I agree with Tim here in regards to life being too short for regrets, which is a principle I've adhered to since I was about....er....15 Shame about that 15-year rule (does a "kitcar" somehow become safer with age??), but when the authorities refer to "kitcars" do they mean "one that was amateur built at home" or does that also include a factory-built example? For example, you couldn't import, say, a recent Caterham Seven that had been built in someone's garage, but one assembled professionally at the factory would be OK?
If that's the case, your options could be greater as not everyone assembles their own cars these days, and would include LBs (or ListerBells as they were known till a couple of years ago). Quality of the kits is excellent but a lot depends on the skills of the builder - and for older cars, that might not mean as much these days as they could have been rebuilt to a greater or lesser degree. Have a look at the build threads on here to give you an idea of what's involved and what you need to look at. You're right though, you can't beat seeing something in person. Maybe soon you'll be able to jump on that plane...maybe even commission your own build as new??