To me it really depends on what you want to do with the car. If you're a collector looking at value as your primary reason for buying one car over another, then the numbers matching thing is important. At least for highly optioned cars anyway, numbers matching for a /6 means about nothing, for a 318 just a tiny bit more then that. For a 340 or big block car it's more of an issue.
But, if you're buying the car to drive it, I actually prefer non matching cars. You're not paying more for something that doesn't help you. Numbers matching doesn't help the car get down the road, and non matching cars are usually less money for a better car. Plus, you don't have to worry about screwing it up. Numbers cars are worth more in original condition, that's the whole point. If you want to paint the car a different color, or add disk brakes and sway bars so it actually handles half decent on the road, then the value of the whole numbers matching thing starts to go down because the rest of the car isn't original.
My Challenger was non-matching when I got it, and its great because I can do anything I want to the car without thinking about if I'm effecting the value, that ship has already sailed. My EL5 Dart Gt is numbers matching. I went back and forth about whether or not to keep it all stock, I finally decided that I want to drive the damn thing so it's getting a 4 speed and converted over to big bolt pattern disk brakes and the later k member. But I will be holding on to the 10" Hd drums and such since it was part of the options on the car, as well as the numbers transmission. But that darned numbers thing means I have original parts taking up space in my shop, on the off chance that someday it will make a difference. I should probably just scrap the stuff, I'd hate to sell any of my cars to a "collector" anyway, they're meant to be driven and enjoyed, not parked and argued over.
But, if you're buying the car to drive it, I actually prefer non matching cars. You're not paying more for something that doesn't help you. Numbers matching doesn't help the car get down the road, and non matching cars are usually less money for a better car. Plus, you don't have to worry about screwing it up. Numbers cars are worth more in original condition, that's the whole point. If you want to paint the car a different color, or add disk brakes and sway bars so it actually handles half decent on the road, then the value of the whole numbers matching thing starts to go down because the rest of the car isn't original.
My Challenger was non-matching when I got it, and its great because I can do anything I want to the car without thinking about if I'm effecting the value, that ship has already sailed. My EL5 Dart Gt is numbers matching. I went back and forth about whether or not to keep it all stock, I finally decided that I want to drive the damn thing so it's getting a 4 speed and converted over to big bolt pattern disk brakes and the later k member. But I will be holding on to the 10" Hd drums and such since it was part of the options on the car, as well as the numbers transmission. But that darned numbers thing means I have original parts taking up space in my shop, on the off chance that someday it will make a difference. I should probably just scrap the stuff, I'd hate to sell any of my cars to a "collector" anyway, they're meant to be driven and enjoyed, not parked and argued over.
