The strongest connection we make with our cars often stems from spending hours with them, whether behind the wheel, washing them, or wrenching on them. A project car often requires lots of time from its owner, but some enthusiasts like to make it a little harder on themselves, and to that we say, right on.If you're looking for a different type of project car, building a vehicle from a kit could be an option. There are dozens of companies offering iconic cars available as complete vehicles, or as “rolling chassis,” which require a little more effort than just plucking one right off the showroom floor. If we had the time, these are the companies we would call for boxes of parts to build our own project car.All prices are sourced from manufacturer websites. Engine options are either recommended by the manufacturer or have been known to be used by owners. Build hours are based on factory times and kit assembly times reported by owners. Shelby Cobra Backdraft Racing a7409067-87458-scaledjpg1965 Backdraft Shelby CobraWe thought we’d get the obvious choice out of the way first with Backdraft’s duo of Cobras available for purchase. The RT4 Classic Edition starts at $66,900 before any accessories, such as custom leather interiors, dashboards, seatbelts, and paintwork. The chassis can be purchased from the factory in Boynton Beach, Florida, or from any of its dealer partners. If you want, they can also do the work for you, but what fun is that?The RT4 Black Edition ($70,500) takes away some creative freedoms and adds a black appearance package with darkened headlight surrounds, wheels, and bumper guards. Backdraft lists the norm of Ford and General Motors engines, as well as the Toyota 1UZ-FE 4.0-liter V8 from the LS 400 and SC 400. Cars can be built to handle a manageable 250 horsepower all the way up to a monumental 1,000 horsepower. Corvette Grand Sport Superformance large-cgs-vehicle-5-8985db3212Superformance Corvette Grand SportSold as a turn-key minus (TKM) kit, Superformance offers buyers of its Corvette Grand Sport a complete, painted body ready to be mated with the power and drivetrain of their choosing. For the same price as a new Corvette ZR1X, it’s a steep ask for something that isn’t quite complete. However, the current car doesn't have the style of the 1960s classic.Buyers have a wide array of V8 engine options, including several small-block and big-block choices from GM. Similarly, there are many gearbox options. The Corvette replica is available through Superformance's dealer network alongside its Shelby Cobra and GT40 replicas. The builds don't take as long to complete as most of the listed ones, so the 'Vette deserves a place as an option to park your money and steal your time. Lotus Seven Caterham 2014-caterham-super-seven-sv-web-super-7-lead-4-65714jpgCaterham Seven (BaT)Perfecting the Lotus Seven has been a primary pursuit at Caterham for over half a century. Lotus introduced the original in the late 1950s and then sold the manufacturing rights to Caterham in 1973. Several models are available, with prices starting at $50,195 for the Seven S, with the Seven CSR Twenty as the most expensive model, topping out at $95,595.Of course, a factory-built option is available, but that would mean missing out on bonding time with your car and any help you employ with food and beer. Caterham recommends using a few different Ford inline-fours to power the Seven of your choice and suggests Mazda’s 5-speed manual transmission with each to complete the experience. There's even a new electric model within the lineup, but we still think a combustion version is the purist's pick. Cheetah Ruth Engineering img-7947jpg20-20low20res-75035-scaledjpgCheetah Evolution (BaT)Unsuccessful at fulfilling its original mission of being Joker to the Shelby Cobra’s Batman, Bill Thomas’ vision of a Corvette-powered, custom-built sports coupe received limited time in the limelight before GM scrubbed its corporate racing ventures. In the mid-to-late 2000s, the custom sports car company Ruth Engineering began producing bodies and kits modeled after the original Cheetah.The base price for a roller chassis is around $65,000, which gets you close to a running car that’s some interior bits and a powertrain away from being complete. A body is available on its own for $9,500 for in-factory pickup, but if you want it prepped to ship, it’s another $2,000. Also up for grabs is the entire company for $200,000 if you’re interested, which might be tempting given that it's priced the same as some other vehicles on this list. Speed33 Hot Rod American Speed Company proj-allenAs one of two 1933 Ford-style hot rods on this list, this one is more for those with the means to make stunning, show-quality examples from scratch. A base body package costs $35,500, which includes a prepped steel body and little else. Accessories such as gauges, grills, hoods, gas tanks, door handles, and many other parts are available for purchase from the factory.While several engines are available from American Speed Company, one show-stopper has been known to feature a Roush-built Ford 511-cubic-inch