[Mister Moose]

One difference no one has mentioned yet in doing your own restoration vs buying someone else's, is someone else's has multiple past owners and in most cases aren't going to come with detailed documentation on what work was done and to what tolerance. With your own restoration you know exactly what you have. If you're going to keep the car a long time, the added expense is amortized over many years. If you think you'll recover the cost of a high quality restoration in a short period of time, you're likely to be disappointed.