late 80 early 90 economy car?

well im looking at getting a car for putting around town and the ocational longer drive. im looking for a standard and probly a 4 cylinder engine. im wanting something thats fairly fuel efficient i dont need much room as i dont haul alot of stuff (we have a pathfinder i can use for that) im thinking something like an older golf/jetta (some type of import i can work on (carbed if i can) and be able to have some fun driving)

There are many, many choices out there.
At that age, the condition of a car becomes more important than the brand, so keep an open mind and buy the best possible condition you can afford, instead of setting your mind on one particular brand.
If you really want a fun car, consider an MR2 or Miata. They tend to cost a bit more than a basic economy car, but they hold their value well.

Also, most carbs had been eliminated by the mid to late 80's. But the EFI of that era was simple to work on, and more efficient and reliable than carbs.

MagicRat (as always) is spot on. I would look to a civic, accord, or camry. Look for lower miles; I know it will be tough to find, but they're out there. A lot of those japanese cars of the era have lived long healthy lives to 250k, but that doesn't mean they have much left in them.

Right now on Ebay there are several civics from 87-92 with under 100k that are going for $1000-3000. I'm sure there are accords and camrys of the same description.

What is your budget to spend? Thats the only good way to determine what type of car to choose.

$2500 cnd which is just over $2000 us. (thats the max though, i would love to get something cheaper then that and use the rest of the money on other stuff, like fixing some body damage or etc)

If you really want something carbed, a first-gen CRX is a possibility. They're fuel-efficient because they weigh next to nothing, which also means that they handle really well. Generally, they're dirt cheap both to own and maintian. Unfortunately, finding a sub-100k mile first-gen (or second-gen for that matter) that's been taken care of is becoming increasingly difficult. It really depends on what part of the country you live in (assuming you live in the US).