Because of the pedigree. Because they could rip your IA2 out and bolt in a 389 and have an authentic GTO if they wanted to. It's why a real Shelby 427 Cobra is worth more than a kit. And why a real 1937 Cord 812 is worth many times a 1969 Glenn Pray 1937 Cord 812 copy. And why a weapon or artifact that has a documented history in a famous battle is worth more than the same item that was never issued. And why a real Van Gogh or Rembrandt is worth more than a copy. Pedigree is everything when it comes to CASH value. I think personal value and cash value are two different things to many people. To me, personal value wins out as far as keeping the cars the way I want them. In the real world, correct original will generally pull more cash value than a clone or copy or fake. For me, I happen to have real tripower 4 speed '65 GTO because that's what I wanted 30+ years ago and I was willing to pay the $1200 it took to buy it. I didn't want a 326 LeMans back then. I wanted a GTO. Not an autiomatic trans, 4 BBl GTO. A tripower, 4 speed GTO. I think many collectors today feel the same way. Funny thing is, 30 years later, I like LeMans and Tempest cars more than ever, and rarely see them: they've all been cloned into something else. To me, a '65 GTO that was born with a black exterior and a red interior would be worth about 4 times what I would pay for a comparable condition Alamo Beige /gold interior car. People like the hot color combos and are willing to pay for them.
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Jeff 
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