I'd say buy records with the money you have left. The question you have to answer is whether you believe that motor noise or motor-induced vibration is affecting the quality of sound you are getting. A second question is whether the speed is stable at 33 1/3. If you are having these problems, then the upgrade may be a good idea. If not, buy records or buy some cheap American stocks before the market rebounds and sell them in a few years to buy a VPI HR-X.
Cheers.
Cheers.