I built my own engine and did all the prep for paint including the filler/primer coat and block sanding. Starting with a frame, boxes of parts and the various body pieces I spent about 1500 hours to get to the drive it out the door stage. Most of the manufacturers were telling me that it would take about 600 hours. However I think they assumed that I would buy a crate engine and have someone else do the body and paint work. I also spent some extra time in lowering the seat area of the cabin floor about 1 1/2". Hope this helps you. For reference my car is a GTD, which is similar to Toranado, Southern GT, Bailey, DRB, RF etc.
I think build times are highly subjective...
Motivation
Funding
Sourcing or recreating those hard to to find or very expensive "Correct" parts
More motivation
Free time
Spousal support
A bit more motivation
Level of detail desired such as functional scoops, ducts, etc..
More funding
A load more motivation..
For some of us, it is more about the journey than the destination.. If you're not that much into the journey aspect, then trade a bit more funding to either buy one mostly completed or turn key..
Randy.....you forgot the most important reason...driving one!
BF has it right.
Actual hours? Hands on or thinking, both? Total elapsed time? "standard build"(whatever that means), mods, lots of mods?
Kinda like asking, how long will it take to be married? It takes as long as you want it to. In all honesty there isn't a good answer to that one, but expect a year or two to be done if you work on the car most days (5 of 7 a week) a couple of hours each weekday and 6 to 12 on the weekends, some more some less.
The trick for me is just DO SOMETHING almost every day.
Just put the ring on, jump in the sack, and go for it. Same deal in so many ways.
Randy.....you forgot the most important reason...driving one!
I agree..
Really? So what does "Driving one" have to do with the number of hours it takes to build one?
Patrick - As has been pointed out numerous times, your question is highly subjective. You may as well have asked how long it takes to paint a house.
How big is it? Do you want to do special things with the trim? Are you using a sprayer, a brush or a roller? Do you have scaffolding or working off of a wobbly old ladder?
Similarly with these cars.. Most are not truly all inclusive kits.
Do you want functioning ducts? If so, you will likely need to do a lot of your own fabrication as I have and others. At what cost? A heckuva lot of time and yes money. What about the rest of it. Do you want Gulf-Wide? Many mfgrs only have standard width body work and flares that you will need to adapt yourself. Time and money. It goes on and on and on...
What takes one person 1000 hours may take someone else 2000 hours. The average being 1500 hours. So what number do you like?
So, please don't be put-off by answers you get to questions like this.. Or at least, try to understand the vantage points of those answering you..