So, I've decided I need a long term project. And much to my wife's dismay, I'm not interested in renovating a kitchen or bathroom in the house. I'm much better with automotive things. I've made the decision to retire from the sport of snowmobiling, so, I need something to get me through the Michigan winters.
I've been researching doing a kit car for about a month so far. I've been wanting another fun , weekend vehicle for a while now. Sure, I would be happy with a Hellcat Challenger, Camaro SS, or CTS-V, but I've got to be unique. I started just surfing Youtube videos and ran across a RCR GT40. Started researching those, and quickly found they are beyond my skillset and budget. Then I remembered a friend of mine built a FFR Roaster back in the late 90's, and a former co worker had a Type 65 Coupe (sadly he sold it four years ago) and my focus turned to a Coupe. After a little research, talking with my former co worker, then meeting and talking with FFR Forums member Paul and seeing his beautiful burgundy Couple, I think one might not fit what I want, or I should say I might not fit in one (I'm horizontally challenged) and it might be a tad out of the budget, and skillset for how I would want it. I also need to sit and go for a ride in one, as an adult. I have fond memories of the few rides I had in my cousins original '65 289 AC Cobra, back when I was 16. I just remember it was loud, windy, and violent. I loved it, then. Now, at the age of 55, I'm not a fan of wind noise, love my air conditioning, and the wife and I wear headsets when we are out cruising in the SxS. Yet, their is still a desire for one of these loud, windy, violent, things.
Then the wife saw a video of a Roadster, and said "now that is sexy", I'm in. Well, happy wife, happy life...until she burns a calf on the sidepipe, Lol
So, the research on a Roadster build is on...and a researcher I am. I'm honestly about a year away from either doing a build, or after hours of overwhelming reading, just buying one. I need to decide if I can do this in my 2.5 car garage which is occupied with a '91 GMC Syclone and a utility quad, or build another garage so I don't have to store the body and other parts outside, and having to move out the Syclone when I want to work.
I'm also a little apprehensive if this is beyond my skillset. I can turn a wrench. I've had several old muscle cars, turned an '85 GT into a 10 second street car, and rerigged and repowered a 50 mph sport boat into a 80 plus mph handful. All done 20 plus years ago. I still maintain my snowmobiles, quad, SxS, and the Syclone but that is about it. I've also got ZERO fabrication skills. For some reason, anytime I try, it turns into a fail and doesn't turn out the way I had envisioned. Now, I can draw up something on the computer, being that I'm a designer in the auto industry, that's about it though.
So far, what my plans are is just something to drive on the weekends, hitting up a cars and coffee, and just going out in fair weather. I have no desire to race, or be the fastest of anything. Just something that can get a little adrenaline flowing.
I originally thought of a basic kit using a donor car, knowing that will definitely be within my budget (around $60k ish) I just don't think it will be at the level I want. Then I figured a complete kit, LS3, with IRS. After reading here, it seems like there will be a lot of things of small things that would need to be worked out for the LS, and it isn't much cheaper than going SBF.
So, and I'm sure it will change many times, I'm leaning towards a complete kit, IRS, updated SN95 front brakes, power steering, staggered 17" Halibrand replicas, high back seats, driver and passenger roll bars, Boig-Quiet-Pipes, and for power, most likely one of Blueprint Engines 347 fuel injected complete packages, with a Holley Sniper 2, and no gauges on the dash, just one of Holley's digital dashes. Seems like that will be plenty of power for my needs.
I know it will be green. Exactly what green, not sure of yet. I would love a tan or saddle colored interior, but that might be easier said than done, along with not having anything shiny...not a fan of polished stainless or chrome things but these wants might drive the costs up.
And....after more and more research, deciding that my current set up will be too hard to do the build in, and garage costs too high, I could just buy one. Been seeing a lot of Roadsters for sale online, many seemingly priced less than what it would take to build. Ah...decisions, decisions.