Having built replicas of a Porsche Speedster and a Jaguar XK120 in his home garage, Dave is well placed to offer sound, practical advice to budding kit-car builders

Deciding whether or not to tackle a DIY car-building exercise is not easy, least of all the decision as to what sort of vehicle to tackle. There is a wide range of possibilities — all the way from a very individual one-off special, through an assortment of variations on the ‘LSIS’ (‘Lotus-Seven-Inspired-Sports’ car), to individually-styled ‘kit’ cars and replicas of famous production cars.

There are literally hundreds of manufacturers around the world from which to choose, even after the basic style of car has been determined — some turning out most of the key components while others produce ‘kits’ that are like a glorified Meccano set, complete down to the last nut-and-bolt.

As always, you pays your money and you takes your choice as the old adage goes, and serious research at this stage is absolutely essential.

The exercise is going to be a lengthy, difficult and expensive one, and you need to be sure this is something you really want to tackle.

Talk to people who have built the sort of thing that you have in mind, ask what they would have done differently with the knowledge they now have, read as much as you can about it all and if, after that, the whole job looks too daunting, then please think again.

The Necessaries

This game may not be for you, but if it is make sure you have available the means required — and I don’t mean just the money, of which you’ll need more than you might expect!

Depending very much on how much you are able and intending to do yourself — like welding and so on, for example — and to what extent you are buying in parts and services, your needs will vary enormously.

While there have undoubtedly been cases of cars being built quite successfully out in the back garden and with the most basic of tools, you really do improve your chances of turning out a decent result if you give yourself a fair go. You must have adequate space, decent lighting, and the tools to do whatever parts of the job that are, for you, truly DIY.

Floor space of about twice the size of the car will enable you to approach work from both sides, and a lot can be achieved with a decent socket set — the next most important thing to a good jack (or even two) and a set of axle stands.

My experience has been that the building of a car is an enormous project which has all the potential to keep you awake at night, while on the other hand if you can reduce it in your mind to a thousand-and-one small tasks to be tackled individually, it suddenly becomes achievable, and even enjoyable in a sometimes masochistic sort of way.

The Bits and Pieces

Unless you take the approach of buying a complete 1:1 scale ‘Airfix/Meccano’ style of kit in which everything is provided except maybe the glue, there will be a need to separately source most of the mechanicals anyway.

The requirements of the individual build will be wide and varied, as will the sources of parts obtained. Trade Me is, as ever, a good place to search, and while it didn’t help me too much it can be a great place to find Japanese parts in particular.

My latest build was a replica of a 1951 Jaguar XK120 with some necessary modifications to conform to local regulations — things like modern door locks, seat belts, windscreen washers, indicators and a high stop light — as well as some optional changes involving better brakes and steering than available in the 1950s, all grafted to a fibreglass body which was imported together with the chassis and some of the ‘shiny bits’.

All this involved chasing parts locally, and I was lucky to acquire a set of original wheels from Bob Smyth that had been put aside when he shouted his 120FHC (featured
in NZCC, May 2001) some shiny new wire wheels.

Ray Andrews of Jaguar Spares & Repairs in Upper Hutt was the source of just about all the other Jaguar necessities — like the 3.4-litre Mk2 engine, five-speed ’box, XJ6 front and E-Type rear suspension and brakes, period instruments (including a lovely old anti-clockwise cable-driven tachometer) and a host of minor parts.

The conclusion I drew was that unless you really want to spend a lifetime hunting for bits and pieces, then it’s well worthwhile getting alongside a friendly and understanding specialist in dismantling the sort of stuff that you’re after. The satisfaction obtained from finding that special part is more than worth the wee bit of effort involved in the hunting, even when a lot of cleaning and refurbishment is required.

The Paperwork

It is sometimes said that a car is ready to go on the road when the paperwork weighs as much as the engine.

While this is untrue of course — even if you use a lightweight all-alloy job — it needs to be understood that there is no alternative to complying with the many and varied regulations that apply to whatever type of vehicle you build, and this includes keeping up-to-date with the changes that take place during however long it takes you to get to completion and certification.

You can be the ultimate do-it-yourselfer with this too, I suppose, but eventually you’ll need the services of a Low Volume Vehicle Certifier, so you might as well make contact with your local man very early in the piece. Try to make time to have a serious chat about what the official expectations of you are, and of what you are doing.

The Low Volume Vehicle Technical Association is one good place to start.

If you don’t get the paperwork properly sorted your car will never be seen legally on the road. This is a serious warning, and I wouldn’t even think of starting the job without a thorough look at what might be involved — beginning with the LVVTA website www.lvvta.org.nz and a good read of the Low Volume Vehicle Code which is available there.

While all working to the same ends certifiers do seem to have different approaches sometimes, and in my case the certifiers from the Constructors Car Club www.constructorscarclub.org.nz) saw me through with a progressive programme, as opposed to their going over the completed vehicle. Their visits and inspections of my handiwork took place at various stages of the construction.

A certification plate was subsequently issued and riveted on by the certifier personally, after which it was possible to register the car, get a Warrant of Fitness and drive the darned thing, which was a wonderful feeling I don’t mind admitting, and far superior to that of handing over a cheque and driving any car out of a showroom.

