Anyone ever build a kit car??
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2006
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Anyone ever build a kit car?? Just have a few questions for the guys that have done one. First, how hard is it to work with a fiberglass rebody? How do you hang the panels? Second, did you buy or build your chasis? Third, were you able to do the work yourself? Could an average guy with hand tools throw one together? And lastly, how satisfied were you when you were done? How was the quality of your kit? And what car did you build?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
I'm going to be building on here pretty soon 
Fiberglass bodies are great. They're light! The only thing to keep in mind, is that while if they were in small panels like a metal body, it'd be real easy to manipulate, but most kit cars have a large portion of the body made as one big piece, which makes it a little more of a pain to move around/mount.
Make sure you go with a reputable body builder, the less bodywork/prep work required the better. I prefer to paint myself, but I have a decent amount of bodywork/paint experience.
As far as chassis... when you say build, do you mean from scratch? Teh average guy isn't going to be able to build a decent frame from scratch.
Even modifying an existing chassis isn't just a walk in the park (like doing a fiero stretch for a lambo kit), but it can be done if you can weld good and keep everything squared up.
The main assembly can be done with fairly simple tools. You'll want at least one set of extra hands to help you with some things.
What car are you thinking of building?
Fiberglass bodies are great. They're light! The only thing to keep in mind, is that while if they were in small panels like a metal body, it'd be real easy to manipulate, but most kit cars have a large portion of the body made as one big piece, which makes it a little more of a pain to move around/mount.
Make sure you go with a reputable body builder, the less bodywork/prep work required the better. I prefer to paint myself, but I have a decent amount of bodywork/paint experience.
As far as chassis... when you say build, do you mean from scratch? Teh average guy isn't going to be able to build a decent frame from scratch.
Even modifying an existing chassis isn't just a walk in the park (like doing a fiero stretch for a lambo kit), but it can be done if you can weld good and keep everything squared up.
The main assembly can be done with fairly simple tools. You'll want at least one set of extra hands to help you with some things.
What car are you thinking of building?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2006
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Well I've been considering a Brunton stalker V6 with a supercharged 3800 v6 which is basically a lotus 7 replica or I'd like to do a Velo Rossa Datsun Z rebody with an LS1. I'm leaning more towards the brunton since parts are cheap and I have alot of experience with the 3800 v6's all ready. And if they weren't so damn expensive I would definately build a daytona coupe in a heart beat!!
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 96
Likes: 1
From: KC MO....
lOOK at the factory five stuff. My buddy just completed a cobra. He bought the kit for $12,000 and a donor mustang 5.0 car for two grand. I Just saw it a week or so ago.......man what a cool kit. The donor car supplied everything, i mean every thing needed to complete it. Of course there are upgrades you can do to it, but looking at what i am building in a muscle car.....i have way more money in it, and no way is my car gonna have that cool factor. Honestly, if i was going to do another car, and could have sat down and thought it through better, i would do the cobra, or the daytona coupe. mj
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From: Lynnwood, WA (North of Seattle)
Factory Five seems to have some amazing stuff.......would luv to do a Cobra replica but I wanna use an LSx based motor (which I heard they can accept) but that will cost a LOT more since I don't think the Cobras can use anything BUT a Mustang for a donor car. 
That's awesome!
It's alot of fun if you're the right kind of person. In other words... if you'll actually complete it someday.
I'm building one of these soon hopefully
Hey check out FFR's Type 65 coupe and the Cobras.
If I wasn't so obsessed with the GTM I'd probably be building one of the others
It's alot of fun if you're the right kind of person. In other words... if you'll actually complete it someday.
I'm building one of these soon hopefully
Hey check out FFR's Type 65 coupe and the Cobras.
If I wasn't so obsessed with the GTM I'd probably be building one of the others
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Originally Posted by TT_Vert
cant buy a gtm until u buy a cobra 
Dave
Dave
"As of Monday July 25, 2005 anyone can place an order, but orders received from FFR customers during the first week will get priority in scheduling, up to the first 200 kits. "
In the FIRST WEEK. Up to the FIRST 200 KITS.
That means if in the first week they got 200 orders, and 30 of them were previous customers, the first 30 will go out to the previous customers.
Launching!
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 213
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From: OHIO
GTM is the deal! Best looking shape for a $35-40K exotic. Check out the two build-ups with pictures with the sking off.
http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimateb...rdset/100.html
http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimateb...rdset/100.html
sorry didnt read it. I have a FFR cobra and at the time u couldn't even think about a GTM until you had a MARK II or III. Guess they werent selling as well as they thought.?
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2004
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Are they even sellin the GTM kits yet? I have a friend who was going to get one last year. He even put a down payment on it. But they never seem to want to talk with him. He would call them like every other week on when the kit would be ready and they really just beat around the bush with him. So he's now just gonna S/C his ws6 which isn't a bad idea either i think. 
Launching!
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 213
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From: OHIO
Originally Posted by youngWS6
Are they even sellin the GTM kits yet? I have a friend who was going to get one last year. He even put a down payment on it. But they never seem to want to talk with him. He would call them like every other week on when the kit would be ready and they really just beat around the bush with him. So he's now just gonna S/C his ws6 which isn't a bad idea either i think.
Low volume things like this you don't want to be the first. Unless your pretty hands on.
Originally Posted by youngWS6
Are they even sellin the GTM kits yet? I have a friend who was going to get one last year. He even put a down payment on it. But they never seem to want to talk with him. He would call them like every other week on when the kit would be ready and they really just beat around the bush with him. So he's now just gonna S/C his ws6 which isn't a bad idea either i think.
And no, he did not have to buy a Cobra first, he's a first time buyer..
Thread Starter
Teching In
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Cobras and the GTM are cool and all but the cobras you see all the time at every car show and the GTM is just a little too exotic and too expensive for me. I want to build something nostalgic that is light and will handle like a go kart. I'd love to do an FFR Daytona Coupe but 14,990 just to get started is alot of moola. I wanna try and get what ever kit I do for 10,000 or under.(Thats just for the kit, I know I need alot extra to finish.)
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 96
Likes: 1
From: KC MO....
If you like the Daytona kit, save up a little more and get it. If ya just "make do" with another kit, ya might loose intrest. The 280Z/VellaRossa kits are around, I saw a new one, with a running donor 240Z car sell on ebay 2 months ago for $5500. It's the one that looks like a Ferrari 250 GTO , right?
I always keep an eye on ebay's kit auctions, and if ya look there are some really good deals on there!!!!!!!!Good luck!
I always keep an eye on ebay's kit auctions, and if ya look there are some really good deals on there!!!!!!!!Good luck!
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 96
Likes: 1
From: KC MO....
Originally Posted by Norm '88 GT
GTM is the deal! Best looking shape for a $35-40K exotic. Check out the two build-ups with pictures with the sking off.
http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimateb...rdset/100.html
http://www.ffcobra.com/ubb/ultimateb...rdset/100.html
