Read the books and this will give you a good start, but I will make a short list:
Hand tools: Dolly's and hammers. Buy a kit from the Eastwood ($60) company (on the web) or from you local body/ paint supplier. Also at a minimum one 16" and one 9 1/2" sanding board with wooden handles and clamps to hold standard size body work sanding papers. Also a palm pad. Eastwood or the paint supplier has these. $60
A small hand held grinder (Makita or whatever) with a 4 1/2 grinding wheel used to take off welds, cut metal etc. $50
A 6 or 8" disc sander for stick on sanding discs. You can either use electric $50 or Compressed Air. Compressed air tools are available from Lowes etc. relatively cheaply and if you are going to do a comprehensive street rod project, I think you will need compressed air.
You will find a compressor very handy to run grinders, orbital polish/sanders, cut off wheels, painting, sand blasting. If you get one, get as high a powered unit as you can afford. From $200 to $500
A wire feed MIG welder. It doesn't have to be big for body work. A Lincoln Weld Pak 125 is what I use for my home shop. I also use CO2/Argon gas shielding which reduces splatter and will give you a cleaner more professional weld and is adviseable though flux core wire is available and does not require gas shielding. Welder $500 to $600. If you want to spring for an automatic light adjusting helmet for $135, they are a blessing in disguise.
An HVLP top loading paint gun to spray primer and paints. $50
It depends on what kind of work you want to do. You can get by without a welder if you are going to stay with stock parts but if you are going to make modifications to body parts or weld in patches, you will need the MIG.
Patience and practice: I've never been to body work school, watched a body repairman or had any formal training, but I can build about anything that does not require an english wheel. Spend some time reading the chat boards and ask questions and practice, practice, practice. You are wise to start with something that you won't ruin. You can go to body shops and take their take off panels to work on. They are happy to have you take them away. This is a good place to start before you start on anything that will be driven.
Hope this helps.