Vanilla body sets that should be revised/replaced (with more and/or better body styles and morphing zones)?

Although many of the available body sets are quite pleasant to work with, some of them (many of which are vanilla content) have not been updated or revised in years. The next major update could be an opportunity to remake them, preferably with more morphing zones (with greater morphing ranges, to boot) and more size choices (in terms of both wheelbase and overall length). Normally, I’d list the issues here, but I’m discussing so many body sets at once that I had to create a whole new thread for this… So here are what I think are some of the best candidates for a revamp in this manner. I will update this list as more issues are discovered.

'55 Snake

Not the most visually appealing basis for its time, but it gets the job done. Could do with a few more morphing zones, though, especially in the front. Also, the lower A-pillar morph should allow for a greater adjustment range.

'58 Americana

Even fewer body morphing zones than the Snake, and both the front- and mid-engined variants only come in one wheelbase (~2.6m). In particular, additional morphs for adjusting the overall front and rear lengths, as well as the base of the A-pillar, and the height of the roof, would be most welcome. I’d also like a true notchback body style, similar to the hardtop convertible, but with “None” as the only convertible type option available, to reflect its fixed roof. That said, these body sets were quite frequently used in the early UE4 builds, but I’d suggest a revamp of this one anyway.

'65 Pantera

This used to be the go-to choice for building mid-engined cars from the '60s and '70s, but after seeing the introduction of other mid-engined bodies from the '60s and '70s, it badly needs front and rear length morphing zones, and more importantly, a longer engine bay for accommodating larger engines. While I’m at it, I’d suggest two more sizes (one with a 2.32m wheelbase, another with a 2.62m wheelbase) and a soft-top convertible option, regardless of wheelbase. And the built-in rear bumper on all variants now seems redundant given that there are now many more bumper bar fixtures to choose from - you might as well use those instead.

'66 Muntu

Only one wheelbase ('2.42m) is available, and its engine bay (in front-engined configuration is unusually small, being too narrow for many 90-degree V8s and too short for bigger straight-sixes and V12s. I’d suggest lengthening and widening the engine bay, as well as offering this body set in a few other sizes (2.32m, 2.52m, 2.62m, and 2.72m wheelbases are the most likely options).

'68 Escort-like sedan/coupe

Why are these body sets still around, with few changes since the Kee engine days? Their overall shape needs to be cleaned up, and other body styles (wagon/estate, convertible, hatchback) deserve to be added to both. Oh, and there’s a gap in the range for a ~2.6m wheelbase variant as well.

Screenshot 2024-04-18 152403

'75 StarQuest

Its morphing zones are a bit janky, to say the least. In particular, I wish I could adjust the rear length morphing zone without pulling the base of the C-pillar along with it, while the top and bottom of the B-pillar deserve to be independently adjustable (a separate morphing zone for each). Also, there are no lower bumper morphs (adjusting these would provide us with the potential impart a cleaner look overall), and no overall front-end length morph either. It also wouldn’t hurt to add hard- and soft-top convertible variants as well. Finally, there may be a gap in the range for a 2.5m wheelbase variant, positioned between the ones we already have in terms of length. (I’ve noticed that the '75 People Mover shares many of its faults with the StarQuest-like body sets, but the absence of sizes beyond the default 2.54m wheelbase one makes it even worse.)

Screenshot 2024-04-18 153335

'77 Sigma

As with the '75 StarQuest above, It would be nice if we could tuck the front and rear bumpers further in for a fully flush look, along with adding a beltline adjustment (something the '69 Mobula already has) to remove the dip in the window line. Additional morphing zones for front-end length and roof height wouldn’t hurt, either, but I’m also expecting the A- and B-pillar morphing ranges to be extended further, to allow them to be pushed farther aft (essential for an RWD car with a corresponding dash-to-axle ratio). 2-door ute, liftback and convertible variants should also be added, along with additional wheelbases (2.45m and 2.75m at the least) to flesh out this body set further. (The '77 2.67m sedan body set also suffers from many of the same problems as this one, not helped by an even shorter engine bay).

'79 US Coupe

Although it has wheel arch morphing zones, it still lacks front and rear fender morphing zones (which are useful for replicating an aftermarket wide body kit), and badly needs upper and lower B-pillar adjustment zones (pushing the latter further forward helps with the aesthetics if the A-pillar is also pushed forward, towards the rear of the front wheel arch.) A HoodSlant morphing zone (for adjusting both the height and slope of the front end) would also be a useful addition. Last but not least, this body set should also come in a larger size (~2.6m) for those who want it.

