Over here its as it says in the title. A car you build out of a kit, most people will think of a Fake Snake (which even the real Snakes are fake, but thats another thread) or a LSIS (Lotus Se7en Inspired Sports car) Caterham/Westfield. The reason I ask is that I watch the odd program based in the US and they build a car from a "kit" and its roughly based on a Model T or is meant to look like a Hot Rod from the 50's. However its not classed as a kit car. Why not? After all it is a "kit", you can buy the "kits" yourself and build it yourself, but when you watch the programs they dont refer it to a kit car. So why call it a "custom" car when its just another generic kit car? Is it a form of snobbery? (not being insulting or anything, just wondering why kit cars arnt called that over the "pond")
It just confuses me when you see them build a kit car (or bike) and instead of calling it what it is, a kit car, they call it a "custom" car/bike. Even when you read about the shows etc in the mags, its still called "custom" rather than kit.
A kit car is built from a kit. A custom car is built from adding modifications to a pre-existing car that keeps its body, shape, and form factor similar to its original. That's how I define it.
The way I see it a "kit car" is an owner built car that uses the suspension of an existing car. Generally "kit cars" are built to a price and it shows. Upgrading from this method is the custom car where you or someone else builds the car from more base components or at the far end of the spectrum is the car completely fabricated without borrowing anything from an established manufacturer. FEW cars go this far as the costs get into nosebleed territory. I don't know of many one-off modern engines. There are so many alternatives readily available.
