How to Build Your Own Car

If you have plenty of time and money on your hands, it is entirely possible to build your own car. That is to build a car that is street legal, driveable, and insurable. This is a pass time that should only be undertaken by people with not only the time and money, but also the space and the tools.

Tools to build your own car are just as important as the parts, remember; you’re building a car from nothing. So if you are the type of person who can’t put together your niece’s Barbie Dream House at Christmas, you might want to find another hobby. However, with the right tools and knowledge you may be able to build your own car. Besides a full stock of mechanics tools, you will need a welder for body parts and paint equipment unless you plan to take it to a professional.

You can order complete body kits or scour salvage yards for original pieces. The latter option will take much more time but it’s a matter of personal preference. The same goes for mechanical parts. You can order replacement parts or you can search for originals.

If you choose to search for everything original, a good idea is to leave your name and number and the pertinent information about the car you are building with every salvage yard within a hundred-mile radius. This way they know who you are and that you are looking for specific parts. It could take years to accumulate everything you need and you may even have to resort to remanufactured parts, but as the saying goes – if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. If you plan to build your own car, it’s a pretty massive undertaking so you’ve already decided it’s worth doing. Doing it right will take time, money and patience. You must be sure to have a place to store the work in progress over a long period of time.