13 Coolest Kit Cars Money Can Buy

If you’re like us, chances are you don’t have vast amounts of money to spend on super rare classic cars or even a modern-day high-performance model. Luckily, there is a solution to this. If you’re handy with the tools, or you have some friends who can help you, kit cars are perfect for car enthusiasts on a budget.

Kit cars are cars that you assemble yourself, like Lego for grownups. Some are replicas of classic cars, others aren’t based on any existing models. Kit cars are available for as little as $5,000, and while that kind of money won’t get you behind the wheel of a Shelby Cobra or GT40, it’ll still offer plenty of smiles per gallon.

If you want something a bit more special, these kits can cost tens of thousands, and that’s without a drivetrain, labor, paint, and so on. That may sound expensive, but compared to an original Porsche 917, the kit car will save you around $15 million. Let’s look at some of the coolest kit cars money can buy.

JPS Motorsports Speedster

If we had a time machine, we’d go back to the mid-2000s and buy a cheap, original Porsche 356. However, since that’s not an option, a 356 kit car from JPS Motorsport is the easiest way to get our hands on one.

The cheapest kits cost $9,950 and require you to source the drivetrain and interior, paint it, etc. They also sell painted and upholstered versions, with prices starting around $28,000. Building a 356 on a VW Beetle platform is relatively simple and straightforward compared to many other kit cars.

Exomotive Exocet

Exomotive clearly found some inspiration in the Ariel Atom when they designed the Exocet. This bare-bones sports car isn’t the prettiest, but it’s hard to beat if you want affordable performance.

It uses a Miata donor car but strips it down and removes anything deemed non-essential. Prices start just under $8,000, and if you’re willing to pay just a little extra, you get a roll bar that makes it eligible for track use. Exomotive even sells an off-road kit for those who like getting dirty.

Race Car Replicas RCR 917

Who wouldn’t want a classic Le Mans racecar in their garage?! The RCR 917 is a replica of the Porsche 917, the same car Steve McQueen drove in his Le Mans cult-classic movie.

Engine-wise, a Porsche unit is the choice for purists, but you can even install a Chevy LS V8 if you’re on a budget. Then again, seeing as the kit costs $51,000, it’s not for those on very strict budgets. Finish it off with the iconic Gulf livery, and you’ll turn heads whenever you take it out for a spin.

Factory Five ’33 Hot Rod

If classic hot rods are more your style, but you want to avoid paying through the nose for an original classic only to spend the next couple of years welding rust, this Factory Five is perfect.

Factory Five is among the top American kit car manufacturers, and they’re also reasonably priced. Their ’33 Hot Rod kit can be had for as little as $10,990, and unlike other kits, you don’t have to find a donor car. Factory Five makes everything you need, so you only have to find a drivetrain.

Ultima RS

British Ultima Sports Ltd. makes some of the world’s fastest kit cars. In fact, the Ultima GTR was so fast that it broke world speed records. Since then, Ultima has gone from strength to strength, and the Ultima RS is an absolute monster.

Prices for the kit start around $80,000, and in some markets, it’s even available as a fully built car. The top-spec version of this mid-engined super kit car uses a Chevy V8 that sends 1,200 horsepower to the rear wheels. That means a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of 2.3 seconds and a 250 mph top speed.

Factory Five Mk4 Roadster

Another Factory Five classic is the Shelby Cobra. The Shelby Cobra is by far the most replicated American car ever, and FF’s Mk4 Roadster is one of the best. Getting your hands on a real Shelby Cobra will cost a fortune, but if you’re handy, you can build the Mk4 Roadster for a fraction of that money.

Roughly $15,000 gets you the base kit, then you’ll need to find an old Ford Mustang donor car, a nice set of wheels, and some paint, and you’re good to go.

Meyers Manx Kick-Out SS

The original Meyers Manx dune buggy arrived in the 1960s and was a popular choice among Baja 1000 participants. The Meyers Manx Kick-Out SS gives you a refreshed design and improved on-road handling and stability compared to its predecessor.

Prices start at under $6,000, making it a real performance car bargain. Yes, this beach buggy is absolutely a performance car, not just some novelty ’60s throwback. Thanks to a Subaru boxer engine, it’ll reach 60 mph in just over 5 seconds.

Caterham Seven

Caterham makes the most iconic kit car ever. The Caterham Seven started as a Lotus, but Caterham bought the rights to the design in 1973. Since then, they’ve made many different versions of it, but the formula is always the same: a lightweight, fun car that will have you laughing maniacally.

If you have around $37,000 burning a hole in your pocket, the Seven 170 is a great option. Don’t think for a second that it’s slow, as it’ll reach 60 mph in under seven seconds. If only the best will do, there’s the Seven 620, which is more than capable of scaring the bejeezus out of professional drivers when taken to its limits.

LB Specialist Cars STR

Lancia dominated the rally stages with its beautiful Stratos. Unfortunately, they only made 492 of those, so getting our hands on one may be a bit tricky. That’s where LB Specialist Cars enters the picture, as they’ve created an excellent Stratos kit car.

The STR has an integrated roll cage, and while the original Stratos had a Ferrari Dino V6, the STR can use a modern Alfa Romeo Busso V6 or even the Toyota 2GR-FE V6. The kit alone will set you back around $35,000, and they even make turn-key cars, although those aren’t available in the States.

Race Car Replicas RCR40

We’ve already mentioned the Porsche 917, but what if you prefer your classic Le Mans racers to have a more American flavor? Don’t worry; Race Car Replicas have you covered. Its RCR40 is, as you may have already guessed, a replica of the iconic Ford GT40.

A real GT40 is practically priceless these days, but an RCR40 can be had for as little as $28,295, which makes it a bargain if you ask us. As for the engine, any American V8 will do, but a massive Ford unit is preferable.

JK Sports Cars DAX Coupe

In 1964, Carroll Shelby created the Daytona Coupe to race in the GT class. It’s loosely based on the Shelby Cobra, and since it was only built for two years, it’s a rare and expensive gem.

If you’re in the market for a rare Le Mans racer built by Shelby but feel the Ford GT40 and Shelby Cobra are too common, you’ll be happy to know that JK Sports Cars makes a Daytona kit car. You can be the proud owner of one for $26,000, and plenty of V8 engines are compatible with the kit.

GBS Zero

If you really want a Caterham Seven but want to avoid paying top dollar, we’ve found the perfect solution for you. Great British Sports Cars makes a kit car called Zero, and it looks just like the British classic.

Coming in at just over $17,000, it saves you around $20k compared to the Caterham. It also uses a Mazda Miata donor car, which means you can extract many additional ponies by fitting some aftermarket parts. The Zero also has near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution thanks to its front–mid-engine layout.

Carolina Vaydor

In 2016, the Carolina Vaydor had gearheads worldwide scratching their heads as it appeared in the hit movie, “Suicide Squad.” It looked like a proper supercar, but it wasn’t a model anyone had seen before.

The Vaydor was based on the Infiniti G35 Coupe, which is essentially a fancier version of the Nissan 350Z. The kit is still available today, costing from $16,000, but those who want the full-fat kit will have to shell out around $24,000. However, the kit maker estimates that a complete build will cost around $40,000 by the time it’s done—assuming you don’t need to hire anyone to help you.