For God's sake!!.......Just Drive it!!

I have talked to several people lately who really offended me with their anal, "It's not completely original" attitude.  Here's why I found the conversations so offensive.  Idiot # 1 had just bought a really nice 1963 Impala SS. The body was straight and rust-free, and was painted a nice silver color. The interior was perfect, having been redone with replacment upholstery by Year One. The powertrain was a mild 350 backed up by a Muncie 4-speed. It had 2 sets of wheels and tires-American Racing Torque-thrusts with BFG T/A radials-certainly a "Period Correct" look, and some steel wheels with whitewalls and original style "SS" hubcaps! The car ran and drove like a dream. And the Price was $8500!!  What a great find! The new owner sighed wistfully and said-"It's gonna be a while before I drive or show this one."  "What are you talking about?" I said incredulously.  "This car is an awesome driver right now."  "I'm gonna have a helluva time finding a 1963 327 to replace that 350."  "And a 1963 distributor, or Carter AFB carb?"  "I may have bit off more than I can chew." He said. "Are you planning on putting it in Concours shows?" I asked.  "No, I wanted to drive it on nice days, and maybe show it at Hot August Nights."  "Then do it." I said. "It's a great car."  "People will love it."  "Not with that unoriginal engine." he sneered.  "The car doesn't know what engine's in it, and neither will 99.9% of the people that look at it."  I replied. "Just drive it and enjoy it."  "I can't until its right."  I was shocked and appalled and thought he was maybe a 1 in a million moron.  I was wrong. I met another guy who bought a rough but running 1965 Pontiac Catalina 2+2 for $2500!!  The interior was good, but the body did need some work. It had the Tri-Power induction system on it, and the car ran strong. The trans was a Turbo 400. The new owner was crestfallen, because it turned out the engine was a 1967 400.  Same thing- "I'll never find a 421 with 1964 or 65 date codes."  The guy whined.  "So what?  I said. "Pontiac engines are externally identical from a 326 to a 455." "No one will ever know, unless you tell them." "And even if your selling it, I don't think a potential buyer would care if you told him." "And you can buy 421 or 428 crank kits to put in a 400 block." "Make it a 421 and be happy."  "But I'd know it's not original." The guy protested. Again- I posed the question-"Are you planning on showing it in Concours competition?"  "No, I wanted to race it at the Pure Stock drags."  "Oh, for Christ's sake!"  I exploded. "As long as your within 15 cubic inches of the original size and have a stock-type intake and exhaust system on it, your within the rules." "In other words, if this was a '70 Z/28 you'd have to have a #3310 780 Holley on it, but it wouldn't have to have 1970 date codes."  "You could build a stompin', but stock looking 433 inch Pontiac and probably win your class."  "I saw an article in Musclecar Review about the guy that won it a few years ago." He had a 69 428 Mustang. "  "But he was saving the original numbers-matching engine."  "The engine in the car was a 390 that he'd bored to 415 and put the CJ intake and a Lunati cam in."  "He shouldn't have won." "His car wan't original." The guy sneered. "None of them are."  I said- "The cars are Stock Appearing, but their not totally stock." "They all have bigger cams, or electronic ignition, and hi-stall converters, and whatever other "stealth" modifications they can get away with."  "That's what makes it fun."  "Some of the "Hemi" Road Runners running have Mopar Perfromance Crate Hemis in them." "Their not original Hemi cars." "Their allowed, because the Hemi was available in that body, that year." "Same for some of the Ram Air IV Pontiacs or L88 Vettes running." "Their not original L88 or RAIV cars, their built to that spec."  "You can race a classic, and not worry about blowing a rod out the side of a numbers-matching block." "That's what makes it cool."  "That's wrong." The guy said. "They should have to be all original."  "That's Concours again, and no one's going to race a car like that because their afraid of breaking it."  "Just drive the car and enjoy it."  I said.  "Not unitl I find a 421." He growled and stomped off.  I was stunned.  Like I said before, If Concours is your bag, have fun if you can afford it. But if you want to drive the car at all or yes-race it, then get real.  When you put your foot in it bang through the gears do you think-"Wow this really cool."  "Too bad I've got a 454 in this Chevelle ."  "If it was a 396 this would be even cooler."  Puhleeeze.  Drive the damn thing and enjoy it.!!  Mastermind