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I am currently looking at getting some nopro wide arches. I have just noticed that they are for the nb8b (i have an nb8a). I was wondering if the only body difference between the nb8b and nb8a as far as the arches would be concerned is the front bar? are the quater panels different? also how hard would it be to put an nb8b front bar on my car, direct fit or not?

if you want an NB8B front bar then you will have to change your headlights as well to make it look neat but then again there is someone on these forums that did the change without headlights and it didn't look too bad on the pics i saw, i still think the bonnet lenght is different
not sure about quater panels but the rear lights seem to mount ok, (someone on the forums has done this as well)

got any pics of the wide arches??

i am sure that the body shop will be able to make it fit nice.

This,believe it or not, is an NA I guess the panels are interchangeable.

JBT wrote:This,believe it or not, is an NA I guess the panels are interchangeable.

Not interchangable, that has had quite a bit of work done including sewing on a few nb front panels and the guards had to be chopped and joined behind the headlight cut out.

As far as I am aware the nba and nbb should have the same guards as each other though, but different lights and bar.

I stand corrected.

they look ok but I wouldn't say good until they were smoothed into the panels and the front and rear reflectors were filled in

I really like it just bolted on - looks a bit more race. plus blending them into the body will no dought crack not long after and i hate that. makes it look cheap.

Yup the old SLR torrie spec.

AFAIK the body panels are all the same, the plastic bumper is different.

From the point it connects to the metal 1/4 panel then goes downward it sticks out a couple of cm more than the NB8A front bumper.

As such I don't know how that flare will line up to the NB8A inner guard bolt holes. but since it's the bolt on look, if you have to make a couple of different holes it shouldn't effect the look.

Other issue is if the side profile of the bumper also changes, but then you could just whack in a few more hex head screws and pull the flare inward.

If you want that smooth look AWR now make a widebody kit too. http://www.awrracing.com/pages/miata/widebody/

To fit the NB8B front bar can be done to an NB8A but the NB8A headlights are slightly deeper (rounder) at the bottom and there's a gap of 5mm or so on the insides of the lights (something I can live with).

The NB8B bumper attaches using a different system to the NB8A bar so you need to work around that.

Also the inner wheel guards are also different, but you can connect your old NB8A ones with some zip ties, which should be ok since you like that \"racer\" look.

Okibi, what is that silver round thing around the fog lights hole?
Looks good.

Just a bit of trim to let the air in, I still need to find a suitable grill for them.

Thats looks nice Okibi, where did you get that from?

I went hunting around lighting shops and grabbed a pair of bezels from some down lights.

Hahah, what a great idea...looks OEM to me