Cetme308, its not actually as involved as you think. I used two basic things, a scroll saw and a cordless drill. if you have patience you could very easily use a $10 coping saw instead of the scroll saw which are about $120 on the low end new. In regards to the parts that I used on this specific car I have listed them below. With the body I'm not quite sure, the suspension towers offer some options and I put a SCT body on it the other day and it looked alright except for the width of the wheels was too wide. I'm thinking on the next prototype of building more of an exoskeleton of plastic around it and leave it as more of a sand rail.

$22.05 NTM Prop Drive Series 3548 900kv Brushless
$28.46 Turnigy TrackStar 1/10th scale 60amp
$13.19 5x11 Bearings x12
$15.00 Traxxas 2388X Differential (Traxxas Slash)
$3.00 Traxxas 3696 Idler Gear (Traxxas Slash)
$8.00 23t 48p 5mm pinion gear
$6.00 Traxxas 1951 Drive Shafts (Traxxas Slash)
$5.00 Traxxas 2753X Stub Axles (Traxxas Slash)
$4.00 Traxxas 4628R Differential output yokes (Traxxas Slash)
$36.00 Traxxas 3760A Shocks x2 (Traxxas Slash)
$3.00 Traxxas 3637 Front Axles (Traxxas Slash)
$6.00 Traxxas 3654 12mm hub hex x2
$9.96 Tower Pro metal gear servo
$18.12 Cheap wheels and tires off Amazon

$177.78 Total

Plastic cost is less than $10 even at the very low quantities I am buying it at.