[Angelo DiTocco]

I'm going to give you a word of sincere advice. I'm not being cynical and I have no axe to grind with NHRA... or any manufacturers or builders etc......
What ever a reasonable person (and I'm assuming you are a reasonable person) thinks that building from scratch "should cost" and I mean a complete car ready to hit the road and be competitive - you literally have to double that amount. That's the reality of it. It would be wise to have the project fully funded / budgeted for before you buy anything. If you do your research you will find quite a few partially completed cars that owners are trying to sell because they underestimated the real cost. These cars might look like good deals but be careful.... if you don't budget for everything the project might need - you will end up spending more, much more, than you believed it would cost... or worse, not being able to complete it.
One of the safest ways to get in is to buy a turnkey car from someone you know well if that's possible.... where you know the history of the car well etc... From where you're standing - this looks like a more expensive way to come on board... but I can tell you, I built 2 cars from scratch over the years... and know the real deal.
What ever you do.... I wish you the best of luck