I believe that was the Holden Barina in Australia.
Should be a pretty easy engine to work with..
Or just buy a nice automatic produced in this century with a battery that works and call it a day.
With a manual, you can easily roll start your car. Basically you get the car rolling (slopes help) in neutral, then you jump in, put the car in gear (1st), and then pop the clutch (release clutch quickly).
If you're going to push start a car, use second or third gear. First gear has a retardedly high ratio and will jar the engine potentially causing damage to the motor mounts. Ask me how I know. :-/