[Tinker51]

Welcome Lane,
It has been said a couple of times here but it is worth repeating. What you think you can build one for and what you can actually build one for are almost never anywhere close to each other. This is really for a couple of reasons. One, plans change as the build progresses. You may have envisioned a donor build but then things get out of hand and you end up with some monster motor that cost almost as much as the kit alone. The more likely suspect is that there are tons of incidental small costs that add up over the course of a build. When I was looking I sat down and took a guess at what I could build the car I wanted for, then found some guys who had about what I wanted and asked them what it actually cost. I was not even close. If you go a pure donor route then yes I think it can be done for around 30K but you don't have to do too many "extra" things to go way out from there. Also yes, dropped foot boxes are a good thing. At 6'5" and 230 lbs. I fit better and can drive more easily in cars with dropped footboxes. Hope this helps and happy hunting.