Going back 40 years is perhaps a tad to far, though you don’t have an MOT to worry about if something falls off 🤣
Perhaps a modern classic or future classic, as they are now called thanks to the last Labour government. Even so you can’t keep the moths in your wallet,with such a car, but it would be somewhat easier to maintain. Even so, a level of commitment and dedication is required compared to a newer car.
My hopes remain coming across one of the last Rover 75’s 4.6 V8 in an equivulent exceptional condition to the V6 version, I recently gave to my daughter. The V8 Mustang shortblock, is fairly old school and simple to maintain.