Full coverage on my 00 GTP is 75 a month(500 deductibles) my Trans Am was 90 a month, MPG in my GTP averages 25 my Trans Am was 19, MY GTP with HAI and headers feels almost as fast as my Trans Am did with just a CAI but never took either to a track for real times.
My T/A is a 96 it sat in a field from 99-04, I beat the hell out of it from 2004 till 2011, it was my DD for most of that time(3 winters with studded snows its not that hard) went to a huge car show 3 years in a row and destroyed brand new tires each year multiple street races just dogged the FVCK out, after 7 years the automatic grenaded itself first with the 1-2 shift then the 3-4 shift.
If it was me I would wait till you can find a 6 spd 96 or newer, that car is not worth 4500 but neither is yours, I hated the fact mine was an auto since the day I bought it but in 04 i only paid 1000 for it so it was too good of a deal to pass up.
Like i said used and abused