I'm looking into government auctions. Does anyone have any advice or recommendations?
Damn, I loved that Pontiac! I'm still grieving. Who says that cars are inanimate and can't return love (like pets?) THAT CAR SAVED MY LIFE.
This is a picture of me in the early 80's with my DATSUN (before they changed the name to Nissan) truck.
I still own this truck. We use it as a spare and the paint is a little shot, but it still runs great; sings at seventy miles an hour, passes the CA. smog test, and costs pocket change for tags and insurance. Offers to buy it are pretty regular when I'm out on the streets with it.
Yeah, I'm still pretty attached to it. If it got totaled tomorrow I would probably be feeling like you are right now.
The Lord gives, the Lord takes away. The Lord will provide you with something just as satisfactory.
Nonetheless, all due honors to your snazzy Pontiac which has given itself to save your life. 
Honestly, you should get good money for your car from insurance, I'd go to the local car lots and look, whether you'd be buying new or used.
Trying to get by on the cheap at auctions is something naive people get screwed doing... mechanics, dealers, and traders can go into those deals, but unless you really know what you're doing, work with a local business in your town that you can find again.