After seeing the add for the barracuda VIN I guess I see your point. Fixing your wrecked car isn't the same as buying numbers to make one that you never owned.
My Duster is my original car repaired using a 69 dart front clip and a dart sport roof with quarters off of another Duster. The numbers from the Dart are still on the rad support..
The car will never be original it is tubbed caged. and modified as a prostreet. Its been 4spd, auto, A/C , Non A/C, even a big block at one time
I would hate if someone would steel it and put another VIN on it. Probably what happened to my 69 R/T.
I am starting to see what you are all speaking of. Fixing a car you own verses making one you never had at someone else's expense.
I bought my Duster years ago. I crashed it and I fixed it more than once. It has been 4 different colors. Bahama yellow, Sassy grass, White , and now ford orange. But it has always been mine.
Pics of Me and my Duster 30 years ago. I got it when my dad was killed and my son gets it when I am gone. I don't think there is a number on this car that matches. But It will never leave the family.