David, you are right on the money with your evaluation of this kit. It’s a nice kit in many ways, but the shortcomings you mention would make it hard to build a nice factory stock, or even a mild custom, without a lot of rework. The two I built ended up being a early modified, and a radical custom for those very reasons. That front end, and the large amount of flash on the headlights made it a less than enjoyable build. I did love fabricating all the speed equipment for the flathead six though, once again because the 318 cu.in. engine offered as a custom option, was very lackluster, and seemed to be undersized.
Olderndirt