Sorry to hear what you have been finding...
From the sounds of it, doing alot of the work yourself sounds almost like a needed way to go, unless you have the budget for an astronomical panel shop bill (to have the metal work done correctly) Just guessing with what shops around here charge I bet you would be easily looking at $15,000 without paint work if it's that bad. Labor cost to have a real shop fabricate all that missing stuff is what would kill you. I know a panel shop in Oz real well who has some amazing metal guys..they fab alot of stuff from scratch for 30's era oddball cars and alot of muscle car and street rod custom one off from scratch. You would tear up $30,000 at a shop like that without trying. (he gets $15,000 to start for paint jobs..)
An english wheel, shrinker/strecher, bead roller, good mig welder, brake and folder, etc might be a good way to start out, and practice, practice.
Getting the body blasted or dipped to start with will give you a good idea of what is really there.
You might consider a rotiserie...make it much easier doing metal work at all angles and what not...assuming you decide to get into it yourself. (and that it's bad enough in alot of areas to warrant the rotiserie and all other equiptment)
Just my .02 worth
PS. My Torana is coming along at least... made up the LS1 wiring harness and got it layed onto the engine..still tons to do, but it's coming along.
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