The Lessons

Now retired, after a working life in what my father would have called a ‘shiny seat job’ behind various office desks, I quickly discovered that there were many skills I had not acquired.

Having therefore established my amateur status in this game and applied some enthusiasm, a lot of reading and much practice to the completion of two cars, I think I may be qualified to offer some advice to others who may be similarly misguided.

In summary, my ‘top 10’ tentatively suggested tips go a bit like this:

Do the Research

The exercise is always going to be long, difficult and expensive. If the car itself is really the objective, rather than the exercise and stimulation involved in the construction, it may be more worthwhile to seek a completed one. Consider carefully why you are really setting off on this journey, and if you decide to do so then jump in with both feet and paddle like hell for as long as it takes.

Check a completed car

Unless you’re intent on producing a one-off, do try to locate and have a good look at a completed car of the type you intend to make, and have a long talk with its builder. If he’s happy to talk about it, that’s probably a sign that the outcome was what was expected; in any case this is the time to try to unearth any potential problems on the basis of another’s experience.

Establish a budget

This is a useful exercise, and at the very least provides a basis for discussion with the rest of the family. My suggestion is that you write down every last thing that you can think of, like the basic kit parts, parts from donor vehicles, paint, upholstery and so on. Make it as full as you possibly can, put a reasonable estimate of the cost of each and, if you can stand the pain, add it all up — and then double it!

You should be fairly close, and if you haven’t already given up on the whole idea let me explain.

Most of us won’t be able to do our own welding to an acceptable standard for example, and you’ll probably have to pay retail for every single nut, bolt, washer and so on that you’ll need to renew, and this sort of thing simply runs away with money when building your pride and joy and wanting to get it right.

Safety, Safety, Safety

Much of a car-building job will be done alone, which is the worst possible time to have a mishap, so safety is paramount. Please do make sure you have adequate lighting and all the usual safety gear, most important of which just has to be a good strong set of axle stands for those times when you are underneath the job.

There’s not much point in turning out a superb piece of motoring magic for everyone else to admire if you’ve done yourself a mischief, and aren’t around to enjoy it.

Do not be too Proud to Seek Help

There are people who can do the whole job unaided, but I’m not one of them. Rather than adopt some macho ‘let’s have bash and see what happens’ style of working, it makes much more sense to talk things through with someone knowledgeable and maybe save yourself a fortune.

Talking things through with a sympathetic partner can sometimes be useful, as even if the knowledge itself is a bit short there is always likely to be another viewpoint — for better or for worse, they say.

The alternative, already mentioned, is to hook up with a club or group whose members are misguided(?) enough to be doing something similar. Chances are that you will find understanding and, almost inevitably, someone who has at sometime faced the very problem that you are struggling with.

Me? I was lucky enough to have weekly visits from a fellow Constructors Club member, one Ian Price, with so much mechanical advice and gentle criticism that he was officially appointed my ‘Engineering Insultant’.

Stop while you are winning – tomorrow is another day

Inevitable problems will crop up, seemingly insoluble at times, and rather than stripping that thread or busting those knuckles it’s often worth while to put down the tools (gently now, not by bunging them through the windscreen) and call it a day.

It’s amazing just how much comes right overnight if you just give it a chance and take time out to think things over.

Take time with the wiring

Electrics are a bit of a mystery to many of us, despite the nice explanations you get comparing the flow of volts, watts and amps to water flowing through pipes. Sooner or later you have to tackle the job itself.

First time around I grappled with several birds’ nests of wires, taping them one by one to the chassis until a workable result was achieved before taping it all together into a loom. It worked, which was some sort of miracle and proved that it can be done that way, but for the later job I managed to locate a commercially made loom that only required some very minor alterations — and it looked a heck of a lot neater too!

Don’t paint the body until you’ve finished

There is no rush to get paint on to a car, and I found it best to leave it until just about the last job, on the grounds that it’s easier and cheaper than putting things right after you’ve drilled a hole ‘just slightly’ in the wrong place.

I must confess to having drilled windscreen mounting holes a wee bit too far forward on one job and having to refill them and try again — fortunately before paint had been applied, so while embarrassing it wasn’t too painful

Record part numbers and sources

Parts are likely to come from a variety of sources, even different makes and models of donor car and, aside from sometimes having to prove their suitability to certifiers, should the time come when a replacement is needed it’s very handy to be able to quote the necessary information.

Enjoy yourself

It has been said that the only reason to build a car yourself is that it’s an ego trip, and that may well be true.

I think there’s just a little more than that to it, and the sense of achievement and satisfaction that comes from seeing steady progress of your project is quite different from that which comes from the refurbishment of a middle-aged production car.

I have done both, and while I’m not prepared to rate the respective levels of pleasure and satisfaction to be derived, it is undoubtedly different.

Building your own car is a tremendous experience in a whole variety of ways; you meet some really enthusiastic people on the way through the job, and at the end of it all you may have something you can be proud to show off.

Yeah, okay — so it’s an ego trip. Why not come along for the ride?

Words and Photos: David Bray

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