I've been building my own for over fifty years and learned a lot along the way. Patience is indeed a virtue and every time I got in a hurry and tried a shortcut it bit me in the ***. Over the years I have managed to master every skill except upholstery and I will continue to leave that to the guys that make it look easy. I retired a few years ago and expected to work full time on my hobby but there are days that I decide to play with the dog instead. I built the ch***is for my current '40 Chevy and them started stripping the paint to see how much body work was needed. I ordered both inner and outer rocker panels for both sides along with rear quarter panels and cowl corners and a front floor kit from *****in Products. I have one side done then decided to work with paint color. I went with a bc/cc PPG called Dark Garnet Red Metallic which looks like the shade of Maroon I wanted. I fixed the dents in the trunk lid and painted it to see what it looks like and it is spectacular in the Sunlight. I guess where I'm going with this is that there is no rules for building a good ride. Sometimes you have to take things apart several times to get it right but in the end the finished product is worth the trouble. Either buy it or build it but enjoy it until the "last one I ever build" pops up.
Hey HRod, I'm with you completely. I don't have the cash to pay someone to do some of the work on mine, but I *sure* wish I did! The hardest part has been working outside all the time because of no garage, but I get it done. This is my first build, do I'm attributing a good bit of my impatience to that at the moment. Once I started digging into the car, there was SO much more to be done than I thought....but thus is life I suppose. Other guys that have been doing this for years and years tell me that they have at least two cars, one finished, one in the works. All that so they can get the enjoyment out of one ride to keep the impatience at bay on the other! Until then, I sit in the driver's seat more and more often and make vrroom sounds.