I voted yes, because if you can get deals through friends... barter for work/parts.. do a lot of it yourself, you can really cut the cost on building a really nice ride. Also, starting with a non "desired" car... meaning, ones that dont go for $100,000 wrecked, is also a good way to start i feel. Besides, seeing really nice odd balls are fun!
Mine cost around $24,XXX to build, including the cost of the car.