By a beater for your first car, but maybe a project beater that you won't get too tore up about when you wreck it or drive it into the ground. If YOU buy it, you'll probably take good care of it (or at least better care of it)...

I'd reccomend nothing over $5K for a first car... they tend to be expendable, and the less you spend on the car, the more you can spend on mods...