Al kit cars are cheap and nasty? think again Premium kits can be every bit as good as the original for a lot less cash.
A well-sorted kit car is only ever going to be as good as the time and effort invested. Put in the hours and the sky is the limit. Understandably, older classic sports cars are the most common kits available. Legendary machinery from road and track are popular choices where rarity excludes gearheads. Among these popular and most copied designs, Carroll Shelby’s AC Cobra joins the GT40 for desirability.
Yet, for every good kit, there are some shockers out there masquerading as Supercars. The classifieds reveal dozens of home builds that stood no chance of fooling anyone. No amount of Bondo or fiberglass can make a Fiero look as good as a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or any other supercar.
Yet the biggest draw with kit-builders is the buzz of building a car you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. Kits make dreams a reality.
10/10 Superformance GT40 MK.I
The Ford GT40 took on and beat Ferrari at Le Mans four years in a row. Despite on-track successes, production stopped at 105 cars, of which 31 are the MK.Is. In original condition, these racers fetch as much as $10 million.
Big bucks, but there is a cheaper option. Opting for a Superformance kit comes with the reassurance the details are first rate. This includes a galvanized steel chassis and a pressed steel body. Almost ready to run, this GT40 homage comes assembled minus a suitable engine for $125,000.
9/10 Factory Five 289 Roadster
Barely getting into its stride, the Cobra 289 was a marked improvement over the AC Ace it’s based on. Produced from 1963-1965, around 528 MK.II cars were built. Low numbers put this one out of reach for most gearheads with prices reaching as high as $1 million.
For a mere fraction of this bank account-busting asking price, Factory Five has your back. Kicking off at $22,000, you get a basic kit containing everything you need, backed up by an extensive “options” list. All budding car builders need is a suitable 289/302 cu-in V8 engine and transmission.
8/10 Delahaye Pacific
Six years in the making with a little over 700 cars made, the Type-57 is a rare pre-war classic. Rarity, as in most cases, comes with steep sticker prices, and in the Bugatti’s case more than a few body styles. Depending on which model you’re seeking, these could set you back as much as $10 million.
Rather than a blatant copy, Delahaye’s Pacific was merely inspired by these vintage Bugatti legends and can be had in coupe or drop-top guise. Whichever option piques your interest is sure to turn heads. In a nod to practicality, Delahaye has added a few inches overall, so even taller gearheads can fit. Of more interest, self-builders aren’t restricted in their engine choice. The Pacific can accommodate a V12.
7/10 DAX coupe
Call it the Midas touch, but anything associated with Carroll Shelby turns to gold. Hot on the heels of Ford tie-ins and the Cobra came the Shelby Daytona Coupe. Like its predecessors, production numbers are low and command with bucks. Of the six cars produced, auction prices peaked at $7.5 million.
Enter JK Sports Cars, current custodians of the much cheaper but no less gorgeous DAX Coupe. It’s a Faithful replica based on a 427 De-Dion chassis extended for more cockpit space. Aside from that, telling the DAX from the original six is a hard task. Designed to fit V8 engines from a variety of makers, kits start at just $23,000.
6/10 Prova S Design Countach
Coming in much cheaper, the Countach is a more realistic proposition. It is a bonkers dream fueled by pin-up posters throughout the seventies and eighties. Dreams aren’t cheap, so don’t expect much change from $500,000.
Countach drama can be had for much less, however. UK-based Prova Designs offers two kit options. A bare basic chassis and body for under $15,000. However, Provas’ stage 2 at $27,000 is the more complete package, excluding only the engine. Even then, Prova can, for a price, supply a suitable Audi R8 engine.
5/10 DDR Motorsports Grullon GT
Gordon Murray, Peter Stevens, and BMW’s finest creative minds took supercars to a new level. The McLaren F1 was a halo moment in car design, one that still looks fresh today. Sparing no expense, the F1 used a carbon fiber tub, gold thermal protection, and a 6.1-liter V12 engine. Any McLaren F1 will set you back millions.
With no official mention of the F1, DDR Motorsports GT8 kit bears more than a passing resemblance. And at $19,000, it could be the closest gearheads will ever get to owning the iconic supercar. Designed to accommodate less exotic engines, the GT8 was much to the Corvette C5.
4/10 DioCars Tipo
Supplied to privateer races, Maserati’s Tipo 61 or “Birdcage” appeared in 1959 spanning a run of 16 cars. Built from a complex network of steel tubes, the Tipo was a lightweight racer. Prices today reflect its rarity and stretch to seven figures.
DioCars has a cheaper option. Using Alfa Romeo donor cars with a chassis length of 88-102 inches, the Dio comes in at the cheaper end of kit cars. More of a bolt-on body kit than a full build, the Tipo comes in surprisingly cheap at $6,500 for a basic build. Despite being one of the cheaper kits, the final results are pretty convincing.
3/10 Intermeccanica International Model D
It’s crazy to Porsches 356 evolved from Volkswagen’s Beetle and attracts sky-high prices. Earlier 356As are the most desirable, more so in Carrera spec where buyers are happy to pay $600,000 upwards.
Intermeccanica has a few interesting updates on offer. Most notable are Model D cars fitted with modern engine upgrades. Popular among buyers, Subaru Boxer engines crank out up to 265 hp. For purists, air-cooled sixes rated at 300 hp are a possibility. In bare-bones form, a Model D will set you back $45,000.
2/10 Pagano Sports Cars
Classic Ferraris remain a dream with gearheads pandering to nostalgic hopes. The Mondial is one of Ferrari’s rarer cars, with Pininfarina and Scaglietti making 29 cars. Despite the split production facilities, all Mondials featured a 2.0-liter engine.
Instead of the original’s $5 million asking price, Swedish carmaker Pagano offers a kit for $20,000. Boasting a huge list of parts, the Pagano can be as detailed or personalized as gearheads want.
1/10 ZTrix Velorossa 250GTO
Ferrari’s most sought-after sports cars attract prices only Powerball winners can dream of. Currently, the record stands at $70 million set at a 2018 auction. Only 36 of these V12-powered front-engined cars were made for FIA homologation needs.
There are sure to be some unhappy Italians at Ferrari’s Maranello factory. Copying any Ferrari, let alone the 250 GTO, is automotive blasphemy. Mafioso retribution risks haven’t stopped US-Based ZTriix from rolling out their Velo Rossa. As the name suggests, at the core of this Italian look-a-like is a humble Nissan 280Z donor. As for prices, a very un-Ferrari like $7,190 lands you a complete body.
