the 1st gen neons can be lots of fun with a turbo 2.4 engine in it. You don't have to sleeve the block and worry about crankwalk. You have tons of auto options and a solid aftermarket following. Due to it being a Neon, it doesn't get any attention until the boost builds if you keep it looking stock. I would recommend checking out turbo-mopar and turbododge due to they are the older 8 valve guys who wrote the book on FWD Mopar and do 2.4 swaps on a regular basis.
For 3k including the car, you can have a fun car to piss around with.