Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Lotus 7 type tit car might fit the bill?

This. Any Locaterfield is going to be a lot easier to build or rebuild than anything with a monocoque steel chassis or a steel body. I've known people build a Caterham kit from scratch in a very busy weekend. All the bits are accessible, it's nice and light, and the chassis is usually made from reasonably thick tubing so it's tolerably easy to replace tubes if necessary. Plus it's fun to drive.