What constitutes a clone?

[427TJ]

Hi guys, I'm a new member and this is my FIRST post so here goes.

I decided to register here after reading the discussion on the eBay '68 "COPO" being sold by "dana man." I was especially impressed with the level of scholarship displayed by forum members and with Charlie's mature handling of the whole fiasco.


My first question:


If I put a "Stinger" hood on my '67 RS/SS396 and a set of 15x6 and 7 Cragar S/S mags with 70-series redline radials, will I be accused of cloning a B-M Camaro? (Yes, I flipped when I first learned about B-M cars waay back in the early 1980s and if I hit the lottery I'd be after a real one.) What I want to do is build-up my '67 396 (4N) car into a strong street machine with a '60s look via the Cragars and redlines. No, I would not "badge" the car with eBay-bought Motion stickers but I have had a pair of 427 Turbo Jet crossflags ('66 Impala style) for 20 years and I'd love to put them in place of the original 396 flags. I have also read that Joel Rosen (God bless him) registered his paint scheme designs as his property so I'd leave the Stinger scoop in body color.

Opinions? Comments?


1967 Camaro RS/SS 396 (L35,Th-400, 12-bolt 3:07, round bar)
2000 Subaru Legacy wagon (5-speed, AWD, power windows)
1989 Schwinn Diamondback mountain bike (New tires in 1996)

[Belair62]

Do it...it's your car.....I had a black 67 Nickey clone a couple years back....just call it what it really is.That hood looks nice on a 67...FVN makes a nice one.

[427TJ]

I agree--just do it. Still, I want to ask the question and take an informal poll on "dealer clones" vs. "modified" cars.

I was looking at the VFN Fiberglass version, I've read that VFN is using the original mold made by the Motion crew. That may or may not be true but their hood looks SO nice.

[whitetop]

[ QUOTE ]
I have also read that Joel Rosen (God bless him) registered his paint scheme designs as his property so I'd leave the Stinger scoop in body color.


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He may have registered them but I really don't think anyone, including Joel, could stop someone from painting their car using this paint scheme. If you like it paint it the way you want.
Also in terms of using that hood probably 10-15 companies made that hood over the years and probably sold thousands of them. If you don't badge the car as a Motion car it will not be a clone. It will just be a nice Day 2 car. After all, the speed parts Joel used on his cars were just picked out of the speed equipment catalogs of the day.
Joel may have used a VFN hood at one time but I bet he mostly used A&A or Fastglas (now legendary)
Dave

[Pantera]

I think the words "copy, fake, Clone, replica, tribute, look-a-like" are all about the same but some just sound better than others. A clone is your own version of a car that was made by a famous aftermarket car co. If you want to make a "Clone" of it for your own use, then you have the right to do so. If your paint is the same then I can not see where that would be a problem as long as you acknowledge that it is a "copy" and not a "real" ?X?X? car.

I think that you could get into problems if you then sold it or went into business selling a car that looks like yours and that was a copy of say a BM car. As long as it is just for your own pleasure that is fine but don't sell it with out changing the paint so that it is not a actual copy and of course you are not foolish enough to try to advertize it as a actual car. What you do for your own use is your business in my opinion.

And of course the guys on here would expose you in a heartbeat. So like everyone that comes on this forum that plays fair and honest you will find yourself welcome and you will find they are a great bunch of guys. Liars and cheats or god forbid a "Dam Fool" is gonna get slammed and they deserve it IMHO.

BTW:I like the way you approached the members of the forum on the subject so from my house = "WELCOME"..! and we want pic's.... ASAP.

[AutoInsane]

[ QUOTE ]
As long as it is just for your own pleasure that is fine but don't sell it with out changing the paint so that it is not a actual copy and of course you are not foolish enough to try to advertize it as a actual car.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pantera, I would think you could sell the car eventually with the paint scheme and not be breaking any laws. It would be different if someone were going into business to sell B-M clone cars. I totally agree it would be differnt if you were trying to misrepresent the car as being an original.

Bill O'Brien

[427TJ]

Yeah, I agree that cloning is not a crime as long as you're up front about it. No one likes a bull__itter. Again, it's not my intent to clone my '67 into a B-M car, just use some of the styling tips such as the Stinger hood to set it off from the crowd. I'd be tempted to put a set of mid-year Corvette sidepipes on it too!

I have collected many vintage magazines from the '60s, especially 'CARS' and 'Speed and Supercar' which contain articles on B-M cars. I look at the photos and I'm amazed that there weren't more B-M cars sold. If we only knew then what we know today, eh?

As for photos of my car, it's still stock, unrestored and unmolested, for the most part. I redid the interior in the summer of '02 and put F70 redlines on it for the looks. I was going to keep it stock but I can't resist the urge to have another "street machine" like my first '67 Camaro 25 years ago. Once it's in your blood...

[Belair62]

Go for it...thought I would show you this old one of mine...wish I had it back...it was a blast..

[427TJ]

WOW! I almost fainted at the sight of that gorgeous '67. 'Perfect' is all I can say.

[427TJ]

Are those real "Nickey" center caps on the Cragars? I'm still gasping for air after looking at that photo...