If you're going to do it, do it right. This may not mean the $10,000 option. However, if you go into debt to fix up the car, go into debt enough to completely fix it up so you can reasonably expect substantial trouble-free life from the car.
If you can only justify putting a bandage on the issue, better to store it and wait (a couple years even will go by much faster than you think...) or to sell it.
