if he can not do the auto->manny conversion himself then obviously it wont fall under his budget. get a set of springs and struts. ebay has tokico springs/struts packages for under 500. if you have money left over, get youself a front strut bar or sway bar.

i just bought a set of aerospeed( :barf: )springs, ctr front strut bar, a rear upper strut, and a floor bar. suspension will make a huge difference in how your car handles at high speeds/quick acceleration.