[dsraven]

I think what it boils down to is that it is the owners project and the owner will have their own idea of what they want, and then when reality hits after they price out the parts, they will decide what they will do with their project. it is up to them and, when asked, people on the forum will give their own 2 cents worth of advice. the owner will do what the owner wants to do at that point. if there is a lot of money in the budget then there will likely be a lot more big dollar stuff on the project and likely less actual owner work being done and more sublet work being done. if there is a small budget, then it is what it is. you cant make a silk purse out of a pigs ear so you cant expect a backyard build to stack up against the big shop builds where all the tools and parts are readily available and the guys doing the work are proffessional builders who know the shortcuts and what works. of course the backyard builds will be out back at the big boy auctions even if they are awesome builds. simply because auctions are big business and the big shops will have more business coming back to the auction than the backyard guys will have. that litle thing called commission paid is a small number for the auction company when you compare the backyard guy yearly number to the big shop guys yearly numbers.
persoanally I am building a fame swapped 57 GMC because almost everything I need for the truck comes from the donor. frame, suspension, engine and driveline, cooling system, heater and a/c, seats, console, carpet, steering column, pedals, wiring, fuel pump, fuel tank, fuel filler, fuel lines, power steering, brakes, booster, master cylinder, wheels, tires, and on and on. for a few hunderd dollars you can pick up a decent donor vehicle. just price out a fuel tank or a rad for a stock framed truck and you will see why there are more and more frame swaps. don't get me wrong, I started with a stock truck. stripped it down, cleaned and sandblasted stuff, removed crossmembers, boxed the frame, built cross members and installed MII front end, built and installed a 4 link rear, fussed over brake systems, engine mounts, trans mounts etc. then I started adding up the bills paid and ones coming to finish that "stock framed truck" and decided that a frame swap was going to cover a lot of bases for a lot less cash. cash i could use for other stuff in life that I enjoy. yes, my truck will be a one off, it will eventually sell for waaaay less than the other, more refined, build option. but, it will have been within my budget, I can stop at ANY parts place along the road and have a replacement part in my hands within hours, and I will have had lots of fun building the truck. not to mention that when the time comes to sell this truck it will likely be enjoyed by the new owner for quite awhile before the other, more refined, build would have been simply due to the price point and the expectations that come with the higher dollar selling point of the stock frame build. a frame swap is not for everyone but, if you have more skills than budget, it can get the job done for a lot less. this is, of course, just my opinion and i surely don't mean to tread on the toes of those who have spent years and countless dollars on a high end stock frame build.