Sometimes you just have to trust people...And your gut...

I've had some people agonizing over whether or not to buy really nice cars because they can't fully document them. If your buying a Ford you can send in the vin number and get a Marti Report that will tell you everything. If your buying a Pontiac-you can contact Pontiac Historical Services and get a copy of the original window sticker. Other stuff can be harder to chase down. For example for the entire time they existed-1964-87-El Camino sales weren't tracked separately. They were lumped in with Chevelle / Malibu sales. So if your trying to document an LS6 El Camino SS-or an LS5, or L34 or L35 for that matter-it's going to be hard if the seller doesn't have a build sheet or window sticker. And who does on a 50 year old car that's had 10 or more owners?  You'll just have look at the car carefully. And sometimes hi-performance models were options on the base car. In 1964 the GTO package and the 442 package were options on the LeMans / Tempest and Cutlass / F85.  From 1965 to 1971 the GTO and 442 were separate models. In 1972 they reverted to option status. So if the vin number says your 1972 GTO / 442 is a LeMans / Cutlass-don't panic. Chances are the car's not a "fake". For example-the Z/28 package has always been an option on the Camaro-even in the glory days-1967-72. The Super Bee package was an option on the Coronet, except for 1971-when they based it on the Charger. However-the Road Runner was always a separate model from 1968-72. Most premium GM models built from 1967 on have front disc brakes. I say most-I had a '68 SS396 El Camino that had 4-wheel drum brakes. But for the most part SS Chevelles, GTOs,442s, etc-will have front disc brakes.  Not so with Mopar stuff. I have seen 440 GTX's and Chargers and Road Runners and Super Bees with 4-wheel drum brakes. I saw a 440 / Six-Pack Super Bee once that had drum brakes, and was original and documented. Now who ordered a 4,000 lb car with a 390 hp engine, and didn't get power disc brakes??  There's other little tells to look for. For example-if your considering a 340 Duster-remember the 340 package included an 8 3/4 rear end-an upgrade from the slant-six / 318 models 8 1/4 rear. If it's an automatic 340 models got a 727 Torqueflite; six-cylinder and 318 models got a 904. With GM stuff for the most part big-block cars got TH400s, small-block cars got TH350s. For the most part. However I know for a fact that 350HO Firebirds and LeMans models had TH400s. Corvettes from 1968-72 even 327 and 350 base models got TH400s. Conversely-1975 and later Formula Firebirds and Trans-Ams-even 400 models got TH350s. Partly because the engines weren't as powerful as the older models, but mostly for Catalytic Converter clearance!!  As for GM manuals-except for Z/28 Camaros and W31 Cutlasses-which had M21 or M22 Muncies-small-block cars usually had Saginaw 4-speeds. A lot of the big-block cars 396 Chevelles, 400 GTOs and Firebirds, 400 442s-had M20 Muncie 4-speeds which was considered a wide-ratio and had a 2.52:1 low gear. The M21 and M22 were close-ratios and had a 2.20:1 low gear, and for the most part were used behind Ram Air III and IV Pontiacs,as well as 455HOs, W30 Oldsmobiles, and L78 396s and 427 and 454 Chevys. And a posi was an extra-cost option on most models. My best friend in high school had a 1970 SS396 Chevelle. It was an L34-350 hp model. It had front disc brakes and the cowl induction hood and rally stripes. Yet it had no console, no tachometer and a 3.31:1 open rear end. It did great one-tire burnouts!!  You have to remember that back in the '60's and '70's you could order almost anything you wanted on any model. Their rare-but I have seen Gran Prix's and Monte Carlos with 4-speeds from the factory. Bucket seats were optional on most models. So it's very likely that you will find a 383 Road Runner or 396 Chevelle with bench seats and a column shifter!! ( If it's an automatic ). While there's a lot of strippy Mustangs out there-most Cougars from 1967-73 are going to have cool options like front disc brakes, upgraded interiors, factory A/C, and larger engines. Most non-Mach 1 Mustangs have 289 / 302 motivation. Almost every Cougar I've ever seen has 351W, 351C, or even 390 motivation. The point I'm making is do some research and have common sense. A lifelong Pontiac enthusiast-I've had a guy try to sell me a '70 "Trans-Am" that had a wood dash and no tach and a 350 V8. All 1970 and later T/A's had the brushed aluminum dash panel and full instrumentation-and the standard engine was always 400 cubes, except for '71-73 which all had 455s. This was obvioulsy a base-model or Formula 350 Firebird that he'd put T/A body trim on!!  The same thing-another guy tried to sell me a '68 "GTO" convertible that had a 350 and a 2-speed ST300 trans. Obviously it was a gussied up LeMans. 1968 GTOs all had 400 cubes standard, and if they were automatics, they were TH400s!!  So be careful, and sometimes you have to trust that the seller is on the level.  Mastermind