But I can get a much better car in my opinion for less money, I'm not going to spend more on something I don't like.
I paid £500 for my escort, i done 8000 miles in it and it never broke down. If you can find a classic that manages to repeat that then i'll eat my words, however i don't think that will happen.
Thinking with your heart will only cause you a massive headache.
If your so stuck on the idea of having a classic because you're too stubborn or 'individual' to own a normal car why not buy an MGB GT? parts are cheap and are still made to this day, they are very good looking, the rear hatch can hold a decent amount of luggage, they are mechanically simple and good fun to drive. 4k will buy you a reasonable example and you'll be able to easily improve the handling and braking to modern standards as many companies do upgrades for B's