Many times people beat on muscle cars, and damaged the engines due 99 out of 100 from abuse, and neglect. When the dealership turned down a warranty claim, they had little to no choice than to buy a cheap engine and put it back on the road, as it was their daily transportation, and they were still making payments on it.
If they bought it used, they had maybe a 30 day warranty that meant nothing, and a broken car that they still owed money to the bank on. Used car dealers many time wouldn't even give you a 30 warranty on a used muscle car.
Lots of these cars were sold off for much less than they paid for them, or they were stored away in barns (barn finds). Sometimes they were parked in yards and just left to rot. I've picked up my share of Pontiac muscle cars with blown transmissions, or engine for almost nothing, fix the carnage, and either drive it, or flip it, and turn a profit on it.
If I had a 350/400 2bbl engine lying around, we'd swap on the 4bbl from the grenaded engine, and back on the road, or a for sale sign went on it.
I once bought a 70 Judge with a RA III engine in it that was worn out because they ran a Holley on a Edelbrock P4B with no air cleaner. It also came with a 65 389 out of a Bonneville that was good that the guy bought, but ran out of ambition to install it, $500. The newspaper ad never even mentioned it was a Judge, just said, 70 GTO for sale.
I drove that car as a daily, spun a rod in the RA III, put the 389 in it and then it got wrecked from someone that turned in front of me. Between the insurance money, selling the RA III short block off, and selling what was left of the car. I made a couple thousand dollars over what I paid for the car.
BTW, the car was put back together, and is still around today with a 400 from a 77 T/A in it.
Lots of these cars were bastardized after the born with engine blew up or got taken out and a smaller engine substituted for fuel mileage or just to keep it running. I've seen guys trade a high HP engine for a plain jane engine, and some money, then they let the car get repoed.
Lots of stories when it comes to old muscle cars.
