[tcrist]

The kit car industry started out using doner cars as a way to get into the hobby fairly inexpensive. Then people then started using all/most non-doner parts or after market parts. Now if you build a doner kit you are called cheap or they think that you have an inferior car somehow. There is nothing wrong with building a "doner" car. Using a doner car or aftermarket parts is basicly the same thing with the exception of the miles on the doner car parts.

The car mentioned previously in the "owner built on a buget" thread IS a doner car. Ray did not go out and buy new or aftermarket parts. His motor probably has 60K miles or more on it. He is using stock suspension parts. He bought a partially put together kit that someone lost interest in for $8500 on Craigslist and then finished it himself. The thing is, Ray has been building cars for a long time. You should see some of the cars that he has built or restored.

Now I am not saying that all of the guys doing a non-doner build have thier nose up in the air and think that it is unthinkable to build a donor car. Some do not have the choice and some do have the choice.

For me, it was my choice to build a non-doner kit. I spent probably twice as much as someone building a donor build. Again, that was my choice.

There are quite a few people on here that have twice as much or more just in their engines than other have in thier whole car. Again, that was THEIR choice.