Fascar, how much can you spend? I might be willing to sell you my 97 for less than you might think. There are a few things wrong, the biggest being a non-working top. But I am starting to look at upgrading anyways (maybe an 03 S).
I also can understand where you are coming from, I was 20 when I bought mine. I couldn't afford anything newer until now, (the navy is going to give me 40k to re-enlist). So if you would be interested, you can email me at
jiggysubman@earthlink.net. I could send you some pics, and tell you all about it. I would set the price somewhere around 15-17k. I've put some work into it, including RMS job from dealer 10 months ago, new water pump, new serpintine belt and bearings, window regulator on drivers side, and a new crest on the hood.
Like I said, I can totally understand where you are coming from, because this was totally me 14 months ago. I wasn't planning on selling for another 6 months or so, and I plan on having the top fixed before than. So I could sell it to you sooner, but without the top fixed, or you could wait until i had it fixed (paying more of course). Email me if you'd like, we can talk more...