This is so sad. Stage IV cancer.
I have an idea! Take note of which parts of your car are still good, then look for one that has those parts damaged, but is in good shape otherwise.
I felt attached to my Plymouth Acclaim LX. After years of driving expensive cars, I bought it slightly used, at a great price and drove it through 6 years of school. I fully expected it be a piece of crap! It turned out to be the most reliable and comfortable car I've ever owned. And it was a lot more fun, than you might think. During the same month, the Catalytic converter melted, and the transmission went out. The car had 230k miles, and just was not worth putting a lot of money into. But it had never been in an accident, all body parts, and most other parts were in excellent condition. I was just about to have it taken to the junkyard, when I came across a low mile Lebaron with dents in all the right places! It had been owned by an elderly person, who drove by Braile! I spent a few months swapping out the good parts from my old car, and ended up with a reliable and beautiful (IMO) reincarnation. I use it for tough duty work like taking my dog to the dog park, driving on unpaved mountain roads, driving through blizzards, trips to Home Depot, towing trailers of trash to the dump, etc. I have my time, and $1300 invested. Five years, and 35k miles later it has only needed 2 repairs. A starter, and a radiator, both of which were cannibalized from the old car.
Sorry that's so long, I seem to feel like I need to over-explain, because some people thought I was crazy to buy a 2nd old Chrysler, and restore it. Both cars were white, which helped. I doubt I would have done it if I knew the whole thing would need repainted at the end.
I sometimes face the same dilemma with my 240D. I know it's never going to be a really valuable car, no matter what I spend on it. If I wanted to take it to a high level of perfection, I should have bought a Coupe, since they should hold their value the best.