Takeoff was from a dirt driveway which had a usable length of 330 ft before it curved north. Before takeoff, the pilot had bent several small trees back away from the driveway and tied them down so they would not interfere with the takeoff. There are numerous trees surrounding the area, with an opening at the departure end of about 40 ft wide. The wingspan of the aircraft was 38 ft 6 inches. As the pilot tried to fly through the opening, the left wing contacted a tall tree and the leading edge slat separated. The aircraft rolled and crashed inverted onto a guard rail of an adjacent highway. The aircraft was equipped with an automobile restraint system. The shoulder harness attaching bracket was located at the top of the bench seat. The shoulder harness strap came loose from that attaching point during the crash sequence. The aircraft had been reportedly rebuilt by the pilot who is not an A&P. There were rivets missing in the vertical stabilizer, and where holes didn't match up, new ones were drilled and screwed together.