Build a Cheap Sports Car
Unless you have access to a modern auto factory and the skills to run it there is only one way to build your own sports car on the cheap, modify a non-sporty car to your liking.
Steps
- Determine how much you want to spend. Most of the kit cars have a base model that is very reasonable but for all the bells and whistles you wind up spending as much as you would, say, for a used Porsche.
- Try the VW Bug as a starting point, as more bodies for it have been made than for any other car. You can have a dune buggy, a Porsche, an MG roadster, even a simple airplane, starting with a VW bug. New parts are very reasonable, and the people that sell them are more than willing to answer any questions you have. Start with one that has a carburetor and what are known as dual port heads. Even if it doesn't run you can use the old ones as your cores and for some cash and the cores you can get a 'like new' rebuilt engine.
- Follow the installation manual for your type body. It takes at least four well fed friends to pull off a VW body and drop the new one on.
- You may find that you just want a reliable transportation vehicle and just restore the old VW. They are fun cars to drive around town when it is cool outside. In the summer, they can be very warm to ride in. Again, all the parts are readily available and there are many books to help you do the job.
- If you choose some other type of car (non VW), try using an early 70s vintage Ford Mustang with the small block V8. The cheapest builds are small block Chevy and big block Mopar engines when it comes to power per dollar. With the Big Block Chryslers, you may not have to build the bottom end. You are guaranteed to have to build a small block Chevy or Ford.
