So you want to drive your own classic car in next year's Woodward Dream Cruise, but you can't find a mid-'50s Chevy or early-'30s hot-rod ready to be restored. Don't worry, you can buy all of the components and build your own brand-new classic.

Since the late 1950s, Experi-Metal Inc. of Sterling Heights has been supplying automakers with stamped metal components -- body panels and trim -- used in the construction of prototype vehicles.

Because automakers have yet to produce the tools needed to stamp out body panels for future models, they turn to suppliers such as Experi-Metal to produce those panels for prototype vehicles for pre-production testing -- on the road and in the crash chamber.

To build such vehicles, automakers turn to Experi-Metal and other suppliers for steel body and other components.

At one point, a former owner of Experi-Metal was building up a 1932 Chevrolet hot rod but couldn't find a gas tank cover in good enough condition to be restored. But he realized his company had equipment that could easily reproduce the part. That led to a sideline business: creating new panels for old but valuable classics.

Valiena Allison (president), Gerry King (general manager and vice president of manufacturing) and Al Sharp (vice president of sales) bought Experi-Metal some 15 years ago. They expanded the business, which now includes some 120 employees working in 247,000 square feet of facilities in two Sterling Heights locations -- one for the production of cabs for fire-fighting equipment, and the other for building of components, including battery cases, for alternative fuel vehicles.

In 2007, they realized that by adding just a few more components, they could produce an entire classic car body. The result is a limited run of 1955 and 1957 Chevrolet-style body kits, as well as 1932 Ford- and Chevrolet-style three-window coupe body kits.

The kits are sold through CARS Inc. ( www.carsinc.com) of Rochester Hills; Sherman Associates ( www.shermanparts.com) of Washington, Mich.; and Windsor-based Cross Canada ( www.crosscanadaparts.com).

A 1934 Ford coupe is sold through West Coast-based Steve's Auto ( www.stevesautorestorations.com) and '32 Ford coupes are sold through Ohio-based Brookville ( www.brookvilleroadster.com).

All components are made from the same automotive-grade steel used by the original equipment automakers for their prototype vehicles.

A Chevy-style body runs around $34,500 with the front clip and around $29,000 without.

For more information about Experi-Metal, visit www.experi-metal.com.