Assemble Your Own Sports Car
Assemble Your Own Sports Car
If you want a high performance car, but don’t fancy any of the current offerings, why not construct your own? There is a large selection of sports self assembled cars, starting from the basic Locost right up to Italian Supercar replicas.
This report will attempt to give you a taste of what you could be driving if you decide to build it yourself.
So you have decided to assemble your own high performance car, but where do you begin? I suggest that you assess a few models that catch your eye from a variety of manufacturers. Taking for example, a Cobra replica, there are a wide range of build options as well as cost and skill requirements. So you will need to set a budget and look at your own spanner skills before you make a commitment to a specific manufacturer.
Now, you may want to check out the manufacturers Owners Club. Many have websites or forums where you can ask questions or check out likely issues you may have. If the kit manufacturer offers poor support or badly finished components, the forums are where you discover them!
Already you should have a shortlist of potential kit car projects, a budget to work to and a good idea of the mechanical skills necessary. You now need to pick a kit. In order to make a choice, I suggest that you go to the kit car exhibitions or manufacturers demonstration days and chat to other kit car builders. Remember, they have valuable experience in building your chosen model and can come up with advice if you should get stuck with a particular problem.
Once you have placed your order for a particular model, the work really begins. Even before the kit arrives, you should locate the cleanest, most mechanically sound donor vehicle that you can. The better the donor, the better the finished sports car you will have. All recovered mechanical parts should be removed and cleaned as per the kit builders instructions. If you are not completely happy with the condition of a part then it should be replaced. Don’t take risks with your safety. It is wise at this stage to get insurance for your kit project.
For most kit cars, assembling the vehicle is relatively straightforward. Any manufacturer that has sold more than a few kits will have a detailed build manual detailing every phase, in the right order. If you have problems then go back to the manufacturer, Owners Club or forums. You will be surprised at how helpful your fellow kit builders are. It is in the manufacturers own interests to help you as much as they can, and many have dedicated helplines for this purpose. After all, when you drive the car, you will become a traveling advertisement for their brand.
After you have assembled the car you will need to ensure that any testing and certification is in order before taking to the highway. Again, the manufacturer and Owners Club are the ideal people to give you a helping hand.
As you drive your assembled sports car on the road, you will feel a sense of achievement as you drive a hand built car that you constructed yourself.
Mark Heywood is the webmaster of a site all about kit cars, dedicated to helping enthusiasts select and put together their own sports cars.
Written by Car Enthusiast on December 25th, 2006 with
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