It costs real money to go look at a car that is hours away. If its really nice, trailering it home can become expensive too. A half dozen excursions with mileage and hotels will put you down a few thousand at the start.
Contact the clubs in your state, there are cars out there for sale. And remember, photos do not reveal the overall condition of the car. Without a professional inspection, where wheels, oil pans, etc are removed, the novice has little chance of knowing what he is getting.
That said, we are enjoying our 31 coupe every day that is nice and have driven many thousands of miles in 19 months of ownership. It hasn't been cheap, but we're in our 70's and running out of time to do such things. No regrets, I'd do it all again.