

Ouch that looks like crap. A shop did that?

VQuick, check out Body Shop Supply. Valvoline makes a tape for body side moldings that is better than 3M. I think BSS sells it.

 

Yup, story and a ton more pics can be seen here....

http://www.nissanclub.com/forums/off...ls-inside.html

Thanks for sharing, that's good to know. I need some too.

 

LOL That is terrible, sorry if thats someone on here. I think you'll be fine with double sided tape. Maybe i'll take some pics tomorrow of mine. Anyhow what are you doing with your old skirts and what color is your max?