Well to tell the truth, building is a lot of fun. However, building your own car can lead to some serious safety factors. You must be sure that the chassis, suspension and brake systems are in A-One shape. Old, worn or rusted parts can ruin a nice outing or your whole day. On kits I've built I experienced a broken steering shaft, sudden loss of brake fluid, engine seizure, and broken alternator straps all which occurred while driving. Some were due to unseen deteriorated parts and others from poor assembly alignment. Not being an engineer by trade I used my above average mechanical skills to rebuild, align and fabricate parts as needed. In some cases the old Murphy adage of being "Good enough" wasn't and I was lucky enough to live through a few hair-raising episodes. I would highly recommend another set of eyes to inspect and help look for things that could become a problem when you're doing 70 mph's plus down a local highway. Make sure all electrical connections are solid so that the 70 mphs doesn't happen during a sudden headlight failure. Now that I scared the pants off you, think about if and when you sell your home built machine. Make sure the new buyer signs a statement that he or she realizes that it's a home built car and releases you of any and all liability due to construction and or safety defects. You should also include a paragraph stating that the car may not pass required State safety inspections. But what a rush when you first drive it!!! If I were younger, I would definitely build another kit car but never ever would I consider building a kit airplane.
