I think that if a prospective buyer of a Kaiser, Frazer or Willys car ever looked at the price of parts they would figure out that they could never afford to own one! It shows that you are much better off to invest the money in a restored car than to try to restore one.
I think that is true of most cars from the time period in question Gordie.
As the saying goes, a boat is a hole in the water you throw money into...a classic car is a hole in the road you throw money into.
But yes, it's far more economical to buy a car from any time period prior to current that has already been restored. While you will still have to throw some money in that hole, at least someone else has already thrown their money in that hole to get the car to a decent condition, and unless it's one of the highly sought after models (generally things like 'vettes and assorted muscle cars) you will always benefit from paying a lower cost than restoring one yourself.
Unless of course you have deep pockets, ala Jay Leno, or the ability to do most of the work yourself.