Enough with this "Originality" crap!!!

Sometimes I feel like Charlton Heston in "Planet of The Apes" when Dr. Zaius had him thrown in the Ape prison. Remember him pounding on the bars and screaming- "This is a madhouse!" "A madhouse!"  The other day I was driving my Hurst/Olds and another driver followed me into Jack In the Box. He was driving a 1971 Olds Cutlass. Not a 442, but a clean, relatively rust-free 2 door Cutlass. He was obviously planning to restore it.  He complimented my car, and then asked if I had any advice for him, as he wanted more power, but didn't know really how to get it. His car had a 350 Olds V8 with a two-barrel carb, backed up by a Turbo 350 automatic.  I know 455s, are scarce nowadays, so I gave him two options.  "Well, the easiest things would be to put an Edelbrock 4bbl carb and intake on the engine you have, a good dual exhaust system, and maybe put a B&M or TransGo shift kit in the trans." "That's all relatively simple, won't hurt gas mileage or driveability, and will make a huge improvement in performance."  "Or you could go to a junkyard and get a 403 Olds out of a late '70's Firebird or Riviera or Olds 88 or 98." "I still see them in junkyards., and their externally identical to a 350."  "You'd have 53 more cubes, and if you put your heads on it, ( 1968-72 350 heads have 70cc combustion chambers as opposed to later models 80-83cc, although the bolt holes would have to be re-tapped for 75 and later blocks ) you'd raise compression from 8:1 to about 9.5:1." "Put an Edelbrock Performer intake and matching cam with that, and you'd have a real stormin' 400 inch V8 that would look like a stock 350."  Wait for it--"But then it wouldn't be original."  He said.  I gritted my teeth, smiled, and said-"Well if you want it to look totally stock, I'd search junkyards and swap meets-Olds made a ton of 4-bbl 350's in the '70's."  "You ought to be able to find a factory iron 4bbl intake for $50 or $100, and Summit sells rebuilt Quadrajets."  "You could also put a mild cam in your 350, and no one would know, and you'd still have a numbers-matching engine, with a little more oomph if that's what you want."  Again- "But it wouldn't be original."  "Then you have to live with however your two-barrel engine runs."  I replied. "I don't mean to disparage your car, but it's not a 442, a Hurst / Olds, a W31, or even a Rallye 350."  "A base-model Cutlass isn't worth any more or less because of the intake manifold."  "Look, you said you were going to repaint it the original gold color." "I feel bad for insulting your car." "I'll sell you the gold Rally Wheels that came off this one."  "Why would you do that?"  "Because I like the Center Lines that are on it, and if I ever want to make it stock again, '70's Olds Rally wheels are a dime-a-dozen, or you can get new reproductions from Wheel Vintiques."  "And they were OPTIONAL on base Cutlasses in '71."  "No thanks." "Mr Hubcap is trying to find me original hubcaps."  "Your not even going to put mag wheels on it, factory or otherwise?"  I asked, incredulous. "No. It wouldn't be original."  I really had to resist the urge to scream-"Am I in the "Twilight Zone?"  "Is everyone crazy?"   I just don't get this ultra-anal obsession with being "Original" on stuff that doesn't matter.  If your restoring an LS6 Chevelle, yes, I get it that you want a factory aluminum intake, and a #3310 780 Holley, (even if it doesn't have 1970 date codes ) rather than an Edelbrock Torker and 850 Double-Pumper.  I understand.  I get someone paying extra for a "Pistol Grip" Hurst shifter for a 340 / 4-speed Challenger rather than just putting in a "Generic" aftermarket Husrt Competition Plus or Mr. Gasket, or Summitt shifter.  I fully understand that. I'd do it myself, if I owned those cars.  But you haven't "Compromised" the value of  a 69 Malibu by putting Cragar SS mags and big tires on it.  Your 66 LeMans ( if there's any that haven't been turned into GTO clones left ) isn't "Ruined" if you pull out the 326 / Powerglide combo and install a later model 350 or 400 and a Turbo 350.  You can't compromise the value of something that wasn't worth anything in the first place.  If someone even thought of putting a 10 point cage and a Supercharged 5.4 mod motor in a 1966 GT350 Shelby Mustang, I'd lead the townspeople to his home with torches.  But if someone wanted to do that to one of the other 3 million or so base-model 289 65-66 Mustangs out there, who cares?  Please, people, listen to reason!  Mastermind