What is the best way to buy a pre-owned car 5 years after bankruptcy?

I declared bankruptcy 5 years ago due to medical bills. Since then I have had no positive marks on my credit report, but no negative ones either. I've been working a steady job for 4 years now, and make a decent amount of money, but due to having to pour it into repairing my car, I havn't been able to save up more than $1000. I just moved into a new apartment where I am now paying very little rent, and I am making decent money, but my car really needs to be replaced. What would my best bet be? I currently make $2245 monthly, $400 goes to rent, $89 to cell phone bill, $100 to utilities. I read about buy here pay here dealerships and would like that to be my last resort. Are those companies that offer bad credit loans online legit? Or am I just going to be bombarded with spam with no end results? Thanks for any help!