Before you have too many cars around, I would check local laws to be sure there are no requirements to keeping them. Most cities require insurance and a current plate.
Also about your skills with welding... never say can't.. welding is actually really easy and simple. My first time welding was one of them high school trips to colleges to see what field you are interested in. I was able to use a wire feed welder and the guy watching me was shocked at how good it looked. Google how to weld and play around with some scrap metal (thick!) to get an idea, then weld similar metal as what the car has.
Fixing the prob should be the cheapest way to get around and there would be an option to taking it to a shop, but ask about diag fees first and make sure the estimate isn't out of your range (i would say no more than $300-400 max, but should be ~$150-200ish).
Talked with my dad real quick, who makes a living fixing cars, about your car and he said best way to check if the pump is working and the engine is getting fuel would be to look on the top of your engine where the fuel rail is. There should be a spot with a cap similar to the valve stem caps on your tires but a bit larger. Take it off and take a small screw driver to push down on the middle pin and stay back. If fuel shoots out all over, fuel isn't your problem and I would suspect ignition (spark). Just be careful and don't try to start the car till it all dries up. If it has no pressure (after cycling the key of course) then the engine isn't getting gas, so the pump isn't getting power or the pump is shot.
For the subject on spark plugs, typically it is best to stick to the factory brand of plug, for ford it is motorcraft, but don't let that stop you from using it. However, if you see a large decline in MPG, I would blame the wrong plugs. NGK is a good brand, so it should be fine.
On the side of money, check to see if there are any metal scrap yards near you, that is if you have storage area (outside). If you do, keep an eye out for metal things out to the trash that isn't too far from your house, or if it is small enough, just pick it up. Keep in mind this stuff goes fast. Scrap metal in my area is $275 per ton, and even small things are good to pick up. I would say min weight go for at least 10 pounds ($1.37). For larger things, you will want to know someone with a small truck to hull in the collected metal in bulk. Avoid things that contain hazardous waste or things bad for the environment such as a refrigerator or AC unit, they contain freon which is illegal and ozone damaging if released. Since your surfing craigslist, there might be a few freebies on there, you never know. You could target cars too, but there is more prep work, but the work pays
. Normal mid size car is about 1.5 tons ($420) + the cat, radiator, starter, alt, copper wire, etc you can pull quickly, should get easy $450-500. Of course if you don't know anyone with a way to hull this stuff, it would be a null point except to have an idea how much the probe is worth as scrap.
Good luck with the probe.