Ok some of my lurking .02 cents on this matter....
I think some of the beauty of FFR is you can go as big and bold as you want, or as basic and budget as you want. Either way you get an extremely safe and well engineered chassis. Basic kit is $12,990... You can find donor mustangs really cheap. Reading about all kinds of builds on different forums, some people don't even powder coat any of the panels. A little engine degreaser on the engine and their favorite rattle can color and in goes the engine. The levels are endless....
Some people build them in record time.... Some take years.... If you take the long road, that can also help you absorb some of the bigger costs if you go that route.....

Don't give up on the dream Dan
There are endless options....

Kurt