New member - St Louis - about to pull the trigger, but am I in over my head?

[Iziks]

Hi all! Jerry from St Louis here. I have been wanting to build a car forever and I am about to pull the trigger on a 33 hot rod kit. That said, I do have some anxiety about it - I have never built a car before in part or total. I am not a mechanic, welder, or any type of fabricator.

I am comfortable with most bolt on stuff - I have swapped out and upgraded the suspension on my raptor for better off-road performance and added lots of parts including cutting the frame and body parts for bumpers, racks, etc. key word is cutting - I have never had to weld or reshape parts, just cut things off. I have added lighting, radios, antennas, etc. I have even done an oil pump swap on an LS3. Basically, if it is bolt on and has instructions, I am pretty comfortable with it. That said, I am really worried about two aspects of a potential build:

First, I never get the drivetrain to work. without good instructions, I am not sure I would know the proper mechanics of assembling the drivetrain. If I install the drivetrain, and something doesn’t work (doesn’t start, going gear or whatever), I am not sure I would really even know where to start troubleshooting. For that reason, I am considering just going with a Blueprint engine/transmission combo (more specifically an LS3/4L70e combo) I figure if I get the whole system from one place, it theoretically should be mostly plug and play. If not, I would assume it would be easier to get direction/assistance from them if I buy everything from them? Is that sound thought or wishful thinking?

Second, after viewing a bunch of build threads here, it seems like most builders are at least making their own brackets for this and that, if not making complete new parts. I don’t think I have the skill or equipment to fabricate brackets or parts. Is this going to be a dealbreaker for me?

I have signed up for the build school in Feb 2022, so I am looking forward to that. If I can get over my anxiety above, I was planning on ordering the kit now. I know it would be at least Feb 2022 before it would get me me, and I kind of hate the idea of going to build school and then having to wait six months or so for a kit.

I would appreciate any thoughts or advice. I certainly don’t expect it to be an easy process, but am I getting in over my head based on the brief past experience noted above?

A couple pics of my Raptor..

[JohnK]

Welcome to the forum Jerry! These are all great questions. There have been MANY folks before you that have had same/similar concerns. I think any first-time builder is going to have some degree of trepidation about whether they have the skills to do a build. With the experience you have, you are more than capable of building one of these kits. Are there skills you'll need that you don't currently have? Of course. That's part of the fun, IMO. I'd never formed/flared brake lines, fabricated sheet metal parts, stripped and re-wrapped an entire wiring harness... all stuff I chose to do on my build. This forum is an excellent resource. Your plan on a turnkey driveline from BPE is a solid one. Lots of folks here buy from them. Their products are excellent from what I' hear, and their support is top notch. If you buy the driveline from them, I'm sure they'll get you sorted out. There's no welding needed to build a kit. Some folks choose to mod things and may do some welding, but none is required to build the kit per the instructions. The build school is a good idea, and will give you some great insight, but not strictly necessary.

In short- don't be afraid of what you don't know. Jump in and have a blast.

-John

[JeffP]

Even ordering now, you may still be waiting 6mo after build school.. I think the lead is 8+ months right now

[EZ$]

Jerry, First off, welcome to the party! As far as having the skills, equipment, etc., to accomplish the build, if you're buying a complete kit, and having Blueprint provide the drivetrain, I don't think you would have any problem. I bought my kit when I turned 62, and wanted an FIA Cobra kit. Unfortunately, FFR was not making their FIA kit yet, so I created kind of a nightmare for myself with having to create parts to fit with a body that I purchased from "Mr. Bruce", a fiberglass vendor who had FIA bodies to fit the FFR frame. I had not worked on a car since I was around 20, but I managed, if rather slowly, to complete my dream car. I even rebuilt my T5 transmission with the help of a video that Paul Cangialosi did with "Eric the car guy" on you tube. Basically what I'm saying is that the complete kit will not "require" any modifications, but if you read enough build threads you'll come across tons of mods that the guys have done to suit their desire for something different. It doesn't mean that you have to do them, it's just that some of the ideas are so good that it's hard to resist some times!
Take the plunge! Even though mine seemed to take forever, (it's at the painter right now), and I felt overwhelmed at times, the forum will help you get through just about any snag you might encounter, and there are probably a bunch of builders in your area who would be more than happy to drop by to help you out as the project proceeds
Best of luck with your decision.

[GoDadGo]

Welcome Fellow Dark Sider!

If I can build a car, then so can you.

Before:
https://youtu.be/UJwM5godh88

Mid-Build:
https://youtu.be/PCngiKoopkA

After:
https://youtu.be/9WEe6-wdNtA

My pal Dave has just completed a 33 Hot Rod and it is a beautiful car and guess what, he never built a car before either.

Again, Welcome Aboard!

[Iziks]

Thanks for encouragement! I think I will figure out my options and order next week!

[slarson]

Do it! I finally placed my order for a coupe kit two weeks ago and my production week is 6/25/22.

[Fman]

Welcome... I can tell you it is not rocket science, most of the car is pretty basic with some optional entry level fabrication. Reading over your bio I do not think you will have any issues at all building this car. Another recommendation is for $10 you can download the build manual and take a look at it which will give you a good idea of what you are singing up for. I think the biggest hurdle for most is having the time available. There is also PLENTY of support on this forum and the Facebook Factory 5 builder to help you with your build.

Enjoy the journey it is a great experience and even better once you get behind the wheel of something you created. These cars are therapy to drive and good for the soul, nothing better than a 500+ HP engine with side pipes.:D