I would second the advice that you should just store the car and get a cheap car to get you to work until you are in better financial shape. The car may have been a steal but the chances of you borrowing money, buying a transmission, and ending up with more unforseen problems are substantial. You don't want to dig yourself into a deeper hole with no guarantee of reliable transportation at the end.
The painful truth is that personal loans are really hard to get. There is absolutely no collateral or protection for the creditor like a car or a house. To get that much money on a personal loan would likely only come from a creditor who you had a long term relationship with, and would require a much higher score. Even if you are to get approved somewhere the interest would be so high that you might as well get a cheap used car now and it would cost you less than the interest you would have to pay over a couple of years.
As far as debt collectors go, it doesn't make financial sense to take out a very high interest loan to pay them off. You are better off just working with them and coming to some sort of a payment plan. Often times you can negotiate some favorable deals where you pay very little if any additional interest. It is much better than a personal loan.
Good luck to you.
