Well I really like the closed top style but the fiberglass bodies seem to be almost double or triple what the entire t bucket kit costs. I realize I'm going to have to spend some cash but this will also be my first build (or attempt at one)...
Your suggestion on finding an unfinished project though might be what I want. I've been looking around and there seem to be a good amount of them out there, especially for the body style I like.

Dave: Funny thing about Boise, they don't have a community college
I moved here from Denver and was kind of blown away by that. Their welding class through BSU runs almost $1000 and is very hit or miss because they sometimes don't have enough people to fill the class.
One of my thoughts was that I might find a local builder around here that would be willing to train "lessons" for shop help (cleanup, random stuff, etc).

Thanks for the welcomes/tips...