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Old 01-23-2010, 06:49 PM   #11 (permalink)
RobertSmalls
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Buffalo, NY, USA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob View Post
I hope you have some idea of the time and expense involved in making a car from scratch, to a standard that other people would ride in it. Homebuilt aircraft are much simpler, on average, and usually have plans and other support available. 10% of them are completed by the first builder, 10% by the second, and 10% by the third, with 70% being scrapped before use. Most cars have more man-years just in design work than you have available in your whole life. There are a few exceptionally talented builders; have you been astounding people with your other projects? Energetically, custom cars only pay off if they have features that get copied in production cars.
I hate to say, Bob is right. It would be vastly simpler, cheaper, faster, and the result would be much better, if you use a donor chassis. This is especially true if you want the car to be smooth and stable at highway speeds. An interior that other people will want to sit in is another challenge for the DIYer. As for safety, I wouldn't trust myself to design crumple zones or seat belt attachment points, let alone ABS and airbags.

I say, find a compact car whose handling and interior you like. Then buy one that was in a rollover, sell the interior, and attach your body over its.

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