Honestly, if you would have saved up about $500 to $1000 more you could've gotten lucky, with a lot of searching, and found yourself something worth modifying. Hell, with $1,500 you can even find some VIP cars to play with or even something that can be VIP styled. Sometimes you can get lucky and find 1st Gen Lexus LS's and GS's for around $1,500 (although they still usually run more, even with high mileage). Even a 94-96 Infiniti Q45 is a rarity to see and those can be copped at around $1,500 or less (again, depending on mileage and aesthetics).

I remember when my car was in the bodyshop, they gave me a 91 Honda Accord to drive temporarily. That was one of the most embarrassing times of my life...and you want to modify yours? Your 87 Honda Accord should be nothing more than a daily driver. It's perfect for that, at least.

Now, if you still want old school, find yourself an AE86...