Why build a kit car?

[Jkviper]

I am considering taking on the challenge of building my first kit car. Knowing it’s much easier to go out and buy and extremely high performance car now a days, I’m interested in what motivates people to build a kit car.

My logic at the moment includes....
1)I’ve always like to build things, Model trains, 1/4 and 1/5 scale RC Racing Cars, fully automated Reef Aquariums to name a few.
2)I hate sitting around with nothing to work on. My kids are grown so always looking for things to do that don’t involve eating and watching TV.
3)I like to learn and think I’ll enjoy learning about and building each sub-system in an automobile
4)I have some nice fabrication tools and enjoy designing and building custom parts for my RC cars and think doing the same for certain aspects of a kit car would be fun.
5)My motivation is probably less about the end result than the journey.

Curious about what others have to say.

JK

[Arrowhead]

No rust repair - Nuff said

[wirenut]

No rust repair - Nuff said

Tell that to my 818 donor parts.

[Papa]

Because for most of us, it's more than just a car. It's a long-time dream! Building it makes it so much more personal than going out and buying one that is already done.

[carlewms]

JK,

Assuming you mean a replica of a roadster or daytona ... because I could not afford the real thing and, even if I could, wouldn't
really want to drive regularly on the street.

So, when I started, it was purely to build a vehicle that I really thought would be fun to drive, have awesome but simple power train, and I would enjoy.

As I have learned through the building process ... that is really not my true motivation. The friends and acquaintance I have found over the years via meets, clubs, forums, etc. have been far more valuable than a bunch of metal, fiberglass and wiring.

Its been said many times before ... it's not about the cars; it's about the people.

Carl

[Jkviper]

Thanks for your post Carl, I agree with regard to the people aspect. I’ve met many nice people as part of being in hobby clubs and communicate on-line etc. So true.

With regard to what I mean, I meant in general you could buy a high performance coupe like a Vette or small convertible like a Z4 or Nissan Z etc for not a huge differential to building a kit car. Not necessarily a real Cobra or Daytona, purely unobtainable except for the select few. I’m certainly not in the category. But you can dream and build a super nice replica.

[RoadRacer]

Because it's a challenge, both to build and drive. Most won't understand, but that just makes it more special. And yes, the community - it's a passion better shared for sure.

[bil1024]

Yep could by a Challenger or Camaro, but they are everywhere. To build something, no less a car, is a great sense of pride and joy. They drive like a racecar but sound awesome, feels awesome and its fun! I like building also, and the sense of accomplishment is a great feeling. You wont regret it, sounds like a good challenge for ya. Heck there is even a sale going on right now. My next build will be the coupe. Best of luck.

[AZPete]

Jkviper, you've listed the reasons for building a Factory Five car very well. Then Carl added the friendships to your list, which I also found to be a surprise added bonus. In the beginning it looks expensive but I've found that you can likely get your money back if you take care. In January 2011, I sold my Mk3 and got back the cash I had spent to build it, then 7 years later (Jan 2018) the same Mk3 was sold for the third time at $1,000 more. You can expect a huge profit because these things give back in enjoyment, pride, new skills and friendships. Yes, it's the journey!

[slpro1207]

My first roadster kit was delivered late February last year. I had always wanted to build a cobra replica and at 68 years of age I better get to it. Here is what I found out by building it:

1. After having extensive back surgery 1 month prior it was great physical therapy.
2. Kept me off the couch and in the garage
3. Watching my progress and seeing each section come together gave me real satisfaction.
4. My wife became very interested in the project and took over the trunk carpeting.
5. I have a resource (this forum) and all the great people that jump in to help solve problems on the way.
6. I love driving my roadster more than I thought I would. And my expectations was pretty high.

But what surprised me the most was how much I missed the building when the project was done. So much so that I am building a roadster for a friend. The fun continues.

[GoDadGo]

Best Reasons To Build A Factory Five:
Because You Can!

2nd Best Reason To Build A Factory Five:
You will feel a sense of accomplishment after overcoming many small and large bumps in the road that will make you a better person in the end.

3rd Best Reason To Build A Factory Five:
You will meet The Most Amazing People On The Planet and taking on this challenger puts you in a unique group of people.

4th Best Reason To Build A Factory Five:
It makes you realize that life is for the living and should not be wasted like the Would-A, Could-A, Should-A crowd tend to do.

5th Best Reason To Build A Factory Five:
Because You Want To!

[dallas_]

No much more to add than what's already been posted:

but regarding the sense of accomplishment of building your own car.... it is real, and it is much more than you get from writing a check, that's for sure.

