if it were me, i'd go ahead and replace some of the things that mess up over time, like the timing belt, water pump, other belts, etc.... then get some new tires, maybe wheels and go from there. if you dont know how to work on your own car then just those things'll probably eat up your budget. you wont really get any gains but you wont have to worry too much about being stranded somewhere. oh, and get you a refurbished main relay so you dont end up like a lot of us.