Well Dan, you are off to a good start coming here for some guidance. Lots of knowledge and opinions here. You will have to sort through that on your own, no guidance there
. I would suggest that you go to the websites of the various manufactures whose cars you might be considering to get an idea about frame construction. Some go with an original style frame with round tubes, others use channel steel for their frames. There are benefits and costs to both designs. You will have to decide what suits you the most.
You will definitely want to inquire about the build of any car that you are looking at and whether it has been titled or not. Ask for pictures of the frame and undercarriage to look for signs of abuse or neglect. A low mileage car (0-1,000 miles) may be a good or a bad thing. It has not been driven a lot and therefore has not been fully sorted out. All cars, no matter the manufacturer need some sorting out.
You will have a lot of questions to consider, including getting the car registered and passing inspection. Good luck.
Jim