Installed new side skirts

[jw38]

I posted this on MaseratiLife:

Ever since I purchased our 2013 GT convertible, I've thought about removing the original plain side skirts and installing the more aggressive looking sport side skirts. I decided to make the change in January, so I ordered the new side skirts and Maserati kick plates from Scuderia Car Parts USA. They were absolutely phenomenal to work with and the parts were less than half the cost of what the local dealership wanted to charge me. It took about 6 weeks for the parts to arrive from Italy, and after I received them, I took them to a local shop that does paint work and hydro-dipping.

I had the new side skirts painted to match the car and then I had the "coves" of the side skirts hydro-dipped in black carbon fiber. After they were painted and hydro-dipped, they were finished off with several coats of clear.

After waiting 30 days to allow the paint to cure, I had the side skirts fully wrapped in X-Pel paint protection film. After having them wrapped, it was on to the installation.

I was somewhat concerned that it would be difficult to remove the old side skirts and then install the new ones, but the entire process took less than two hours. In order to remove the old side skirts:

1. Remove the Maserati kick plates by using a heat gun to soften the double-sided tape securing the kick plate to the door sill (they're really thin and cannot be reused after removal). This will expose 4 torx bit screws
2. Remove the 4 torx bit screws that secure the top of the side skirt to the door sill
3. Underneath the side skirt, remove the 6 torx bit screws that secure the bottom of the kick plate to the car
4. Open the door and remove the 8mm screw that can be seen below the door hinge. This was an absolute PITA because the screw is so difficult to get to, and it took about 20 minutes to remove the screw on each side of the car
5. Remove one torx bit screw that holds the wheel liner in place, and move the liner out of the way
6. Remove two 8mm screws that are located in the recess that can be seen after the liner is moved out of the way. These screws were simple to remove.
7. Pull the side skirt away from the car and the clips that secure the back side of the side skirt to the car (near the rear wheel). It pops right off.
8. Installation is the reverse of removal and other than the one PITA screw on each side, the install was very easy to do. If the one PITA screw wasn't there, the install would have taken about 10 minutes.

So, without further ado...this is a before photo with the original side skirts that was taken yesterday afternoon. The weather was much better than it is this morning:
These are after the install photos, with a close-up of the hydro-dipped carbon fiber:



I also swapped the original wheels for Vossen VF Series wheels. The fronts are 9" x 20" and the rears are 11" x 20" with an offset that negates the need for wheel spacers.

Let me know what you think...good, bad, or ugly??

 

[Navcorr]

Skirts or no skirts you have a beautiful GC. Wonderful colour combination and so much more interesting than black.

 

[Oneball]

Lovely colour combo, skirts look good, don’t like the wheels. The contrast of the silver Neptunes and the chrome trim with the paint colour was spot on. Plus I think Neptunes are the best wheel as they hide the gap between rim and brake disc, but then what do I know I’ve just changed my Maser for a BMW

 

[GeoffCapes]

Skirts I like, the wheels I'm not a fan. They look very BMW-ish.

And still look like it needs spacers.

 

[Mattp]

The skirts food good, although I wouldn't have noticed without being told... but I think that's a good thing.

Bordeaux with tan leather, is just phenomenal!

 

[zagatoes30]

Different take but still looks stunning

 

[Felonious Crud]

That’s gorgeous, lovely work with the skirts and worth the effort. The interior and paint colour as well is sublime.

 

[Andyk]

Think it looks stunning. Great colour for a Grancab as well. Now you have carbon sills and the dark wheel so if it was me I would dechrome the car. At least the bit around the the doors ....

 

[Lavazza]

Just thinking, if you didn't have chrome door handles, then it might look a bit out of balance with the chrome vents on the wings.
Personally, I like the chrome, I feel it lifts the appearance. However, I also like carbon if done tastefully - I'd love a Strad' in black with the full carbon treatment.

 

[jw38]

Thanks everyone for your comments. With regard to the wheels, I didn't like that they "hid" the calipers and the brake discs, and while the open look might not appeal to some, my wife and I really like it. I thought about de-chroming the door handles, vents, etc., but after pondering that option for a while, I decided against it. I bought the car for my wife (at least I keep telling her I did!), and she really likes how the chrome looks against the bordeaux color, so I've decided to leave them as is.

 

[Lavazza]

Very wise, looks great to me, beautiful combination.

 

[ChrisQP09]

You need a carbon lip spoiler and that car will be complete

 

[ofenomeno99]

Thanks everyone for your comments. With regard to the wheels, I didn't like that they "hid" the calipers and the brake discs, and while the open look might not appeal to some, my wife and I really like it. I thought about de-chroming the door handles, vents, etc., but after pondering that option for a while, I decided against it. I bought the car for my wife (at least I keep telling her I did!), and she really likes how the chrome looks against the bordeaux color, so I've decided to leave them as is.

Beautiful car- I think you should re-consider de-chroming and adding a carbon lip spoiler, door handles and mirror caps. Had it done to my Bordeaux GT and I thought it looked stunning.

 

[jw38]

Now you've gone and done it! Please tell me where you got the carbon lip spoiler from, and I'm pretty convinced that doing the door handles, vents and mirror caps might be the way to go. **** you!!! I had the same wheels on the car, but decided to go with the Vossens. Stunning car!!!

 

[Scaf]

I have carbon splitters, door handles and spoiler and really fancy the side skirts being done , also rear defuser.
I did look at wrapping the side skirts but they have slight texture so that was a no go.
I thought some of the side skirts needed to be in body colour ?

 

[jw38]

ofenomeno99: Do you haver any pictures of your car from the rear? I'd like to see what the spoiler looks like.

Scaf: I bought original equipment Maserati side skirts and they don't have any texture to them. I didn't have them wrapped. Rather, I had them painted in the body color, then the coved area hydro-dipped in carbon fiber, and then had several coats of clear coat applied.

 

[ofenomeno99]

Now you've gone and done it! Please tell me where you got the carbon lip spoiler from, and I'm pretty convinced that doing the door handles, vents and mirror caps might be the way to go. **** you!!! I had the same wheels on the car, but decided to go with the Vossens. Stunning car!!!

haha! Sorry got to help a brother out by pointing him in the right direction I'll see what pictures I have and upload them.

I got the spoiler off of e-bay. It was taken off a salvage vehicle so was the genuine MC Sportline one- if memory serves me right I think it was for around £500.

 

[ofenomeno99]

 

[ofenomeno99]

 

[Scaf]

I bought original equipment Maserati side skirts and they don't have any texture to them.

That’s interesting as mine are standard factory fit black and have very slight texture so the guy couldn’t wrap them, might get second opinion.