To Clone or Not to Clone?

[fourforty6pac]

What is a clone??

One is just taking a car and making the way that they want it to look and perform. Its a visually or performance enhanced vehicle, made the way you want....

Now taking a Satellite and swapping VIN and fender tags from a Roadrunner or GTX then trying to sell as one of the mentioned is fraudulent.

But keeping the car with its original markings intact, but dressing it up the way you want....that is what the hobby is all about....JMO

If that was the case,why do clones sell more than the cars the clone from?
Cant say its because of the work done,because you could do the same amount of work to a satty without the rr disguise and it wouldnt sell as close to what a rr disguise satty would.
People have it in their minds that everythings about rr's,they forget about the satty's ...







fourforty6pac wrote
I've seen clones that are just a plain jane satty with a 440 slapped in and a runner hood (maybe) most of them still have the standard cluster. I've seen these cars go for top dollar. I think in most cases the buyers are not well educated in the ways of a true Mopar person.







<-- Im actually sadder than that ,but theres no smiley face to represent my feelings,:lol:

I have this question....

Lets say your at a car show with your most favorite vehicle..

for you i guessing it would be a 71 GTX?

And at the end of the show,the guy next to you has a Road Runner cloned GTX,and he wins a trophy for lets say "best GTX"..

You wouldnt have a problem with that at all?
That a fraud GTX won a trophy over your original real GTX?

I mean If clones are gonna over run the originals there should at least be some sort of rules,for the best in show,have a best clone or whatever.
that way its fair.
And if you dont attend car shows.....well your missing out!,ha ha

If your gonna show a Mopar stick to the all mopar shows.

Your right there should be a separate category for clones. I think a well done clone is a work of art. If the only way you can tell if it's a 72 GTX is from the vin you will know that the builder did everything right. There are only a few of us that really give a $h!t anyway. Joe Blow sees it differently then we do. He thinks it's what it looks like (the hot looking mopar in the next lane thats gonna rip the doors off of his ford).
As for the trophies, well they do make great targets.

[Smellslike1974]

lol,and they take up space anyways

[Eric]

It's kind of sad, when I take my somewhat faded original paint blue runner survivor to shows it hardly gets noticed...not shiny enough I guess

[Smellslike1974]

It's kind of sad, when I take my somewhat faded original paint blue runner survivor to shows it hardly gets noticed...not shiny enough I guess

you need a 1:25 scale replica of your car to sit on the radiator..thats why

[DixieSatellite]

Your car appears to be the exact same color as mine. My fender tag paint code is EW1.......which I believe is Alpine White.............sort of off white. GW3 is sno-white and is very white and is the color that I THINK mine will be painted next month.

Hi linemup,

Thanks for you post. I don't remember the fender tag on the car at the moment as I only see it every couple of years, but I believe you are right - EW1 rings a bell, so it must be Alpine White (so far I have had Ermine / Spinnaker / Alpine, so maybe that is the last one). I was basing the Spinnaker White on the 1972 Plymouth Satellite brochure I have here w/ color swatches and paint codes. I didn't see Alpine White listed for '72, but that does not mean it wasn't (unless Spinnaker and Alpine are the same).

As you say, your car has a similar color combo to mine and it does not appear to be common. Do you have the 318 or the 400? Why did you decide not to keep it an SSP?

BR

Ian B.

[linemup]

Mine was a 400 2 bbl car. Had the rear valance for dual exhaust and sure grip with 274 or something rear end. MIne had the original paint but of course that is sanded and primed now. Should be painting it next month. Why am I cloning it? Because I have a really nice 69 RR that I have put so much money into taht I am afraid to drive it to the point of having fun and running it hard when I want to. So, wy pay the big bucks for another RR when I can clone one and have a blast. I just got a really good deal on this 72. The body was almost perfect and everything is pretty much complete..except for the engine.......383 HP now.So, I am going to do it the way I would have ordered it...........drive it a year or so and sell it probably.I have always loved the body style.A friend has a 72 RR/GTX.........love em for sure.

[linemup]

By the way, cars like yours in original condition is what I will sit and drool over all day at a show.I love them in that condition.

[billzilla]

I actually had that very thing happen to me last year with my 69 RR. I was beat by a 69 RR clone...........that didn't bother me that much. What did was the fact that the car was not even close to being as nice as mine. A few people expressed their feelings when they got their trophy...including teh guy that won.But, still got beat by a clone.

I don't think a RR clone should be allowed to compete in the same class as a RR unless you're talking about something wide open, like 'best original paint scheme' or something.

Satellites should compete with Satellites and Roadrunners with Roadrunners. Clones should either have their own category or simply not be allowed to go against the 'real' Sats and RRs.

That said, I just don't see any problem with making a Satellite into an authentic looking RR or GTX clone. They have style and unique aspects to them that make them noteworthy - like the horn, badges, etc. -- I know I've recently told several people (even at parts stores) that I have a Satellite only to watch as they draw a total blank. It's only until I say 'You know, like a Roadrunner' that they get it. So yeah, I see the appeal of cloning and am tempted to do it myself... But definitely not to the point of fraudulent tags.

[dartomotive]

I love mine. It's a Clone. Bought it like that. The guy was real honest, even advertised it as a clone. When asked I do fess up, but most don't ask. They just go WOW. Lots of thumbs up, and my 10 year old loves to ride in it. So Bottom line. If that's what you like, and want, DO it as a road runner. Mine always makes me smile. I just feel that if I would ever sell it, I'd be honest too. I think that's the real negative of Clones, trying to rip off someone for more bucks on a sale.

If you choose the stay the Satellite route, that's cool too. The lines are so great, it would be a real nice Mopar. Your the one who has to be happy. But if it were me, Love that Strobe stripe, the Chin spoilers, the little logos, the beep beep horn, and the little RR head in the grill.

I'll try to attach a pic.

[linemup]

Now that is what a clone should look like. The same look that I am looking for. Are those 275's on the rear? Air shocks or anything?

[dartomotive]

You got a good eye. Yep, P275/60 R15 on the rear. On Weld Racing Aluminums. That set up fits in there real well. Kind of old school, too. That's the way I bought it 2 years ago. But it's got regular shocks, on standard leaf springs. All stock stuff. It has only a slight rake, my drive way has a little bit of slant downward, so that may help the picture.
There's a suprise in the trailer.

Mike

[mopar71]

That is one Awsome looking Clone! Very Nice!

[linemup]

I have 295's on my 69 Roadrunner and would like to make them fit on my 72 RR clone. I wonder if anyone has had problems with taht.

[dartomotive]

Jerry, My 275s just fit. Full travel no rubbing at all. Becarefull if doing anything wider. Jack stand test it full travel, as offset can be different with different rims.

You were asking about paint colors on another thread. One of your early notes said Black with a white interior. Then you lean white and orange. I saw one at E-town at the Mopar Atlantic Nats. It had a white stripe and was stunning. I think it had Cragar SSs. Awesome, and the only one I ever saw like that. It was from NY. Bruce's White with Black is cool too, but the Black with White, floored me. Did you decide on color yet? Whatever you decide will be cool, will max out your smiles per miles.

Mike

[bruce]

Bruce's White with Black is cool too, but the Black with White, floored me.

Hey, mine's white with black & ORANGE! With all the "look at that Halloween interior" comments I get, I just wanted to be specific...