<VV>B-J

[Padgett]

Have had my "toy" for over 20 years and back then the muscle cars that sold 
new for $3k were going for under $1k. Poor MPG and high insurance rates did 
them in. Survivors were usually base-engined automatics, hardly "muscle 
cars" at all but these daze who can tell the difference ?

Most were sold in the rust belt so would not survive for long anyway. 
People talk about "California cars" but few were actually sold there, lots 
more GTOs were built in Baltimore than Anaheim.

Mine has a '73 400 block (but have a 70 coded block in a big baggie), most 
of the cost of restoration is often not replacing parts that were bad but 
replacing good ones with others that have the right date code (and recoding 
is an industry in itself).

Every time I see "numbers match" car I wonder just how much scrutiny they 
would stand but that seems to be where the money is: a car just the way it 
came from the factory, faults and all. I suppose in reality I am hurting 
the value of my Monza with Pertronix, aftermarket (heavier) rear motor 
mount, CD, Grant wheel, and soon to be snowflake wheels. Not anything that 
really concerns me, don't think I have ever had a "stock" car for long.

Case in point is all of the "muscle cars" today with poverty hubcaps. 
Reality is that when the car was ordered, there was a set of Real Wheels 
waiting under the bed. Same with radio block off plates (particularly with 
what Delco charged for OEM).

It is to laugh.

Padgett