Watch a lot of the car renovation shows.
You can have an old car completely renovated for like 30k
That's cheaper than just about any brand new car.
And you can keep buying old cars. You just are limited in selection.
I know one mechanic who converted an old Chevy S10 into an electric vehicle. It cost also about 30k and that was 13 years ago. He could do it easier, cheaper and better with today's parts availability.
These are in Canadian prices