i lived through the days of reliable $25-100 beaters, [yes, that was a day or two ago ] and that caused a buddy and i to start a junkyard.
it was amazing just how many cars we got for just hauling away, that only took a tune up to put back on the road !
in '75 or 76, i traded a pair of 5.60-15 VW tires for a 67 galaxy 500 2dr hard top, 390 automatic on the floor & 9" rear. NO rust body, but faded paint and wouldn't run.
it took all of 10 minutes or so to figure out the distributor hold down bolt had loosened up, causing the timing to severely retard. after an adjustment, that thing ran HARD !
today, i'm not in the market for a cheap beater, but i still occasionally scan the adds. there seems to be several choices every time i look that are very affordable [being a relative term] needing a minor repair.
however, there seems to be less and less of the population [of all ages] that want to get their fingers dirty, or learn how to fix things. then, when they find out it costs real money to have a shop repair done, and the junkyard scrap prices paid these days are low, they list on line for more and take an offer just to get it gone.
different parts of the country are not the same, so your results will vary. don't be afraid to search a state or two away.
police tow away auctions are another place to score deals, but you better be there in person and know WHAT you are looking at before you bid !