[Lynn]

Now that I am exhausted from reading this thread, here are my thoughts. I don't own a supercar, or COPO of any kind, just a lowly 08A, 10 10, X77 D80, 69 Z/28 that was rode hard and put up wet before I bought it in 1976. Rescued it from becoming a "roundy rounder". Even though it only had 26,000 miles on it, it was hurting. Inner fenders and sway bar had been removed with the hillbilly "blue tip wrench" to save weight. But the car was straight, relatively rust free, and had never been hit. I didn't pay much for it, but I bought it because it was obviously a true Z/28 and I knew someday I would want to restore it. I even bought all the rubber parts, new emblems, (emblems had been stolen) new hood (also stolen along with the air cleaner, and yes, it was one of the few that actually came with the ducted hood) etc. in 1977, knowing that parts availability could be a problem after 10 years or so.

I personally was offended every time I ran across a fake Z. Remember an article in PHR around 1978 entitled "Spotting Fake Z's" as it was already a problem by the late 70's.

Just a few thoughts about many of the different topics covered in this thread.

1. Personally, I don't like clones, tributes, recreations, or whatever you want to call them. While each owner has the right to do whatever he wants to with his car, the opportunity for abuse, deception and outright fraud is definitely increased. This is less of a problem for Yenko's because of the research / documentation of dedicated enthusiasts. Z/28 buyers are much more likely to be defrauded. Amazing that they made @ 20,000 of them in 69 and now there are 30,000 for sale!!!!!

2. Personally do not like rebody jobs either. Just accept the fact that the car in question was either wrecked beyond repair, burned, or turned to a pile of rubble by mean old Mr. Rust.

3. Depending upon the criteria of the judging, I can see how a "copy" could beat an original. We put on a small Camaro show in OKC each father's day. Usually about 40 cars entered, and some are very nice. However, we use a very simple judging format that does not take into account casting dates, authenticity, etc. 25 points each for a)body, b)interior, c) engine compartment, and d) tires & wheels. The participant's decide what category they are in. So if a car is mostly original, but has aftermarket wheeels, it could end up competing against an original Z with true YH ralleys, or a fake Z with FW ralleys. No points or deductions for originality. So, it may all depend upon the judging criteria. The car in question may have just been the best looking one there. I really don't understand why this would even cause a stir.

4. There will never be agreement among the enthusiasts regarding clone cars. Heck, some guys on this board even defend the trim tag makers, something I personally think should be outlawed. That is where most of the deception is happening. Just accept that there are different points of view. "No two people ever saw the same rainbow". Don't remember who said it, or I would give them credit.

Going to go take a nap now.

Lynn