check out my blog, and read through the faq if you have time.
www.mattmunson.com/r2/
There are SOOO many variations on building materials and techniques, that it's almost an impossible question to answer. Also, your building ethos will drive costs. Does he have to be club spec? Do you just want something that "looks like" r2 to the casual viewer? All metal? Wood? Fiberglass? Do you need a metal dome???
Your question is very similar to asking "I want to buy a car. How much will it cost me?" There are an infinite number of variables that go into making a car, and there are TONS of decisions you would need to make to figure out what kind of car you would need. Same thing for R2
Another thing to consdier is tools. If you don't have many tools, you can expect to spend another chunk of change getting them. I went nuts on my guy, and probably spent upwards of 20k from start to finish. And worth every frickin' penny. But I went "Cadillac" in every aspect I could think of... and he STILL isn't perfect.
I think if you set your mind to it, played your cards right, were REALLY resourceful, and had a lot of time and patience, you could put together a respectable R2 for 2k. A LOT of stars would need to line up perfectly for that to happen, but it can be done. That assumes you want some degree of remote control, use resin and wood parts, rattle can spraypaints, not a lot of electronics, and will cut some corners on detail and accuracy. Heck, now that I think about it, you could probably do it for a little cheaper.
Hope that helps a bit.
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