Yeah, 30k is certainly going to make it tight....
I went the other way and bought a cheap but registered and engineered example of an older kit. It's certainly not the most desirable one out there but it was solid, proven and drivable which was important for me.
I paid 36k for it with a 'handyman' feel
Most of the car was built on what was clearly a very tight budget. The interior felt cheap, the suspension was soft and soggy and the engine bay was a crime scene
you can see it in my gallery. It will need about 10-14k spent on the exterior to get to to a reasonable finish according to a few quotes.
Now add to that the 20k i've spent on a custom built 347 will all the best internals and efi to keep the engineering docs current. That also includes panel, prep and paint in the engine bay so that we won't have to take the donk out when we do the exterior. You can also add another 4k ish for nice gauges, tripod lights, chrome, good indicators and very good 15" street tyres and having the front end set up professionally after the heart transplant.
Then there is the work I've done at home with changing shocks and lowering the floor. Oh, then there was the custom exhaust.
I'm sure there is more but as you rightly said, I shouldn't have to aknowledge all of the expenses
So it owes me about 60 ish but I'm very happy with the driving experience.
I am however conscious that it's probably a 45k ish car now and if I ever end up finishing it perhaps it might bring 50-55k at a stretch.... Well that is par for the course.
The bottom line is that I love driving it, tinkering with it and eventually ill end up with what I want. Not what someone else wanted. I've had finished cars before but they were all... well..... Finished. And where is the fun In that? It's working for me but I thought you might be interested. Good luck with your search.