'80 Voyager-like Minivan

In addition to being available in two more sizes (three in total instead of just one - a smaller one with a 2.4m wheelbase and a larger one with a 2.8m wheelbase, complementing the 2.6m wheelbase variant we already have), a 3-door variant might make sense, along with a high-roofed one, to provide an alternative to the '85 generic van body set. On that note, this body set is not the only vanilla (mini)van body set with issues - the '85 van could also come in a set of smaller sizes (2.7m and 2.9m wheelbases), to complement the existing 3.1m one, and the 88 Dustbuster-like minivan body only has one wheelbase length (2.8m), when I think it should have two others (2.6m and 3.0m would be most appropriate).

'84 Muni

A 2.88m wheelbase variant of this one wouldn’t hurt, but all sizes should have an additional morphing zone on their roofs (to adjust their height - my main gripe), along with a separate zone for the base of the C-pillar, with the top of the C-pillar also gaining the ability to have its vertical position adjusted (the latter currently only has fore-and-aft, but not up-and-down, adjustments). The larger variants of the 3-door fastback should also be able to accommodate at least 2 full-sized (not +2) seats.

'84 Angular Sedan

The overall A-pillar morphing range should be extended further aft (for a more favorable dash-to-axle ratio when using a RWD drivetrain), and all sizes should be available as convertibles (with a hard or soft top) and utes. On the subject of size, for those who find the '84 Commoner too rounded and futuristic for the era, I’d suggest adding even more wheelbases - 2.73m, 2.91m, 3.00m, 2.55m, and 2.46m could be considered.

'85 Alfa 916-esque coupe

This body set may seem redundant with the recent overhaul of the '85 Juliet body set, which was overhauled and made available in multiple sizes, but it, too, deserves similar treatment - more and better morphing zones overall, a greater number of size choices (as far as wheelbase is concerned), and the like.

'86 Colt-like compact

Looking for all the world like a poor man’s substitute for the '84 Commoner, its body appears to sit a bit too high off the ground. That aside, it deserves to come in a greater variety of sizes - 2.27m, 2.57m, 2.72m, and 2.87m are the most likely options.

'87 NSX-like MR coupe

The one and only body style currently available is a 2-door coupe with an inset rear window… which isn’t inset by default, when in fact it should be (and on top of that, this specific variant should not even have rear quarter windows). In addition, there should also be a few other variants (a hard-top and soft-top convertible, plus an alternate version of the fixed-roof coupe with a true wraparound rear window instead of C-pillars, just like the real life NA1/NA2 NSX did), and a few other sizes (2.29m, 2.49m, and 2.69m wheelbases). Moreover, there should be a side morphing zone (to adjust the depth of the indent where the real-life car’s air intakes are), while the bonnet morph for the 2.39m wheelbase variant inexplicably includes a section of the lower edge of the front bumper. Most notably of all, though, this body set is wider than it should be - in particular, the 2.59m wheelbase variant is nearly 2 meters wide - and needs a longer engine bay to accommodate large longitudinally mounted engines (even though the original NSX had a transversely mounted engine).

Screenshot 2024-04-18 174952

'88 Freon

This one also has a shorter engine bay than usual, and no body styles other than the 4-door sedan and 5-door wagon, when it should also have a 2-door coupe and convertible, as well as a 3- and 5-door hatchback. Moreover, it lacks a BootSlant morphing zone (which can be used to move the trailing edge of the trunk lid up and down as well as back and forth), but most glaringly of all, the only wheelbase available is 2.64m, when it should also come in larger variants (preferably with wheelbases of 2.79m and 2.94m) as well as smaller ones (2.49m and 2.34m).

Screenshot 2024-04-18 192934

'89 Z15A/Z16A 3000GT/GTO-esque JDM Coupe

As with the '87 NSX-like MR body set, this one has only one body style (a 2-door coupe) and only two wheelbases (in this case, 2.23m and 2.45m). Although it is the closest thing we have to a body set that resembles the FD RX-7, it’s wider than it should be, even with the front and rear fender morphs at their narrowest setting. Also, to ensure that it isn’t overshadowed by the newly reintroduced '87 Fatale (in all its forms), I’d suggest adding a few more body styles (2-door hard-top and soft-top convertibles), plus a pair of B-pillar morphing zones (one each for the upper and lower end of said B-pillar).

Screenshot 2024-04-18 193743

'90 W203-esque blobby sedan

Compared to the '97 W204-like body sets, this one almost feels redundant, with a generally untidy shape by comparison, and a few broken morphing zones (especially at the top of the rearmost pillar, which if moved too far forward and down, makes it look as if the roof has caved in). That said, there could still be a place for this body set if it’s significantly overhauled in the next update - its more rounded overall shape is more fitting for its unlock year of 1990. Also, this is one of many body sets that needs additional body styles (including a 2-door convertible) and more size choices (the base body has a 2.74m wheelbase, so additional wheelbase sizes could include 2.54, 2.64, 2.84, and 2.94m,).

