G'day peterp,
I cannot fault Laurie's help and service. He's a genuine fella who just wants to see you get your car on the road. You also become part of the RCM family which goes out cruising and the like at the drop of a hat. I've become mates with some really good blokes (who are not members of VCC) who also just want to see you with your car on the road and are happy to help you out as well. You end up getting more than just Laurie's help with the build.
I chose Laurie's kit because of the chassis's simplicity and strength. Like you, I was very inexperienced and wanted a local kit manufacturer. However I have not found the build to be difficult at all and I'm an accountant.
Some people have criticised Laurie's kit because of the "so called extra work" it requires compared to other kits. I have two responses to this statement:
Firstly, you get what you pay for. Laurie's kit ($7,800) undercuts everything else on the market by thousands. Considering both the chassis and body are subcontracted you don't need to be an accountant to realise that Laurie is not making big dollars on a kit.
Secondly, choice. For example, what's the point welding in seat brackets if you don't want to use the original style of seats, like I have? What's the point welding in a transmission mount if you don't know what trannie you are going to use? Welding up these brackets is not hard to do. If you're over six foot then you have the choice to move the footboxes forward a couple of inches so you can be more comfortable. Glassing in footboxes is not hard. The more fabrication that's done by the kit supplier the more it's gonna cost.
I checked out Classic revival, Python, Robnell and Superformance. So should you. In the end I chose RCM because of the level of after-sales service and value for money.
Happy hunting