[NAZ]

This is my first "kit car" but not my first build and when I'm done I still won't be able to say I built a "kit car" as I've gone so far off the reservation there's not much "kit" left in my car. So as an experienced builder but new to kit cars my take on built vs bought is a little different and I'll share with you my opinion on three ups and three downs of kit cars.

PROs: You start with a clean slate with no previously molested & abused old iron to deal with (the no rust argument -- and this is really really a big pro); build something different (it's not a Vette or Mustang); building with blood, sweat, & beers gives you a greater sense of accomplishment (and bragging rights) than simply writing a check for a cool car.


CONs: It's way more expensive as you can buy a restored muscle car for a lot less (and less than the cost to restore one); takes way longer to build than buy; it's more difficult than most inexperienced builders realize.

You can have a FFR kit car built for you and still end up with a custom kit car built to your specs just like every other builder on this forum -- it just takes vision & $$. So is it worth it to build vs buy? Only you can decide.

[Jeff Kleiner]

The same reason that I build my own houses, shop, furniture, cabinetry, and FFRs for others...because I can. I get restless without projects and can't imagine spending a Sunday sitting in front of the tube waiting for a football game to begin

Jeff

[erlihemi]

Sweat Equity...Personal Expression...No Rust (except Impreza donors)...and for the over 60 crowd... Yep, you can still do this!! When my Dad was in his 70's he would say he could still work an 8 hour day as long as we gave him 12 hours to do it.
I would say with some reservation that there is an economic bang for the buck. I only had a couple "muscle cars" that could approach the handling of these cars and that was after spending a lot of time and money. At this point you can pick a car that meets your goals and build it your way.
Grab an interested teenager and give them a lesson in building with hand tools!

[flynntuna]

Like you I considered buying a performance car. I even considered Building a monster miata and doing an engine swap in a Porsche 914. I dropped the Miata build idea because of California's strict emissions laws, and the Porsche would involve a total restoration and still not have a stiff enough frame without spending a lot of time and money .
So I decided to build an 818 . It gives me a platform that satisfied a lot of the requirements on my punch list, and I can register it here in Ca. a smog exempt car , which means I can modify it without the nanny state looking over my shoulder.

[Fixit]

Just this past Saturday my wife & I were at our monthly "Northstar Chevelle Club" meeting. It was hosted at a member's new house, we had a pot-luck dinner, some Club business, then several hours of card & board games. Of course one of the primary topics of discussion was the upcoming delivery of my Mk4 kit.

(My current "toy" is a '65 El Camino (that's why I'm in a Chevelle Club). We have had countless hours of good times with other members, and developed some life-time friendships. Much like here, it's about sharing skill-sets, tools, talents, or just some extra muscle-power when needed.)

One of the things or reasons I'm building a Roadster that hasn't been mentioned above... it's a "new" car. Any part on it is easily obtainable or replaceable. You ding/bend/break something it's just a click or two away.
With my 'Camino, other than serious mechanical parts, NOS or OEM parts are nearly non-existent - or carry a price tag that would make you think they're made of unobtainium. The re-pop parts are of poor quality, fit-n-finish SUCK, and in my case, there's really no sheetmetal available from the doors rearward.
(You want to see a group of grown men go berserk/Mama-Bear? - be at a local car show when "Mom & Dad Suburbia" get near a vintage car with a stroller or un-restrained toddler!)

With the Roadster, I won't be altering a vintage classic - I'll be perpetuating one. Everything will be new, replacement mechanical parts will be available at any auto-parts store wherever we may travel, I'll only have to make power-runs for the next underpass to save ME from hail-damage... the list goes on.

[Big Blocker]

"I’ve always like to build things, Model trains, 1/4 and 1/5 scale RC Racing Cars, fully automated Reef Aquariums to name a few." - tells me a whole bunch about you and what drives you in your hobbies. You get a tremendous "high" from building things and get that enormous feeling of accomplishment from doing it.

"I have some nice fabrication tools and enjoy designing and building custom parts for my RC cars and think doing the same for certain aspects of a kit car would be fun." - Tells me that you are not put off by Not being able to find a specific part for your projects and feel completely confident that If I can't find it somewhere, I'll just make my own.

I wil add to that that the forum family I've accumulated over the last 15 years is second to none. I've been involved in other forums in my past and none come even close to how I feel about my "F5 Family". These guys are the best - maybe because we all share a common ideal, a common goal and a love for these cars over anything else out there due to it's own indisputable history and what the name Shelby did for the racing world - being a part of that . . . The brotherhood is unmatched anywhere.

