Welcome to the board!
If you want to spend a little bit more you can get a brand new 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata (turbo!) for around 18k
For a used one, just holler on here and there are plenty of us around the Dallas/Ft Worth Metromess that would be happy to take a look at the car to help you out. There are also a couple of good mechanics that can be referenced as well.
Raymond