Get an 80, remap it and strip it. It'll be pokey enough to keep most 1.4/1.6's honest. Suspension and brakes too if you've still got the cash.
Guy I work with has a chipped 80 as his work hack and it's ace fun tbh. He's got the back seats out as he uses it as a van most of the time lol, but it's pretty nippy when it's empty!