Goal: To find a worthwhile used car for about $1000-1500.

Secret #1—Buy a foreign engine.

Whether it’s American or foreign made does make a difference.
Check the papers. Always keep an eye out for:

Toyota,
(Corolla, Cressida, Camry, Celica)
Honda,
(Accord, Civic, CRX)
Nissan,
(Sentra, Pulsar, Maxima, 200SX, 300ZX)
Mitsubishi,
(Galant)
Subaru,
(DL, GL, GL10, Legacy)
Mazda,
(323, 626, Protege)
VW,
(Fox, Jetta, Cabrio)
Volvo,
(240, 740, 750, 850)
or
Ford,
(Probe)
Chevy,
(Nova, Geo Metro, Geo Sprint)
Chrysler
(Dodge Colt, Voyager)

(Just make sure they have a foreign engine.)

You can count on their engines to last well past the 100,000 mile mark.

Look for cars between 8-12 years old.

Look for cars with a listing price between $1200-2000.

Then check the retail and dealer value.

Kelly's Blue Book