There are other cars I would love to have in my garage, none compare to how I feel about being a Cobra owner.
My car is 15 years old and every time I get in for a drive, I still get that S*it eating grin that comes over my face from ear to ear. My pulse raises, I get a calming as I start the engine cuz I feel at home . . .

You can't buy that from any car dealer.

Doc

[AC Bill]

Big Blocker really said it best.

The motivation for me, was my life long love of the Cobra's. My sister's boyfriend introduced me to his AC Bristol, and the very next year the 289 Cobra was road tested in Road & Track magazine, (which I still have). I knew right then, that was the car I had to have. As the years went by, I followed the racing scene, and the accomplishments of the cars. By the time I was old enough to buy, and drive a car, the prices of them had started to climb. And they never stopped climbing..I realized that if I wanted to own one, a replica was the only affordable solution.

There are lots of hobbies a person can do, to simply fill their time. Many would not be as expensive, nor as challenging.
I believe you need a certain amount of passion, and determination, to successfully build one to completion. I think that is often why some builders never complete them, the passion is missing.

The car that started it all for me.

[KDubU]

The same reason that I build my own houses, shop, furniture, cabinetry, and FFRs for others...because I can. I get restless without projects and can't imagine spending a Sunday sitting in front of the tube waiting for a football game to begin

Jeff

Dang Jeff, that is exactly what I would have written. Have built three of my homes, do all additions/improvements on the home and yard. Just finished up insulating wiring the second garage, this summer it’s adding a bathroom above the attached garage and adding dormers to open up for light and head room in place of knee walls. Can’t wait to start!

[Gumball]

It's a hobby - just like woodworking is for some. But, the view from the coffee table you made isn't anywhere near as nice or as fun as this.......

[Bob-STL]

My logic at the moment includes....

2)I hate sitting around with nothing to work on. My kids are grown so always looking for things to do that don’t involve eating and watching TV.
3)I like to learn and think I’ll enjoy learning about and building each sub-system in an automobile

5)My motivation is probably less about the end result than the journey.

Curious about what others have to say.

JK

My wife gave me an ultimatum six years ago "Find a hobby...or find a new job"

She "approved" my fourth choice...building the coupe.

Three years later, I had to laugh when I came up from the shop late one night and she said "You weren't down under the car in your pajamas, were you?"

Bob

[PeteH]

Ive been buildibg csrs, restiring cars since I was 16yrs old. When I was considering building a Cobra a few years ago, I said to my wife "maybe I should just buy a Camaro, it mustang, or Corvette". Her reply was " and what are you going to do, sit around waxing and looking at it?. Nuff said. She knows me well.

[Clover]

For me, it is all about revenge. My neighbor took up drumming a couple years ago and loves to practice early in the morning, apparently before he has located his rhythm. Once I finish my kit, the music coming from my side pipes should easily drown out whatever you call the sound he makes on his drums.

Just kidding. Well, maybe mostly kidding instead of just kidding. He is maddeningly terrible. I am building a kit to learn more about cars. The best way for me to truly learn something is to jump in and do it myself. I have always wanted a better understanding, now it is time for me to put in the work and reap the rewards.

[turbomacncheese]

Man, am I the only one building a car to keep from getting divorced? I mean, I love my wife, DEARLY, and she is a really good woman. But when I don't have something to do I just get in her way. Move stuff she doesn't want moved, fix stuff that isn't broken, mope around watching tv....

Drives her crazy. Only took a couple months before she was willing to separate with the cash for me to build an 818. She's so happy I spend all that time in the garage that she's already considering my next car. Like PeteH, when I suggested my next car be something more mainstream, easier to plan, cheaper...she said "I don't think that will take you long enough."

Yup, she's a keeper.

[BTHWarrior]

I enjoy the ability to do something that most people have never done. I like to say I built it, rather than say I bought it. Plus you appreciate it more if you put a lot of sweat equity into it.

[TexasAviator]

I might add that I dreamed of it while watching home improvement as a teenager, Tim built one in his humble garage. I wanted that life.

My childhood was horrible and this allows me to makeup for what I lost as a kid. I now do this for me and my kids and wife. Its a life style of learning, growing, and sharing experiences. For me even deeper at the core of who I am. Also with an electrically and mechanically minded aptitude.

[Clover]

I now do this for me and my kids and wife. Its a life style of learning, growing, and sharing experiences. For me even deeper at the core of who I am. Also with an electrically and mechanically minded aptitude.

Very cool and good for you. Learning, growing, and sharing experiences. That sums it up for me to a large extent. What a great way to provide a better life for your kids then you had growing up.

p.s. I still grunt and mutter "more power" frequently. I find it to be a good outlook on life.

[TexasAviator]

more power! Arr arr arr