It was done earlier by Jim Hall with the Chaparrals.
"Although it was quickly banned, the 2J “vacuum cleaner” concept was copied eight years later by Brabham Formula 1 designer Gordon Murray who figured out a way to circumvent the rules." - Wikipedia
Figuring out a way to circumvent the rules was the reason for the F1 car being fascinating, and successful. It being a competition involving building the fastest car confirming to the prescribed Formula.
OG Can-Am was different - there were fewer rules, so things were limited by drivability. (Someday I hope to add a Can-Am car to my collection but I am also limited by driveability)
if you go for stuff that wasn't winning/famous at the time, the costs come way down. although since everything was bespoke, replacement parts are often complicated.
i have a '60s lotus 23, which was built for Le Mans, and it was very low six figures. but an engine rebuild is $30k...
Are track days the only viable place to find/meet these people who can help maintain such cars, or there are other ways. I couldn't hold back the question, but feel free to ignore
For stuff like that, best to go to the vintage and historic races and events. I explicitly looked for cars that were eligible for the Monterey historics (I have two currently.) It helps to find people who specialize in the vehicle you have, as well.
Trackdays skew towards much more modern cars. Although I met the shop that takes care of my stuff at one (they did Spec Miata rental, and now I race that too)
"Although it was quickly banned, the 2J “vacuum cleaner” concept was copied eight years later by Brabham Formula 1 designer Gordon Murray who figured out a way to circumvent the rules." - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hall_(racing_driver)