Welcome Lowbudget. You do not need a megabudget cubic dollar bankroll to build a hotrod if you are capable of doing most of the work yourself and have a lot of patience. I built the coupe you see in my avatar for a little over $7000. It took me 21 months to get it street legal and 3 yrs 3 mos to get it completely done. The most expensive single part was the body which I got (stole?) for $500. I did absolutely everything myself from fabricating the frame to trimming the interior. Anything you have to hire out will drive the cost up. Also, aftermarket specialty parts are expensive; anything you can use from other cars will usually save you money. I have parts from 27 different cars in my coupe.

Good luck and have fun. Hotrodding is a blast!