rhrose,
I wanted to build a replica from scratch, so I purchased a fiberglass body shell (now defunct company) and had a custom frame built under it. I'm a frustrated aerospace engineer and I really enjoyed designing a lot of tech into the project, including aircraft hardware and reading up on road-race car design...even though it is a street set-up...
I had a new ZZ4 Chevy crate motor setting in a corner of the garage and dropped that into the equation, which meant custom headers ($) and a Muncie 4 speed, which I happened to also own.
@ 360 hp, and VERY lightwgt (2100#) - all I can say is I don't know how anyone could handle much more power/wgt than this. I know, I know...more is better but jez how fast do you want to be going when you die?
One word of caution, the "purists" across this great land will scorn you for many things above, (proper engine, true frame, wrong this or that...) but in the final analysis...it is your project and you can build it however you desire...it's a replica.
The only "purists" out there are the 300 or so original owners, and the rest are replica builders. However, many are built superior than the originals!
I also hear that "non" exact built cars ultimately sell for less, so I was careful to buy all the proper hardware (brightwork, seats, dash components, etc.) to minimize this...
If the next owner insists...I will offer to "yank-out" the well-tuned Chevy motor and trans and still sell it for top dollar when the sad day arrives...(I'll be 80 before I give away this much fun...)
Also, consider what you really plan to do with the car...race?, get coffee on Sat morning? drive 200 or 2,000 miles a month? That is how to determine what type of car to build/purchase...
With the money I have in mine, I probably should have bought a "turn-key" But remember if financed = cost 2X as much.
Good luck...
Do it right for your own pride and safety. It's a real blast to own one of these fast bastards...
scratch
