What is a clone?

[chevellemaster]

Hello everyone. Quick question: what does it mean to call a car (especially muscle cars) a clone? How is this different from kit cars? and original cars?

thanks!

[Blazing Rice]

An original is exactly that-an original car with original parts, meaning it came form the factory that way. A clone is a car that is restored to another models specifications basically. Example:

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu. Bodies are identical, but mechanically different as far as drivetrain options (no SS 454 Malibu.)

Say you want to build up an 1970 SS 454 Chevelle, but can't find one. you find a Chevy Malibu of the same year, and instead of restoring it to factory specs, you build it up to SS 454 specs (meaning you drop in a 454, and add all appropriate badging.) You now have what looks and performs like an original SS, but because it was not, it is a clone.

[chevellemaster]

thanks for the info Blazing Rice! so it is probably best to get an original, huh? i got a 70 chevelle 454, but the motor is totally shot so by replacing the motor am i effectively making it a clone? In general, if you are restoring an old car with new performance parts (which would not match the old config) you would have to call the car a clone - i assume.

in any case thanks again for the info, Blazing Rice.

[Blazing Rice]

If you can overhaul the original motor, do that. The car will be worth the most money if you can keep in the original drivetrain pieces and such. It can get costly though, as far as finding the original pieces. Are you sure it's an original?

[chevellemaster]

Sadly, the parts on the car are not original. The engine is a 454, but not the original one that came with the car. In fact, many of the parts/pieces have been replaced through the years.