I need help learning where to find a cheap good car for an 18 year old male

on his own? Im an 18 year old male living near dayton ohio.... things have been escalating with my family over the last year, ad the other night my dad kicked me out... im getting ready to move in with my best friend, but to continue on with my post secondary highschool education, (i take college courses almost 40 miles away) i need a vehicle.. i cant afford much because my dad took my money out ofmy account before i turned 18.. all 10,000 . now i have no money or resources for a car or supplies.. thank god im done with school but i cant go next year without one.. i have a steady job but only get about 30 hrs a week at minimum. I heard about sheriff auctions and them selling reposessed vehicles for nothing, but i am at aloss becuase i jsut dont know where to start.. and i really just need to know where to take the step in the right direction.. Help anyone??

You gotta do some research. Go to the largest city near you and check out the used car lots. If you've got a friend that's knowlegeable about cars bring him along too. Check craig's list and the classifieds. Do a lot of searching and don't settle until you've found the right one. Some things to note:

- check the brakes and tires; if they're bad they'll cost a lot to replace.
- on front-wheel drive cars check the rubber boots on the drive shafts; if they're cracked or leaking they will need to be replaced. This can b cheap if you have a mechanic friend, otherwise it's a few hundred $$.

Good luck. I found a great car ('89 mazda mx6) last year for $1100. Good deals are out there.