with this, im going to tell this bitch to stay the fuck out this thread, or at least dont take ANY of her advice, because she just told you a clutch affects how a car handles.
secondly, DO NOT BUY AN OLD RACE CAR. if that car has new pistons, think about why it has new pistons: because it was ran like complete shit.
you have to be stupid to be looking at old race cars, they are all driven like shit and you will be buying a shit car that will really fuck up on you.
there are plenty of cars for 1500 that are good deals. look for cars that have been owned by few people, and the person you are buying it from better have receipts kept from everything done on the car. buying a car from the original owner is your best bet.
you can get nice cars, with higher milles but well maintained, for 1500 and it will probably last you a while.
just look for a car from someone who has owned it for a while, and has documented all the major services done to it, so you know what you are getting yourself into as far as repairs down the line. major services are shit like new timing belt, water pump, maybe a clutch, etc.
and if you are serious about a car, pay the money to have a mechanic check it over. its worth it. if the seller wont let you do that, then dont buy the car.
i gave someone else a lot of advice about buying used cars in another thread, my dad sells cars and i have bought a few good and bad ones so i know what to look out for.