The first thing I will say is steer clear of Model 1, their quality (or lack thereof) is not what it should be... but that's why they are so cheap.
Now, if you want to build a high quality AR, you can definitely do it cheaper. You can build Colt quality AR's for RRA prices.
The easiest way for most people, and the best bang for the buck would be to buy a complete lower and a complete Stag upper. You can do that for about $750 and they rival quality of some of the rifles going for $1k.