First, be realistic with yourself with what you can afford in order to still live within your means. Yeah it would be cool as hell to own a car and mod it, but from the sounds of things your current situation won't make that possible...so be it. Just because you don't have a 10 second car in your driveway doesn't mean shit. Get something that is practical for you and affordable. You aren't going to be able to spend $2,000 on a car and have it run flawlessly for years on end. It's a bargain car, and is going to need some TLC in most cases to keep going. The challenge is a matter of finding the car that is reputable for playing the part of a daily, while not breaking down much. A lot of people have given you suggestions, but it seems like you shrug them off and give some sort of reasoning as to why it wouldn't work. I'm not sure if you think people just aren't being serious or what..but I'm willing to bet a few have been in your situation, so it would be wise to at least consider what they have to say. I'm not trying to flame you, but to me it seems like you need to be a bit more realistic.