What not to build a fake Judge out of
 

So Im at a local show and shine today and this car that looks like a 70 Judge pulls in and its a fellow that I know that has been working on this car for a couple of years Ive talked to him when I was showing my 70 Judge anyway he told me he was restoring a 70 judge so now its done and I check it out and its an oshawa car I ask if its a real 4-speed judge and he says yes well I look at the cowl tag and all thats on it is D55 M40 C50 well if you are going to fake a judge and tell everyone it is real don"t use a oshawa built car according to the trim tag its a 70 GTO will an automatic a counsel and rear defrost I just said nice car and walked away

That's like building a 69 Trans Am clone and starting with a Lordstown car. ;)

would be even funnier if it was dressed up as a RAIV.

Well, I was at a car show this weekend too. Couldn't help noticing some very cool Vettes and TAs there.

One caught my eye as it was a red 73 TA with a SD 455 on shaker.

Most cars had hoods up, but not this one. Put a brochure over Dash vin too. The other TA guys were telling him what a great car it was since it had a SD engine.

So after they left I peeked under the brochure and no X in vin. Why do that and play people?

Another corvette there with hood up and L 88 on hood did show it was the real deal....

Do you think it's possible he thinks it's a real 4-speed Judge?

I remember the 455SD trick I had way back when facing a SD shaker decal and a closed hood (didnt know about the VIN code 72+ in those days)... Head under the car because the SD-HO-RA type manifolds positioned the head pipes lower. Weeded a lot of fakes that way.

You are correct Darren
That car should have WT1 Stamped into firewall body tag if it was a true Oshawa built 70 GTO Judge.

I have encountered several guys over the years that think regardless of what they have, if they build a regular GTO into a Judge then it is a real Judge.

When you explain that car is not a real Judge without documentation that spins right over their heads.

The WT1 marking on the Canadian Judges built in Oshawa can and obviously do identify the fakes. My Oshawa built Judge, of course, has the correct firewall tag and WT1 marking. Its too bad the American built Judges did not also benefit from that same marking. This is true for the 1970 built Judges. I am unsure of the other two build years.

The only years Gto's were built in Canada were 70 and 73.

The worst fake Judges are '68s Ahhhg.

It's easy enough to build a convincing one - one that would require you to call Jim Mattison to find the truth. Even a Trans Am these days, with the right parts and the repop metal hood - very few of us here could tell the difference.

72 GTO Judge convertible.

1 of none

Diego makes a point, is it possible the owner thinks he has a real 4spd Judge? Maybe he was fooled by the prior owner when he bought it.....

I just know from experience that some owners are liars, others don't have a clue.