I think the people on the IDI forums are pretty good about doing the work on their rigs themselves. If we weren't, we wouldn't own IDI's. If I paid someone for all the work that has been done to my truck, I'd probably have $20k into it. I realize not everyone has metal fab tools and a machine shop at their disposal, but; where there's a will, there's a way.
And smokin' good deals are always out there, you just have to be patient and watch the local adds closely. I think matching his build is doable if planned out over a couple of years time. You're not going to find the good deals when you're in a hurry to get them.
I'm really happy with the amount of money I have in my truck at this point, but it took about 5 years of scouring Craigslist to get there.