I love it when they say...

[Eric]

"Restored to factory" - but even a cursory glance shows numerous deviations from stock. Check this one out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ponti...ht_1100wt_1189

Now, it's a nice car; the paint and other work appear to be top drawer. But I own one of these cars myself and I'm something of an expert on '70s-era Trans-Ams... and I can tell you that:

* Engine color is wrong; '76 455 (and 400) V-8s were painted a dark metallic blue. The aqua color shown was used on earlier cars.

* That car did not come with headers or duals from the factory. Stock is cast iron doglegs with single pipe from the converter back to a transverse muffler mounted behind the rear axle.

* Master cylinder and proportioning valve are aftermarket replacements and not correct for the year.

* Tachometer is later style; factory is 8,000 RPM unit.
I wonder what else isn't right!

[quickcar]

The discription's of vehicle's I once grew up with, versus today, is changeing, Muscle cars now overlooks the former muscle cars of the early / mid 50's that started the words useage, and has even gone beyound the 60's, even now incompassing what formerly were Pony Cars with Muscle with the Chevelle's, GTO's, Road Runners, Spoilers, Bee's and such.

Even cars made in the 70's and 80's are being called "Classic's" now, another term associated with something far different and of another era.

So I'm not surprised by the loose useage of the term "Restored Original", or "Numbers Matching".

I also prefer the term "New Muscle Cars", versus just plain "Muscle Cars" when discussing the powerful Pony Cars of today, and Lord forgive my temper if someone says their Neon R/T, Civy or Toy and such are "Muscle Cars".
Rex

[Eric]

The discription's of vehicle's I once grew up with, versus today, is changeing, Muscle cars now overlooks the former muscle cars of the early / mid 50's that started the words useage, and has even gone beyound the 60's, even now incompassing what formerly were Pony Cars with Muscle with the Chevelle's, GTO's, Road Runners, Spoilers, Bee's and such.

Even cars made in the 70's and 80's are being called "Classic's" now, another term associated with something far different and of another era.

So I'm not surprised by the loose useage of the term "Restored Original", or "Numbers Matching".

I also prefer the term "New Muscle Cars", versus just plain "Muscle Cars" when discussing the powerful Pony Cars of today, and Lord forgive my temper if someone says their Neon R/T, Civy or Toy and such are "Muscle Cars".
Rex

Yep!

Another factor, I think, is that even '70s-era cars are now going on (or older than) 40 years old and some of the people who sell (and own) them weren't old enough themselves to have been around when these cars were new or commonly available as used cars, so they're not very familiar with them.

Put another way: When I was a kid/in high school, '70s Trans-Ams and Camaros were all over the place and may of us were able to own one ourselves. This direct, personal experience of the cars when many were still new enough to be original (or close to it) makes me much more sensitive to obvious deviations from original when I see one today.

But I bet most 25 year olds have no clue!