For the record, we paid $3000 for our Charger. My brother and I did all the mechanical work (except engine and transmission rebuild), took off all the paint, and did all the small part detailing. We hired out the sheet metal work and body painting. Not counting the hundreds of hours of our labor (remember this is a hobby!) we have $18,500 tied up in this car (including initial cost). We could have spent more money in some areas and less in others.
When it comes to wanting to restore a car and if money is no object, I'd do what I wanted. If your doing this on a budget (and who isn't) you really need to do your homework before jumping into this hobby with both feet. It's not hard to do the math and see that it takes hard earned money to get into car restoration. Once you've decided and still want to tackle this hobby, that'll be one more classic old car that is saved from the crusher! Good Luck and Happy Wrenching!!