Your description of what you want would seem to fit just about exactly with a Factory Five Racing kit. Their kit will accept any Ford engine from 289 through 460, you just tell them when you order so they put in correct motormount brackets. Factory Five only offers Fiberglass body, but it is one piece and well made. There is no fabrication required, but you do need good tools and a reasonable mechanical ability. Their kit is designed to use either a Mustang donor, or all new parts, it is simply a matter of how much you want to spend. There is also a lot of good 3rd party vendors for this kit for add-on goodies. There is a large selection of wheels and tires you can use. I have 10,000 miles on mine now and believe I made the right choice. You might want to do two things. First, spend $50 and order their build manual (
www.factoryfive.com )which will show you and tell you about the build process. Also, go look at
www.ffcobra.com which is a forum specifically dedicated to Factory Five Cobra kit builders. There is a huge amount of information there, and a lot of people who help you during the build. You can complete a quality build for $25-$30 K, depending on which motor and transmission you select. I did a semi donor build and a reasonable amount of add-ons, chrome (including convertible top, tonneau cover and bumpers) for $26,500 which included sales taxes, registration and license.
Good luck in your search. Feel free to e-mail me with questions.
bill.haas@dptechnology.com
Regards,
Bill