Hey all, been a fan of the kit car scene for decades and have been jonesing for a GTM or one of RCR's kits for years now. I recently have started to take a serious look at purchasing a kit and have been digging into the associated time and monetary costs of both makers' flagship models as well as the finishing parts (engine, paint, interior, etc.). Mechaincally, I'm OK, I;ve built a couple engines, restored a classic mustang, I'm a licensed aircraft mechanic and know my way around wiring - though reading the build logs of GTM's has left me a little skeptical of the kit's final fit. I also see occasional references to the GTM being discontinued. To the point: What is the state of the kit? I see certain "defects" may have been fixed, others...? There's no "GTM 2.x.x" build log to know what changes and upgrades have been made. I'd go buy the kit, trailer it home, and find that maybe some of the "fixes" or workarounds no longer apply?
Also, total cost of GTM vs. RCR's flagship SLC. I'm in no way trying to start a debate as to which one is "better", I really like both kits' performance and style, so that's not really a debate. I'm just trying to get a good cost/frustration/time matrix going to see which way I'd be better off going to save my sanity. With the RCR kit as I've priced out parts and finishing, I know I'd be in for $105k give or take a 10% or so for a finished, showable car, and the car is a far easier build - and that's partly why the cost is higher. But the GTM... Reading so many build logs the prices and finish quality are literally all over the map and that's partlly because the kit allows so much personalization and interpretation of how the final product will look. I can't seem to get a handle on a lot of it. So for me to get into the kit (so far as I can tell with the wild mess of choices) its going to be just under $40k for the factory parts, add engine and transaxle for around $18k, paint $6-8k for a showable job...but this is the limit of my ability to estimate. How much for a nice interior that covers up the kit-look and gives it a production feel? Sound deadening? Electrical? How about all the must-have add-ons/fixes that I've seen people suggest are needed from places like Vraptor? I'm looking to have a show winner, if not a complete showstopper... Lots of lovely pictures out there, but since this kit has builds back into the early 2000's, a lot of the information has been removed from the internet. Pictures are nice, but they don't tell the build experience. Products change/disappear/are completely custom, or frankly, the owner paid a shop to do all/much of the work for them so it's hard to gauge cost with all that labor on top.
Anyone got a winner that did as much DIY as they could with cost guesstimates?
Thanks a lot for any replies and humoring yet another rookie.
Also, total cost of GTM vs. RCR's flagship SLC. I'm in no way trying to start a debate as to which one is "better", I really like both kits' performance and style, so that's not really a debate. I'm just trying to get a good cost/frustration/time matrix going to see which way I'd be better off going to save my sanity. With the RCR kit as I've priced out parts and finishing, I know I'd be in for $105k give or take a 10% or so for a finished, showable car, and the car is a far easier build - and that's partly why the cost is higher. But the GTM... Reading so many build logs the prices and finish quality are literally all over the map and that's partlly because the kit allows so much personalization and interpretation of how the final product will look. I can't seem to get a handle on a lot of it. So for me to get into the kit (so far as I can tell with the wild mess of choices) its going to be just under $40k for the factory parts, add engine and transaxle for around $18k, paint $6-8k for a showable job...but this is the limit of my ability to estimate. How much for a nice interior that covers up the kit-look and gives it a production feel? Sound deadening? Electrical? How about all the must-have add-ons/fixes that I've seen people suggest are needed from places like Vraptor? I'm looking to have a show winner, if not a complete showstopper... Lots of lovely pictures out there, but since this kit has builds back into the early 2000's, a lot of the information has been removed from the internet. Pictures are nice, but they don't tell the build experience. Products change/disappear/are completely custom, or frankly, the owner paid a shop to do all/much of the work for them so it's hard to gauge cost with all that labor on top.
Anyone got a winner that did as much DIY as they could with cost guesstimates?
Thanks a lot for any replies and humoring yet another rookie.