'90 MR Coupe

Another favorite of mine since the early days of UE4, but it, too, is starting to show its age. For starters, it lacks a lower A-pillar morphing zone, and does not have an overall rear-end length morph either. Moreover, it should also have a hard-top convertible body style option (specifically, a targa top), and a longer engine bay, one that can house bigger engines. Last but not least, there should be more variety in sizes - in addition to the 2.42m wheelbase one we already have, there should be a smaller, 2.32m wheelbase variant, and two larger variants (with wheelbases of 2.52 and 2.62m wheelbases, respectively).

'94 Euro Hyper

Another body set whose engine bay is shorter than it should be (at least since the 4.2 build was released - it used to be much longer). Morphing zones are generally OK, but there are no hard-top or soft-top convertible variants yet. Also, there could be room for an intermediate-sized variant (most likely with a 2.5m wheelbase).

Screenshot 2024-04-19 133755

'95 Roadster

Yet another holdover from the Kee days that deserves an update. Some of the morphs can be quite janky; on the fastback variant, the C-pillar upper edge, if moved low enough, can make it look as if the roof has collapsed. Also, the general shape need to be tidied up a notch, and additional sizes offered - 2.48m and 2.63m wheelbases could be considered. A smaller 2.18m wheelbase variant may not be out of the question, either.

'04 Pony coupe

Another modern muscle/pony car body set that deserves a revamp. Although perfectly serviceable at first glance, the only convertible variant currently on offer has a soft top - there should also be a hardtop convertible variant as well. There is also only one wheelbase option (2.84m); I think there should be two more (2.54m and 2.69m) in addition to it. Also, every variant in these three sizes should be capable of accommodating 2 full-sized seats; currently, the 3-door wagon is the only one with this feature (the 2-door coupe and soft-top convertible only have provision for smaller +2 rear seats each). Last but not least, its overall shape should be cleaned up, and a few new morphing zones added (particularly for the overall length of the front end, and also the positioning of the upper and lower ends of the B-pillar).

'06 EU Super Longnose

The only major issues I have with these body sets (across all sizes) is that none of them have any convertible variants (either hard-top or soft-top) or provision for even a +2 rear seat - both of these features deserve to be introduced in a later update. I could also suggest adding an additional morphing zone for the top of the trunk lid, but that’s a minor nitpick by comparison.

'07 Sedan, Van, FR Coupe, and MR Coupe

All of them come in only one size each, when they should instead be available in at least two or three different sizes each. The '07 FR Coupe should also have a hard-top convertible option, to complement the existing soft-top version, and lacks A- B- and C-pillar as well as front- and rear-end morphing zones. Even worse, the '07 MR coupe it has no morphs for front- and rear-end slope, or front-end length and pillar adjustments, for that matter. Lastly, the '07 Sedan used to come in a 2.8m wheelbase variant (as a mod), but it is now no longer available in that particular size, even though it should be.

'08 Tezda

There’s not much wrong with these body sets, but one thing I’d change about them would be a greater Z adjustment range for the RearBumper4 morphing zone (which would help in lowering the trailing edge of the trunk lid further - as things stand, with its Z value set to 0, it’s barely any lower than it is if said value is set to 1).

'09 ND MX-5 coupe and '09 GT coupe

For the former, in addition to removing the built-in mirrors, and adding an intermediate-sized, 2.5m wheelbase variant, the front wheelarch morph should not spring back to its default position when manipulated - such behavior defeats the very point of its existence in the first place. For the latter, the addition of two convertible body styles (one with a soft top, and another with a hard top), as well as two additional sizes (one with a 2.73m wheelbase, and another with a 2.44m wheelbase) should fill any size or body style gaps in the range, while BootSlant and HoodSlant morphing zones (for adjusting the slope of the trunk lid and bonnet) are still absent, even though they shouldn’t be. Also, the smaller 2.59m wheelbase variant is the exact same width as the larger 2.87m one (both are 1.91m wide), when it should be considerably narrower.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does cover the more notable examples. What do you think?

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As a big De Tomaso fan, I really would like to replace the Pantera body with something that mixes it up with the Mangusta and maybe a pinch of Miura too.

All other suggestions seem pretty on par though too

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That would make the resulting body look less like a Pantera, while also opening up more exterior design possibilities - a win-win in my books.

A sign that the game has moved on. Some of those bodies were the “to go” choices in early UE era… Now they really feel dated…

That’s the whole point of this post, quite frankly. Some of the body sets I’ve listed in the OP actually began life as mods and became vanilla content later on. However, with other body sets having since taken precedence over them for the 3D artists, it’s high time they, too, received an update. On the other hand, some of the older and jankier body sets from previous builds were redone as part of recent game updates, with a greater number of sizes and body styles. Examples include the '87 Boat, the '85 Juliet, the '78 boxy Euro sedan the '43 and '72 Slantnoses, the '45 Bug, the '53 Winga Dinga, the '55 Euro Coupe, and '88 JDM coupe, among others.

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