I'll tell you the situation that I ran into. Fuel pump or something was bad in mine when I got it. I probably could have replaced the mech pump at the time and drove it. I decided to do a whole new fuel system with electric pump etc. Once I started getting things apart, I found rust everywhere. After cutting out all the old rust, I decided that I'd mini tub it since I needed the extra traction. Then that turned into doing a 4 link, all new wheels, tires, etc. Then a roll cage. Got it all back together enough to drove it about 20 miles. Had detonation issues and motor started smoking a little. Worried I had hurt the motor, pulled it, found all kinds of rust up front in the frame and crossmember that I've now fixed. I'm talking the kind of issues that would make the car unsafe to drive. Wiring is crap so I'll rewire the car now too. All new front end will be going in. I've been at this for about a year and a half now with thousands of dollars spent that I had no intention of originally throwing at it and don't know when I'll get this thing back to where I will really start enjoying it. I've had maybe about 50 miles of actual driving with the car. It was 50 miles of pure enjoyment, but it wasn't enough I can tell you that. In my personal situation, it was better that I tore it apart before I went down the track and got myself killed from something failing in the front end. If you don't have any structure problems like I had, I'd do like others have said. Drive it and make a list of things you'll want along the way. Save up, tear it down later knowing what you are going to do and have a plan. Not having a plan and getting sucker punched in the face with surprises and having to keep emptying your wallet SUCKS during the build. Take it from someone who is going through that very situation!
