Trust me on this one thing. You'll spend way less in the long run if you spend more for a better project car. Buying parts, even little parts, is normally done in multiples of hundreds at a time. Find a car thats not missing anything. If you haven't restored a car before it's REALLY easy to bite off more than you can chew, get frustrated, and give up. From the way you described the project you're considering it sounds like something it would take the average hobbyist (like me) years to complete. Try to start with a good, complete car even if you have to wait a little while and spend more. You'll save thousands in the long run. Thats my two cents.