I'd also vote for going with the kit. I'm on my 4th LT-40, cuz now I kitbash the basic plane and make some inexpensive fun-fliers.

Sig includes about everything you need to build the kit except engine, radio, glue, and covering.

Don't let covering scare you off. It's not really that hard. Your first attempt might not result in showroom quality (mine sure wasn't), but as someone told me, each time you cover a plane, it gets better and easier.

Go with the kit. You can have it framed and ready for covering in 2-3 weeks of part-time nights. Oh, and don't do anything after 9:30PM cuz it will take twice as long to undo it the next day

The only 'weakness' in the kit is where the fin attaches to the stab. In our club, we take some 3/8" triangle stock and reinforce that joint. Not everyone does that, but we do.

Go ahead and build the kit. Have a great time. Just show us some photos when you're done!