A clone doesn't have to be correct to the nth degree....

Talked to a couple people who wanted to restore some early '60's GM cars. I've said it before-I don't understand why people are so concerned with what a car might be worth if or when they get rid of it! Especially if it's not anything special-i.e.-a '64 Tempest with a 326 as opposed to a Tri-Power GTO. Anyhow I think I gave these guys good advice that I'll share here. The first guy had bought a '62 Pontiac Catalina with a 389 2bbl engine and the "Slim-Jim" hydro-matic transmission. He couldn't decide if he wanted to make it a nice cruiser or a "Super Duty" clone. I told him it would be easy either way. If he wanted a nice cruiser I'd get a 400 and a TH400 out of a later model Pontiac. You'd have to move the crossmember back and shorten the driveshaft but that's easy. You can use the stock shift linkage-they have the same number of detents-but you have to remember that reverse is now low. I'd use an Edelbrock Performer intake and 750 cfm carb-( They are an exact replica of the Carter AFB that came originally on the car ) and the matching cam. This setup has 15 inches of vacuum at idle and makes over 400 lbs of torque according to Edelbrock. This would move the big Cat along very briskly-and have a glass-smooth idle and be dead reliable. If he wanted to go the Super Duty route-I'd still get a '67-79 400 block. Butler Performance and Scat, and Eagle offer stroker rotating assemblys-I.E.-cranks, rods and pistons and rings and bearings-that can make 433 or 461 cubic inches. Edelbrock offers a dual-quad intake that's an exact replica of the 421SD manifold. Depending on how radical you want to go-I'd use dual 600 or 750 Edelbrock carbs. I'd use the factory RAIV cam. Summitt Racing will sell you a brand-new BW T10 4-speed, and Ames Performance and NPD offer clutch linkages and pedal assemblys for '58-64 GM full-sizes. He asked-dead serious-"How hard is it to find a 421?" With 1961 or 1962 date codes? Almost impossible. It's a fake anyway, so who cares?  Had a similar conversation with a guy wanting to build a Thunderbolt Fairlane clone. He was distraught because he couldn't find a 427 Ford for sale at any price. I suggested he get a 390. There were millions used in Ford cars and trucks from 1961-76, and they are externally Identical to a 427 or a 428. Edelbrock claims 422 hp and 434 lbs of torque with their "Performer RPM" package and dual-quad manifold. That would turn a lightweight Fairlane into a rocket, and look right to all but the most discerning Ford enthusiast. "But it wouldn't be correct" he said. "The whole car isn't correct!" I retorted-"It's not a real Thunderbolt!!" "For God's sake!!". If you buy a Mopar Performance crate Hemi and stuff it into a '70 Satellite and Put an aftermarket Superbird nose and wing on it, it might be cool, but it's still not a Hemi Superbird!!!  Get over it, and have fun with the damn thing, it's not real anyway. Mastermind