Even $2000 will seem like too much once you start doing the teardown, since you probably won't be able to use everything. All the things that make it seem worth 5500 are not what you really need from a donor. If the car had only 55,000 miles on it(like the one I had considered)then maybe. But instead I spent 1800 on a donor in much rougher shape. The 3700 I saved I put into a 347 stroker kit, AFR heads, etc. But even at 1800 I can't use the fuel tank, didn't need the lower control arms, have to get a non-tilt steering column, have to get many small brackets, re-did the brakes, replaced all hoses and cables, had to replace the quad shocks, wanted to convert to 5 stud wheels, had to replace ball-joint boots, decided to get after- market gauges etc. And another part of the equation is parts clean-up. New parts don't need to be sand blasted, wire wheeled, painted, powder coated, etc. Costs in time or money. A possibility may be to get a used or re-built engine and drivetrain, and most of the other parts purchase new. The one thing I liked about getting the Mustang that I did was that I could drive it and see if everything was ok. It also was fun tearing it down; I learned a lot. How you do it, which route you take, and how much you are willing to spend, is totally up to you. The things I mentioned are from my experience, take them for what they are worth. Go with your gut, it will work out. Glen