Building your own road car from scratch

[Blood Child]

i am led to understand that with certain qualifications and knowledge under one's belt, one can go about building a road registerable vehicle from scratch.
assuming that such a vehicle would have to apply to the relevant ADR standards, what qualifications would one need to acquire in order to begin such a project?

i see a number of custom and kit car manufacturers about, so i would imagine this to be a relatively attainable goal.

just curious as to my options
- whether i would be able to build my own chassis or if i'd be required to use one from a production vehicle
- what paperwork would be involved
- who i need to see/speak with to get it approved for road use etc.

cheers

[puzzigully]

for awhile I was part of a group making a westfield clubman. for some reason they are exempt from crash testing (I think because the general desgn has been tested before) however if they have all the stuff a car needs FUnny thing is they need window wipers even though they dont have a roof) they are perfectly road regoable. brilliant little cars too, 600kg+20v silvertop..

oh and you need to get tyre placards, a plate that says your not allowed to carry young kids ect. find an engineer and have a gander.

better yet get onto the Westfield club and ask them.

[Blood Child]

i was looking for something that i can build on more of a 'pay as you go' basis. ie. buy parts as i build it.

primarily interested in building something completely original rather than putting my personal touch on some kit car.

[puzzigully]

yeah Id say your up shit creek with getting it regod then.

BTW have you looked into actually building one? even buying a clubman frame and fiberglass body still requires HEAPS of custom work and mucking around, even using existing car parts (cortina diff, cortina steering rack, cortina brakes, transit fan front end parts, KE30 steering colum...)

[Konakid]

What about panels!! :o

[fixeruperer]

you need to be an engineer (cant remember wich one, the same as the guy that engineers your car) if your not one you need one to check everything you do.
if you use a chassis from another car the adrs are based one that chassis, but still an engineer is needed.

speak to an engineer they are god.

[Blood Child]

indeed. i have looked into it in the past, and i can't really justify that much mucking around just to come up with something that still isn't really original.

what i had in mind was something more attractive like the 'eureka' kit car, but entirely of my own design.

[fixeruperer]

honestly its way to much fucking around, its something you have to be way commited to do.
its like drawing the perfect picture in your head it looks orsum..how it comes out if it does is shit

[Blood Child]

lol you're quite right there. i've had that issue on all too many projects, but surely the inner workings of such a vehicle need not be pretty?
as far as the shell and other 'pretty' bits go i understand that i would need professional help, but surely everything under that merely needs to be strong, safe and functional?

[Blood Child]

i might drop in and have a chat with this guy sometime soon, as he's just down the road from me: