1st drag car
Just a couple randome thoughts here.
First question I'd ask. What are your basic mechanical abilities?
That goes a long ways in determining what kind of car to look at. If you have never been into this sport at this level. You buy yourself a car that is above your ability to maintain it. Well, you'll have a headache somewhere down the road. Even the most reliable of these cars are going to break or develope a bug sooner or later. Here again, I'm not insinuating anything about your abilities, lord knows, I'm one of the least mechanical persons out here, LOL! Just giving you some food for thought.
Second question, following Tod74's line of thinking. As a starter car, do you envision improving this vehicle? Or is this a step, use it to learn and perhaps sell or trade it in the future? If you intend to use it as a base to build on, you want a GOOD base.
Just trying to give you some avenues. Especially if you have "hard cash" just laying around for this purchase. Do some solid reseach on what YOU want to do with the car.
Nothing worse than buying something, getting it home and it not be what you wanted or expected. Better yet, WHEN you find that car that you can't live without, take a few of your buddies along that have no vested interest in this venture. They'll find the flaws and problems that your eyes either don't or refuse to see.
Good luck in your search.