Right. I also put over $1,500 in parts into the torsion bar/leaf spring car example that doesn't need to be there. Stock UCA's with offset bushings, and boxed stock LCA's with new bushings saves you $700 (and that includes buying all the new bushings). The stock power steering may not feel great, but the ratio is already 16:1, there's $600. You don't need spring sliders on your leafs, there's $200. Now the price for the torsion bar/leaf car is $2470. Heck just call it $2,500.
And you could run Bilsteins instead of Hotchkis shocks, there's another $100. Or proforged ball joints instead of Howe. Even with the torsion bar/leaf car there's places to save a lot of money without seriously changing the handling ability. Yes, the car would feel a little different, but that's true of your set up vs. the RMS unless you can prove otherwise. The RMS kit includes some very nice parts and components. Yes, you can save money with your kit or HDK, but you're not talking about using the same components as RMS either.
If you want to play, post the cost of your kit if you include all of the parts included in the RMS kit, lets see what you get with your kit and where the money is saved.
Old prices don't count, just like the fact that I probably saved over $500 off the price I posted doesn't count. The prices I posted are new prices as of today, most are even rounded up to make nice even numbers.
As far as the Borgeson, you don't need it to go fast. The Hotchkis Challenger uses the stock power steering and a Howe quickner to get to a 12:1 ratio, it's plenty fast. The borgeson is just a 14:1 box, and its the same basic design as the stock system, ie, its a worm set up. Ratio and feel are the only differences, and both can be addressed for much less money.
HDK has posted prices in the $3,500 range, but those are older numbers. And back to the point on components, the HDK has a lot of options to save or spend more depending on what components are included. If you use the fancy stuff, like I quoted for the torsion/leaf car, your price goes up a lot. And you still have to address the rear suspension.