I'd strongly recommend you continuing to make a "car payment" to yourself.

• you won't get used to income you might not have in the future
• you will have a nest egg for repairs that are likely to be needed on a beater
• if you do this for long enough, you'll start to get enough returns to pay for your next car in cash and can get a more modern one (if you have kids, at some point you'll start to prioritize safety features)