A500/A518 to Gen-III

BTW, BPE is pricey compared to other places, but....
You are buying experience with that purchase. Randy will talk to you all day long if he isn’t swamped about your project and give advice. Some guys ***** about the prices, fair enough, but you are paying for more than just the piece.
You are probably right. And I wouldn’t even dispute rather it’s worth it. I think you are probably spot on with what your buying. If you want others to build it and kit it, you need to expect it to have a price tag attached. I’m just thinking, again like you, I may be able to engineer something for less money. Guess this is where the saying about why they call it a hobby comes from. It ain’t cheap for sure....