Has anyone here ever built, or know someone who built, a home made vehicle?
I'm not talking kit car, or upgraded car, but rather a complete custom built vehicle...

There are a few pages on the internet I found where people have done it, apparently successfully, but details are usually vague.

From what I can tell, it is totally do-able, but there is a list of things you need to follow, including keeping track of expenses, following safety requirements, and smog checking the engine that is in the vehicle.

Depending on the location, rules and stuff can change, but essentially it seems like this is not an impossible feat to accomplish.

Has anyone ever had any experience with this?
The reason I ask, is that I have a side by side vehicle I'm working on, and although it is not what I'd call a highway worthy vehicle, it would be nice to skip around the neighborhood once in a while without chancing a ticket or even impound.

I have DOT headlights, running lights, turn signals wouldn't be hard to rig in.
The axles are from a 1/4 ton toyota, so obviously brakes and steering is above and beyond being up to the task.
Windshield will be DOT glass, seatbelts can be installed, and anything else I need shouldn't be hard or expensive to implement.

Equipment Requirements for Dune Buggy Types and Specially Reconstructed Vehicles

1. Horn (ARS 28-954)- Like 20$ tops
2. Mirrors (ARS 28-956) - Already have
3. Windshield (ARS 28-957.01, 28-959) - Coming
4. Windshield Wiper (ARS 28-957) - Sure
5. Two Headlamps (ARS 28-924) - Have
6. Tail Light (ARS 28-925) - Have
7. White License Plate Light (ARS 28-925C) - Sounds like another 3$
8. Reflectors (ARS 28-926) - Another 20$
9. Signal Lamps (ARS 28-939) - Have
10. Brake Systems (ARS 28-952) - Have half, need pedal / fluid assembly
11. Muffler (ARS 28-955) - On engine assembly
12. Fuel Tank Caps (ARS 28-965) - On engine assembly
13. Emission Equipment (ARS 28-955C) - On engine assembly
14. Mud Flaps or Splash Guards (ARS 28-958.01) Another 20$
    

 

Also these rules are not from where I live, but generally they seem similar region to region as far as I can tell.
I can't find anything about doing this in Canada.

 

I ran into a kid up in Arlington Washington who built one out of rebar.

The basic shell of a '23 or a '32 or something was there, but almost everything else was rebar. His dad owned a rebar outfit.

He had a SBC with a 4 speed. 3 shifters, each a wrench or welded rebar.

Shifting was interesting. 1st to 2nd, pull on this lever. 2nd to 3rd--push that first lever back into neutral, move the second lever into 3rd.

Don't touch that 3rd lever, it's reverse.

He had good brakes on it, my buddies and I told him it was good work and good to see someone developing such skills and having the ***** to drive their work.

Perhaps I digress from the original topic.....

 

Thats a little easier since a factory frame is there.
I'm talking more guys that build hot rods and stuff where it is a ground up custom build.

As weird as it seems, people build them all the time and register / insure them.