V8. If money is no object, you too can spend as much as the high-rollers who’ve separated themselves from nearly $1 million on their custom builds. Beck Spyder Special Edition Inc. 1955-porsche-550-spyder-replica-dsc04259-67278-scaledjpgChuck Beck started making replicas of classic Porsches, ready to be powered by Volkswagen engines, in 1983 and has since expanded to include Subaru powerplants and even electric motors. While there are a few to choose from, the Beck Spyder is our pick for the price. It’s a recreation of the Porsche 550 Spyder, originally powered by a 110-horsepower 1.5-liter flat-four.The manufacturer sells three types of kits, Special Edition Inc., each lacking an engine. The Stage 1 package includes enough pieces to require a donor vehicle for extra trimmings like wheels, lights, powertrain, and more, but the more expensive pre-assembled body package gets you closer to the finished product. Ultima Evoltution Ultima Sports Ltd. a92ce0ea-3598-4b6b-8486-d224e9a4d9ceUltima Evolution CoupeOther companies are a little more liberal about how their kits are assembled or modified, but Ultima offers kits at multiple price points. In pieces, Ultima says its Evolution model “costs as much as a mundane BMW M3,” which makes for quite an intriguing comparison should the two ever be cross-shopped.Opting for a complete kit gives you unfettered access to pick the brains of the people who assemble cars at the factory who build each across the pond in Leicester, UK. Despite its English roots, each Ultima model is powered by one of a few GM engines the factory encourages, whether it’s the 6.2-liter LT3 V8 or its supercharged version (LT4). Both fit snugly behind the cockpit, and engine tuning can push the output to 1,020 hp. '33 Hot Rod Factory Five Racing r5-21465-768x456jpgFactory Five RacingMore commonly known for its wild Shelby Cobra builds, Factory Five also pre-fabricates classic hot rods with bodies replicating 1930s Fords for customers who don’t particularly care for automotive scavenger hunts. At $10,990 for a Stage 1 kit, the company also sells, and even encourages buying, its complete Stage 3 model for $20,990 with everything you need, except for an engine and gearbox. Rarely do these kits reach the heights that the Speed33 does, making it a great value for the price.If you want, you can squeeze in the engine of your choice. Factory Five has a partnership with BluePrint Engines out of Kearney, Nebraska, which tailors powertrains to the kits for a premium—nearly doubling the cost of the complete kit. Specifically, for the ’33 Hot Rods, BluePrint offers carbureted and fuel-injected GM 383- and 400-cubic-inch engines, as well as Ford 302- and 347-cubic-inch engines with the same treatment. However, some builds have packed Hemi V8s. Lancia Stratos LB Specialist Cars listerbell-str-2Lancia Stratos LB SpecialistThe LB Specialist Cars continuation of the Lancia Stratos is something you’re not likely to see at your local cars and coffee. That’s due either to the steep, six-figure entry price or to its builder being too busy thrashing it across makeshift rally stages. The UK-based firm sells complete kits and fully assembled cars and imports them (in kit form only) through its US distributor, Montane Motors. When one of the original 500 homologated models sells for close to $500,000 at auction, it’s worth looking into more cost-effective ways of making your dreams a reality.Sold in street-going and more race-ready variants, the two models draw power from the same 2GR-FE Toyota V6 used by Lotus. The Turin gets the 300-horsepower, naturally aspirated version, and the Corsica gets the supercharged variant that produces 450 horsepower. At $260,000, spending McLaren Artura or Porsche 911 GT3 S/C money on a Lancia Stratos might just be the right move for the Tony Starks out there who can afford to assemble their own kits. Ford GT40 Mk. I & Mk. II Race Car Replicas 20151010-183257jpgRace Car Replicas GT40At one point or another, we’ve all wondered what it would be like to be Ken Miles and company, helming a Ford GT40 at Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans. This helped narrow down the choice of a single model from Race Car Replicas (RCR), despite the others being Porsche prototype Le Mans racers, a couple of Lola and Jaguar race cars, and its own custom Formula 5000 car.RCR sells three kits for the GT40, ranging from the Standard package, which includes the basics like an aluminum monocoque chassis, bracing, some suspension bits, and body pieces to make it look like the first or second iteration of the race car. The Deluxe and Deluxe Plus packages come with more parts, but all three require you to supply your own powertrain. Some owners have opted for one of Ford’s small-block V8s, your choice of 289-, 302-, and 351-cubic-inch engines, some of which RCR says can be bored out to 427 cubic inches for an even more accurate thunderous bellow like the original.Sources:Backdraft Racing, Superformance, Caterham, Cheetah Evolution, American Speed Company, Special Edition Inc., Ultima, Factory Five, LB Specialist, Race Car Replicas