Absolutely heaps of potential candidates, but the problem is going to be filtering through layers and layers of rubbish to find the one gem!. As above, condition is everything here, even the most inherently reliable choice could be a money pit after a decade and a half of unsympathetic neglectful owners.

Main thing is to keep it simple. Naturally aspirated engine and manual box. Use the MOT history check to get an idea of how well or otherwise the car has been looked after.

Also, where are you?. Be quite happy to have a look at what is nearby on Autotrader or Ebay.

Obvious first question, why not an auto. At this price are they just inherently bad news ?

Not inherently no, but a manual gearbox is simpler, will be easier and cheaper to fix should it go wrong, and your choices will be considerably wider. For a reliable auto box at this price, you'd be looking mainly at t/c auto, which is going to be noticeably less efficient that the manual equivalent. Because of this (relative) lack of efficiency, perfomance, which may not have been much to start with, will also be blunted. Not much of an issue around town, but more so at motorway speeds.

Beware of rust! Especially underneath at the rear.

Check MOT history for any tester's notes. A car with a long list of items needing attention has not been well maintained. Vehicle MOT History - GOV.UK