Remember when guys used to actually have Stock cars and trucks? I’m talking off the showroom floor, not doodads, no performance parts, nothing. Stock. We’ve heard a lot of discussion about the term “Stock” lately, and when our buddy Ronnie Mankins sent us this photo, it got us thinking even more. Remember the first time you heard someone refer to their car as “Mostly Stock”, or “Stock, with A Blah, Blah, Blah.” With the exception of guys that have owned them since new, or who have bought a crazy high dollar restoration, finding a “Stock” 1960’s or 1970’s car is nearly impossible. What ends up happening is that a guy like me or you will buy a 1972 Camaro, for example, and then perhaps restore it to a level of originality that may ultimate include modifications like headers, along with factory options that the car never actually came with. Does this make it not “Stock”, or has our definition of “Stock” changed because the term has become relative?
And do you care? If a guy at the local cruise in says his Camaro is stock, but you as the local Camaro expert know that the car was originally a 6 cylinder car, not the bucking and snorting pissed off 375 horse 396 Camaro, does that piss you off?
We’ve heard a lot of discussion about the term
Jamie Farr… “Stock”
I just watch out for the guys at street races who say their LS1 is “all stock”. Stock, my ass.
Of course stock still matters.
Some places, such as the Mustang Club of America and NCRS award show points based on “stockness.”
“Stock” is an abused term, though. Most of the time it really means “stock appearing” rather than strictly build-sheet stock.
And niggling things such as sourcing replacement batteries, filters and O.E. brand tires tends to expand the “stock” concept a bit, except at the highest levels of show competition (home of NOS tires and $1,000 oil filters)
I’ve got both kinds of performance cars (stock and modified) . . . and they’re both rewarding in their own ways.
On the other hand, even my stock-specification cars have factory-spec replacement tires, oil filters, and batteries which deviate from absolute showroom stock appearance out of necessity (the NOS stuff just was too expensive).
$1000.00 for an oil filter, come on, that’s ridiculous. The most I ever got for a NOS oil filter was $408.00. Laughed all the way to the bank I did.
who cares! enjoy the car ,truck for what it is. most of them now have very little of any thing left (stock from the o.e. ) now a days on some of these restorations. sheet metal weatherstrip, paint etc. there are some very high dollar cars out there talking millions dollars here,
that at one time are rusted out shells that are stock. too me ,enjoy them now because in 10 generations they my be future space pods or something. we need to stop being up tight about are hobby just enjoy it and teaching the future car people is more important than a grease pencil mark!
With the $$$ the TRU Muscle Cars are bringing today I believe a “Clone/Tribute” auto makes a lot more sense. The 427 FE Ford is a prime example –if you have one of these you know how expensive it is to find any “Correct” parts–there for a 390-410-428 make a better choice to “Look the Part”
Jim
My definition of “stock” is when it leaves the dealership, it will no longer be “stock” once the maintenance routine kicks in and belts, hoses, and filters get replaced.
I personally don’t care if a owner keeps his car/truck stock or not it is theirs not mine.
On a side note, who took the picture of GuitarSlinger?
When it comes to high dollar restorations, Stock is it. . . how the car looked when it left the factory. The correct hose clamps, the correct hoses, tires, etc. It doesn’t matter if these are repros as long as they appear to be what the factory used to build the car. Yes, using NOS parts to restore a car will add to it’s value but it doesn’t change the meaning of “stock” as far as I can see.
Yes there are a limited number of cars that have low mileage and have had no restoration done to them. But the collector market can be fickle about these cars. Many times due to just the age of the car, they don’t bring as much money as a fresh restoration of the same type of car. It depends on the rarity of the car.
As soon as you add headers, or a new stereo system . . . the car is no longer stock.
But say the car in question came from the factory with hubcaps and you add wheels that could have been ordered at the time the car was built, it is still stock. Just not “build sheet” stock.
As far as Clones or Tributes, as along as they follow the above, then they are “stock appearing” even though the original car used to make the Clone or Tribute was optioned differently than how it appears now.
My 9 second Duster is stock. 🙂
Stock means like it came from the factory. You’re not going to find very many cars at the street races or dragstrip that meet the requirement.
My wagon’s motor is stock. Not original to the car, but stock nonetheless, even though it is 148cu.in. bigger than the original motor. I call it stock and will until I can build a better motor for it.
Don’t know. Don’t care. Any other questions?
Stock is just not fun IMHO. Who wants to listen to complaints that their missing chalk marks and over spray. Reminds me of the one time I entered a car show and was told that my kick a## gold anodized moroso valve covers were “dated”. Save that crap for pebble beach.
Don’t “diss” Pebble Beach. It may not be for everyone, but it’s an awesome week of mind-blowing events.
No diss intended. The PB mentality has it’s place, I guess I just feel that that level should be reserved for million dollar Ferraris not a 77 Firebird (The car with the moroso valve covers)
My opinion:
If “Stock” 19xx was so cool, they wouldn’t have updated designs each and every year since 19xx.
If you don’t re-think and modify it some, you’re just maintaining / repairing a (very) old vehicle.
Unless you have a numbers matching car that might belong in a museum somewhere, nobody (nobody) should care when you hack it up, drop a better engine in it, put some brakes on, etc. Hell, lets get some USB ports in there and maybe some side pipes.
Better check your state’s MV regulations. Now in most states – side pipes are illegal.
The way I see it:
Original = the same parts the car left the factory with.
Stock = all the parts meet the same specs as what it left the factory with.