I personally don't see anything dichotomous in wanting a Kirkham and trying to stay within a buget. I have a great car, and feel I got a pretty dang good deal by keeping my eys open, picking up parts when I felt I could get a good deal (didn't always work
), doing some work myself, and prioritizing options.
Just because you can blow $100K on a car doesn't mean that you should. Personally, I feel BETTER about my car knowing that I got a pretty good deal putting it together the way I did. Just leaves more money for other things.
In reality, I'd say that most of the time you can buy a low miliage car for less than you can build one. But that's only MOST of the time, not all.
So there you have it, build your Kirkham, and save your pennies. Then laugh all the way to the bank (whilst riding in your new Cobra).