Personally, if I were to start over, i'd just save the money hard and buy good stuff first time round.
I got caught up in a 'I just want a stormtrooper outfit' mode, bought a set, then had to make loads of mods to it because I couldn't afford a 'decent' kit.
I'd use the extra time to do as much research as possible. I'd even buy a helmet kit first, build that, finish it THEN get the full armour.
Just my 2p