Japanese cars have almost no value as collector's cars. Yet cheapo Japanese sporty cars like the Datsun B210 sedan or the 1600 and 2000 roadsters make great vintage racers for almost no investment. They are anvil-tough and easy to maintain. These engines are tricky to tune and expensive to maintain. Most are powered by small-block Chevrolets and therefore cheap and easy to race.
People actually have fun driving old crocks without worrying about hauling home a pewter cup.
In the world of motorsport, where everything is expensive, vintage racing still produces the biggest bang for the buck, not only in terms of pleasure, but also because, with care and good luck, your car might actually be worth a few bucks more than you paid for it when it, too, heads for the auction block.