Can't afford your dream car? Clone it!!

Purists are reaching for oxygen right now, but honestly in some cases this is the only way some of us can have the car we desire. A couple examples- # 1. 1969 Pontiac Trans Am. Pontiac only built 697 T/A's in 1969, and they bring a kings ransom. I have seen RAIII automatic versions for sale for 90-100K, and I have seen a low-mileage RAIV 4-speed model for sale for $399,000!!!  Outside of winning the lottery, 99% of us could never afford to spend 100 grand or more on what is certainly going to be a second or third car. However, Pontiac built over 115,000 Firebirds in 1969. I have seen rough, but running examples as low as $2,500 and anything over 5 grand is usually pretty decent. I saw a rust-free convertible for $6,500 on a used car lot a couple months back. Now, when I say "Clone it" I don't mean spend a zillion dollars doing a frame-off restoration and chasing down an original RAIII or RAIV engine. If your going to do that, you might as well take out a second mortgage on your house and buy an already restored original. It'll be easier, and probably less expensive in the long run. NO, what I mean is buy a base-model Firebird in decent shape, and get the hood, spoilers and trim from Ames or Year One. Don't replace every nut and bolt whether it needs it or not. That drives the price way up unnecessarily. Go by the old adage-"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." For example-if the power steering pump isn't making noise and isn't leaking, why would you replace it? If the radiator isn't leaking, and the car doesn't overheat in 90 degree weather why would you replace it?  If the car starts every time you turn the key, why would you replace the starter?  See what I'm saying?  If it doesn't have a 400 in it-find one at a junkyard or swap meet or by buying a rusted-out '70's "big car"-( Bonneville, Catalina, Grand Ville, etc ). Whether you rebuild it to stock specs, or go ultra-badass with Edelbrock heads, and an Eagle 455 stroker crank is up to you. 14 or 15 inch "Rally II" wheels are the proverbial dime a dozen, or you could go with Torq-Thrusts or Cragars or something else that's "period correct."  You could build a clone that you could only tell was a fake by checking the numbers for about 20 or 25 grand, including the purchase price of the car. You couldn't touch even a basket case original that needed everything for that.  #2. 1969 Z/28 Camaro. Same thing-Of the 243,000 Camaros that Chevrolet built in 1969, only 19,000 were Z/28 models. Restored examples routinely sell for 60-80K. I know a guy that bought a six-cylinder. three-speed base model for $1,500. He installed a mild 350 and a Saginaw 4-speed, a "Cowl Induction" hood, some Rally wheels and painted it blue with white stripes and got "Z/28" emblems from Year One. Everyone "oohs" and "aahs" over his "Z/28". Total investment-$5,500.  Again, you couldn't touch an engineless, transmissionless, rusted out hulk of an "original" Z/28 for $5,500.  # 3. 1965-68 Shelby GT350 Mustang. "Real" Shelbys of this vintage routinely sell for 100K. I have seen them as high as $225,000 at Barrett-Jackson auctions on the Speed channel. 10-15 grand will buy you an excellent condition 289 Fastback of this vintage. With the help of the aftermarket you can buy the scoops, spoilers,taillights and wheels necessary to to get the look. You can buy a replica Shelby aluminum intake and many companies sell tri-y headers. And there is a million other ways to build power into a small-block Ford. For 25K you would have a car that again-an onlooker would have to check the numbers to know if it was "real" or not.  And that's 1/4 of what a "real" one would cost.  # 4. 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona / 1970 Plymouth Superbird. The legendary "winged" cars go for 100k all day long, and that's the 440 models. Six-Pack and Hemi versions bring a quarter-million rouitinely. 20 grand will buy a decent 383 Road Runner or Charger. There are several companies that sell the fiberglass "bullet" nose and rear wing. You'll probably have 30 or 35 grand in it by the time your done, but again that's 1/3 of what a "real" one would cost. Even if you spent another 15K on a Mopar Performance 426 crate Hemi, you'd have 50K in a Hemi Superbird insted of $250,000!! And you could sell it for 100K even though it's a clone!!  As long as you don't try to pass off any of these projects as original, you can save a ton of money and have a great unique car.  Mastermind