If I may interject my not-always-so-humble opinion:
Fly the older planes. Save money. That's the crowd I'm runnin' with.
For me - it's working out beautifully. The Warrior I fly for my IR rents for $70/hr and the "Traumahawk" and C-150 (that's right - 150, not 152) rent for $45/hr.
Needless to say, I use the IFR rated Warrior for my lessons with my instructor and the T-bird for my solo cross-countries for time-building. They're slow..... slow = more TT.
The main thing is ask around. Find students and ask them about the maintenance. Find out if there are issues (planes constantly needing "squawks").
But, you know this already, Timbuff - you've been around a while. You seem to be a smart feller!
GOOD LUCK!! Keep us posted!
R2F