There are few things in life that are as rewarding as building your own dream muscle car for both road and track purposes. Using a replica car kit to build your own road and track vehicle will cost you pennies on the dollar of what the original vehicle costs. Not to mention, it gives you the opportunity to upgrade parts and create a custom roadster in ways that just cannot be purchased new. You will never find a classic Shelby Cobra with builtin GPS; but you can build one that looks just look the original, with a smart screen in the dashboard.


Before you click “pay now” for your road and track replica car kit, you should make sure you’re ready for it:

1. Know what is included in the kit, and what you will be expected to provide. Some kits are complete and only require that you add fluids. Some car kits require you to collect unique parts that sometimes have to be custom-made. If you go into your project without understanding what you’re going to have to source yourself, you may end up with a half-finished project collecting dust in your garage.
2. Give yourself time to enjoy the journey. Sometimes putting together a kit car takes only two or three months; sometimes it takes a year or more if it’s only a side project. The experience of building your own car is something that you will cherish for the rest of your life, don’t be in such a hurry to wrap it up so that you can get it on the track that you cut corners and don’t enjoy the process.
3. Dedicate a space that you enjoy being in. If your kit car is being put together in a cold, musty garage with poor lighting, you will be in a rush to get through it. Even if you don’t have a friend who owns an industrial garage who let you use their facilities, at least make sure you’re working space is clean, insulated, and well lit. Invest in foam floor tiles so that your knees and back don’t ache when you’re done working. If you really want to make the most of building your replica car, treat yourself to a mini fridge filled with your favorite drinks and a sound source for your favorite tunes. Also, having a space that is WiFi-enabled is a huge perk, for figuring out what to do when you get stuck.
4. Use quality tools. Having good tools throughout your project will both improve your safety and ergonomics while you work, and help ensure that the work is done correctly the first time. The last thing you want to do after you get your project together is to take it apart and fix parts that were installed improperly.
5. Document yourself. A good way to figure out what is wrong when something isn’t working is to go back and look at each step you took. Take pictures of your work as you go. So that you see each wire and nut and bolt in the process.

Do you have any other tips for building a replica kit car? Please share them with us in the comment section below!