In terms of budget, I've heard to spend what you can on a good car. I want something I can drive day 1, and repair as needed. I don't want a project, so I can spend up to $40K for a really pristine, turn key car. I don't really care much about whether it is a resto, clone or original, I just want the nostalgia feel, something I can tinker with myself, and not be the everyday 911, or modern sports car. I am not a brand loyalist, but want to stay american so that I can find parts as needed without having to really hunt and possibly ship something from overseas. I would love as much horsepower as I can get, but I'm not looking for a track car, just something to cruise around in. I want to be able to spin the tires occasionally, but don't need something with 500hp or anything like that.
If I boil it all down, I want the smell of gas in a carb car, I want the sun in my face, I want to row my own gears, I want to take my family of 4 for rides, I want it to have some pep, I want to be able to work on it myself when things go wrong, but I want a good starting point, and I want something that has parts readily available.