I was in high school in west texas from 69 to 72 and like you say, really wasn't aware of the truly rare cars. It was common to see Mach I mustangs, SS and RS Camaros, and I remember several 442s... but, probably because I was too young to know people with real jobs, seeing a Judge or even a big-block Chevy was rare. The "rumored" fastest car at school was a mid-sixties Belvedere with a transplanted 426 wedge. Some kid had an AAR Cuda and the strobe stripes were soooo cool (still are). We used to cruise in a 383 Super Bee that my friend borrowed from his grandma... but to me, an SS396 Chevelle was the highest form of muscle at the time. I do remember my sister's boyfriend had a blue Buick GS, but I doubt it was a 455, and the novelty at the time was the shifter... go figure... I definitely never heard of a 69 T/A or understood what an LS6 Chevelle was about.
I suspect you had to be a few years older than me to really be aware of the rare muscle cars, as they cost money that high school kids didn't have, and their parents sure weren't going to buy them for the drive to school.
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