Ray's just pointing out that virtual;y every M1 owner feels the need to festoon their car with stripes, spoilers and tu-tone hoods, regardless of originality.
The chrome bumper doesn't bother me, given just how difficult it can be to find a good condition urethane unit.
I understand your observation. However, 71-73 Mustangs are just ONE of a number of old automobiles that this happens to. Thousands of old 65-66 fastbacks are GT-350 clones today. Lots of guys have taken perfectly good 67-68 fastbacks and turned them into those "Elenore" clones. I used to have a Model A Ford coupe, and was in a club for the same. Very few that I can remember in the club, were restored to how they most likely came off the assembly line. Given that the Ford A was one of the least expensive cars you could buy, most were fairly plain, painted black, with black rims and tires, as originally manufactured. Most of the Model As in the club were accessorized to the owner's liking. As you could well imagine, in the Chevrolet ranks, there are more "Z-28s ", RS, SS , and Factory performance models on the road today than Chevrolet EVER really built. How many 55-57 Chevys that originally came with a six cylinder are v-8 powered today. The majority, is my guess. Maybe slightly less so for Mopar special car clones, due to big blocks taking special "K" members to do the switch.
I guess it comes down to whether you are a "collector-restorer", or more a "car enthusiast" type. I think there's room for both. I personally lean more towards a restorer, mostly wanting things as they were, but I was in a car club just out of High School, had a chopped '34 Ford 3 window with an early Hemi for power, and that part of me really digs hot and modified touches.
The bottom line, so far as value goes, was told to me many years ago, by a man who owned a few original old Fords. He used to growl at hopped-up Fords, and I confronted him once asking, " you really don't like hot rods, do you?" His reply was classic....." Actually, I don't really dis-like hot rods...….because every one that some squirrel hacks up, just makes my original worth more ." I see his point....I see your point.....and, I can see the point of the guys who modify their cars...we're all just car guys.
