Hey man,
I read your post. Couple years ago I was where you are now. I read Super Street and a mag called Project Car. Project Car is great because it's pretty detailed about how to do things to your car yourself. Everything from motor swaps to a simple intake. I own a 240SX. It's been my dream car for years and I finally have one. I love it because they handle great and are pretty decent power wise. I found mine on Craigslist for $600 with no mods. You may get lucky like me and find one for that price or not. Never know until you look and most importantly be patient. I'm still learning as I go but I'll help anyway I can if you have questions and I'm sure the other guys will help to. Just do your research before you buy something. Good luck and have fun with it. Welcome to VADriven!