Don't Buy A Muscle Car Clone When You Want A Survivor

Important Used Muscle Car Terms To Know BEFORE You Hit the Car Corral

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Can You Tell The 1971 Pontiac GTO Clone From The Survivor?

The muscle car clone is on the left but do you know what that means? The survivor is on the right. Both are beautiful muscle cars. Do you care which one you buy?

Here are just some of the common words you will find when reading classic car advertisements or talking to used muscle car sellers. We'll add more as we think of them but this is a good start!


aftermarket - parts made for your car by manufacturers other than the original manufacturer; for instance, putting an Interstate battery or a Fram air filter in your muscle car is using an aftermarket product, aftermarket products are often used in resto-mod projects NOTE: it's good to know if there are aftermarket parts available for your dream muscle car. Click here to do research.

car corral - a section at a car show where individuals and/or dealers are selling classic american muscle; a great place to find a muscle car clone or a survivor

clone - a car that has been modified to replicate a muscle car, an example of a muscle car clone would be turning a basic Plymouth Satellite into a Plymouth Road Runner or a basic Pontiac into a Pontiac GTO Judge; the modification can be as simplistic as using exterior details such as badges and stripes and adding hood scoops or it can be completely re-building the basic car to meet the factory specs of the target classic car; these are also referred to as tribute cars

daily driver or grocery-getter - a classic muscle car that is driven and enjoyed on a regular basis; typically not a high value low-volume vehicle that had limited production or is worth lots of money

NOM - not original motor, generally this indicates that the original motor was replaced with either a period correct motor from another car or a newer motor; some muscle car buyers would not pay as much for a car that was NOM

NOS - new old stock, original equipment manufacturer parts that were made specifically for the vehicle but that are no longer available through the manufacturer; these can be found at car shows in the swap meet area or online through eBay and parts sites and are sought by people who are doing a restoration project or even building a muscle car clone

numbers matching - a term that means the engine, transmission and other important components are all stamped from the factory with numbers that match the VIN to prove that the car is all original; be careful with this one...some sellers say "numbers matching" when only one component is actually original, for instance, they engine may be a replacement (NOM!) but the transmission is original

OEM - original equipment manufacturer, this term is generally used when describing parts on a muscle car that are from the original car manufacturer, not aftermarket or NOS

restoration (frame-off restoration) - a car that has been disassembled completely and returned to original factory specs usually including the correct parts numbers and components for the vehicle as it would have come from the factory; lots of time and money spent here but a highly rated restoration is probably worth the price you pay

resto-mod - a combination restoration and modification (or modernization) of a classic car, it typically means that the car has been modified to incorporate some of today's technologies in the areas of steering, braking, handling, and comfort/convenience such as improved guages or sound systems; it's not a muscle car clone or a survivor

survivor - a factory original car that typically has low mileage, original engine, drivetrain, paint, and interior components; these cars often bring the most money in the collector car market

trailer queen - a classic muscle car that is either a survivor or a meticulously restored dream car whose owner keeps covered in storage year round and only brings out of the garage to load it on a trailer and drive it to a car show or other event; these cars are usually not driven and never see rain or snow

Have you seen a muscle car term that you don't understand? Do you have a term that you think we should include? Please let us know so we can share your knowledge with other muscle car enthusiasts. Click here to share now!

Head back to the home page to learn more about where to find your muscle car!