Can you assemble your own car?

Most people who assemble their own cars begin small, with something like a kit car or a modified Volkswagen dune buggy. They're also usually mechanically inclined, have access to tools, and most of all, they're passionate about building the perfect car -- just like Steve Graber.

In 1997 Graber began building a replica Ferrari 250 GTO working from the chassis of a Datsun 280 Z. The Arizona computer animator and programmer (with a passion for cars) finished the project in a year, and in 1999 Graber's car was featured on the cover of Kit Car Magazine.

The car building bug had hit him hard. Worse still, he said he began thinking he could do better. "The designers did a great job with the kit but they had to make compromises," Graber said. "I thought, if I built my own car, then whatever compromises I made would be my own, not someone else's."

By 2001, Graber's GTO replica was sold to another auto enthusiast in Georgia, and the seed for building a car from the ground up was planted in Graber's head.

In 2002 he began building the La Bala, a custom-fabricated roadster with a graceful exterior mounted to a powertrain capable of about 180 horsepower -- a combination of muscle and mass. Occupying one half of the family garage for four years, the project produced not only a car but an education, too.

"The first step in any build is education," Graber, now 43, said. "It's very possible to build your own car, but it's complicated." Graber explained how a person embarking on a build cannot think through challenges and problems by considering them as isolated incidents. In a car, each layer or system in the car, is connected to other systems, which are in turn connected to other parts. "If you start with wheels and tires, this will determine what kind of brakes and suspension you'll need," he said. "Those numbers will determine the frame configuration, what the wheel base is, and on and on."

But, he added, if you're focused and determined, each of the individual problems can be surmounted. "If you try something and it doesn't work, try something else," he said. As Graber pointed out, cars are essentially interrelated systems and interlocking problems.

Keep reading to find out about those systems and see what you may have to deal with if you decide to assemble a car.

There are several subsystems within a car that are like ingredients in a vehicular recipe. Several are critical, while others are more for driver comfort and convenience. But each one will need consideration during assembly. A few of the critical systems are listed below:

Alone, each one of these systems is a challenge to tackle. And when you're assembling an entire car, all of these systems must be considered simultaneously and made to work as one -- efficiently and effectively. This is the biggest challenge of all.

But now, with the mechanics out of the way, the true allure of a home-assembled car becomes clear.

Vern Hance can say with assurance his 1935 Mercedes-Benz Special Roadster is indeed special. The sleek lines and Great Gatsby appeal of the convertible two-seater draw admiring stares when he pulls up in front of car museums. But little do people know that under the graceful fenders, the custom top, and the blue-blood air lurks a very pedestrian frame culled from a Ford LTD and other assorted American components.

"People are surprised when they find out," Hance, a retired mechanical engineer, said with a laugh. "It's like Rodney Dangerfield said, 'I don't get no respect.'" Hance, 78, is treasurer and newsletter writer for the Northern California Kit Car Club. He's also a car builder with more than 30 years of experience. Hance has produced replicas of the Ferrari Dino and a 1952 MGTD, and he has his eye set on a 1937 Cord replica -- that is, if he chooses to embark on another project.

He said it was rare for one person to have all the skills needed to complete a car from start to finish, especially when it came to the body and upholstery, where science leaves off and art comes in. "How the car looks when it's finished is what attracts people," he said. "But that's what people take a lot of pride in."

Each year the club holds a concours event, inviting the more than 70 members to show off their cars to each other and the public. "You want to see and be seen," he said. "And the real classic cars are works of art."

Steve Graber found the look of the car was important as well. When he developed the lines for the custom body on his La Bala he was surprised at the feedback from people. "They didn't comment so much on how it worked, but how it looked was something everyone could have an opinion on," Graber said.

Some of the comments were positive, others negative. "But whatever the comment, they were looking, they were interested, and that was satisfying," he said.

Assembling your own car is a possible, yet daunting, undertaking. Vern Hance began working on cars when he was young and had the training of a mechanical engineer, plus the other members of the club, to help him through the builds. Steve Graber, who started a kit car company himself based on his La Bala in 2007, often brings in help from outside experts when faced with a particularly knotty problem.

Here's some advice from those experts on getting through your own car build:

Hance: "You should start with a good self-assessment of your skills, and start a project that you think you can finish. Today, they have kits geared for most levels. This is not something to do lightly; you need real stick-to-it-ness."

Graber: "If you're willing to make the sacrifices you can build your own car, but most people have families, too, and that should be balanced out. Every problem can be solved with a little time and thought, but don't count the hours it takes."

And the reward for what amounts to literally years of effort? "Man, I just grin from ear to ear every time I drive this car," Graber said. "It's a great feeling." Hance said he has a similar feeling. "We have a 'coming out' event every year at the club," he said. "All the members who finished their cars come out and show them, and I know that feeling. You did it yourself and you just can't help smiling and showing off."

If you'd like more information about building your own car and other related topics, follow the links on the next page.