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Car Enthusiast Explains Why Many Project Cars Never Get Finished

Ever wonder why some project cars never get finished? Well, you are not alone. Usually, people tend to think it has something to do with money, but it is not always the case. Sometimes, project cars never get finished because of poor planning, too much work left on the project, or even external factors that have nothing to do with the vehicle.
matt brown working on his project car   57 photos
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by SuperfastMatt
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Matt Brown, an automotive engineer behind the SuperfastMatt channel on YouTube, made a video explaining his view on the topic, and we find it to be a good explanation for these situations. It should serve as a wake-up call for those interested in undertaking a project car of their own, as well as a warning for those who think these projects get finished overnight, just like you can see on TV.

Some of you may know Matt Brown for his previous work, which involved swapping a motorcycle engine under the hood of his Honda S600. He finished that project six years ago and has decided to Tesla swap a classic Jaguar. As you can imagine, things got complicated real fast, but Matt seems prepared to handle them. At this point, we should point out that Matt Brown has also written a book on how to develop a single-seater for Formula SAE.

With his previous swap experience, as well as his formal training, Matt Brown has even made a roadmap of the steps that someone goes through when undertaking a project car. These steps refer to those who prefer to work on their cars instead of paying someone else to do it for them.

As Matt notes in his roadmap, there are several "pits of despair" in the process of building a project car. The budget issue is the first to arrive, but others follow once the car is disassembled, or when it is running, but not driving, or when it is running and driving, but far from being street-legal, not to mention being complete.

With all the work involved, it may seem easier to pay someone else to do it for you, but some parts of the build might prove more expensive than you would like, and some people might even turn you down if your build is too ambitious. Yes, that is a real risk, so we suggest being informed before purchasing your first project car.

So, if you are considering getting your first project car, check out Matt's video on why many project cars never get finished. From personal experience, I can attest that they take longer to finish than what you might expect and that it will be way more expensive than what you initially thought.

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Editor's note: Various vehicles shown in photo gallery to illustrate project cars.

About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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