I've heard from some that you may end up at a disadvantage during an interview if all of your turbine PIC time is in props, but I've heard just as many say that turbine is turbine is turbine. I think the more important thing is to network... a good friend can be worth a thousand hours in this industry...
I wouldn't buy a car... your take-home pay each month on 1st year FO pay is pretty sparse... think instructor pay, only with benefits, because the difference in pay really just goes into your insurance and uniform.