What does it cost?

A great post!! The $$$ can be daunting!! The willingness to DIY is huge here. Sometimes we all have to admit that a task is beyond our capabilities, BUT... Trying and learning can be half the fun, and the pride of "I did this!" has a value beyond calculation!! There are a few things Ive learned over the years that can make a seemingly unaffordable dream become reality.
*Network!! Meeting local people with resources/parts/skills is huge!!
*Use your day job!! For instance, if youre an electrician, maybe the body shop guy needs his kitchen rewired... Trade your skills for someone else's!!
*Be consistent. If your searching for a certain part, a car, or whatever, do it every day, a few times!! Thats the only way to catch "the deals" when they pop up!! (And they will!!)
*Share your hobby. Even non car guys have an uncle with "an old Dodge" in their shed. Even that kid with the "fart can exhaust" Honda could be a source of somthing for your build. So dont discriminate!! Youll never find out if you dont talk to people about your interests!!
*Reference materials. If you dont know somthing...crack a book!! Now we have online sources, youtube, etc so its even easier!! Beware of taking online stuff as gospel of course, and invest in proper manuals. But, fact is, you can do this. Dont be afraid to try!!
*Be realistic with the end result!! If you arent going racing, your daily driver block doesnt need expensive align boring and torque plate honing!! Im not saying ignore flaws or cut corners, but "in-spec" works. 'Perfect' is the enemy of 'good enough'!!!
*Lo-buck doesnt mean a poor job. Doing things on the cheap can still have excellent results. "$$$=quality" is not always true.
*Rebuild instead of replace. You can save tons through a build if you learn to troubleshoot and repair things rather than replace them. Engines, transmissions, alternators, starters, radiators, distributors... Almost every part on your car can be repaired cheaper than replacing it!! Every dollar you save can be spent on things you cant/wont do!!
These are just thoughts for someone taking the plunge. Ive been lo/no buck most of my life, and of all the great Mopars (5 68 Chargers, 70 Challenger TA clone, 67 Dart GT, all restorations) Ive had over the years, my crowning achievement was probably the under-$3500 68 Dart a decade ago... A reliable daily for years,with a 440 that dipped into the 11s on the weekends. No she wasnt done, still needed front seats redone, and paint, but more time and another $1500 would have seen her finished. The fact that did it all myself, super cheap, made her prettier in my eyes than all the shiny, perfect ones before her. So a tiny budget, coupled with your time and motivation CAN see good results!!!