Tribute & Clone WTF is there a Difference ?? Or is there any??

[bigmanjbmopar]

Now I'm just throwing this out there, what would you think if you walked up on a real nice Road Runner, looked in the engine bay, and there sat a 454 Chevy motor?

That is just sacrilege! I hate that **** why do chevy guys think that a 350 works in any car? asshats!

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

So I googled Clone vs Tribute and found this article had RR reference so had to read it lol. Funny cuz I have a true RM23 RR and just making it appear like an A12 car so Tribute works for me.

Clone or Tribute
The word "clone" used to be a deal-killer when selling a muscle car. If the car wasn't a real deal SS or Hemi or Cobra, the vehicle was seriously de-valued and even ridiculed. The "c" word was rarely seen in a prominent place in muscle car classifieds. A few simple realities have changed that perception.
First of all, there were only so many muscle cars manufactured. Lots of them served as regular drivers and ended up in a junk yard. Others were severely modified for drag racing or street racing. Many beautiful muscle cars were saved and completely restored to better than new condition. But as the baby boomers get to the place where they can afford to purchase the car that got away or that they always wanted, the number of available original muscle cars has shrunk. Even a buyer with dispensable income is reluctant to pay the exorbitant prices that were being asked for the verified original factory muscle cars in the pastfew years. And when you have the choice to buy a complete rust bucket numbers-matching Hemi Road Runner or a completely restored, driver friendly Plymouth Satellite with full Hemi Road Runner badging and detail at less than half the price...what would you do?
Nowadays the muscle car classifieds may say "tribute" or "replica" or some other term but they still mean a standard model was restored as its faster, big muscle sibling.

​

​

​

One thing to watch though, some sellers have done the cosmetic cloning but not updated the power plant or drive train to match. We recently saw a 1971 Dodge Charger that had all the R/T badging advertising the big block 440 but under the hood was a factory original 318.
A clone or tribute car can be a great value, as long as you understand what you are purchasing.

 

[bigredbird]

One thing to watch though, some sellers have done the cosmetic cloning but not updated the power plant or drive train to match. We recently saw a 1971 Dodge Charger that had all the R/T badging advertising the big block 440 but under the hood was a factory original 318.

I have a perfectly good 8.25 rear on my car, with 3:55s and an Auburn and more than capable of handling the 400 ponies under the hood. But it's the last piece I need to swap out... an 8.75 has to be there for the 'exact replica.' :icon_sad: I'm not in any rush, though.

 

[khryslerkid]

We will be kicking this can around forever but the truth of the matter is go ahead and build your ride the way you want it. Some don't have the cash to buy an authentic time piece like a Hemi Cuda, or a Max Wedge. You might find a real nice Satellite for a real affordable price but it has a six cylinder. What's wrong with upgrading it with a hi pro engine, higher grade interior and a nice set of factory wheels? Now when this car is done are we gonna call it a clone? Probably. If the person with this car tries to sell it and says its original then that's deceiving and he should be prosecuted for false advertising or whatever. It gets under my skin when people with '62 / '63s drop a 440 in their ride, put 413 decals on the valve covers and call them a Ramcharger / Super Stock. Yes the 440 might be a bit more reliable, parts a little easier to obtain but its not a 413. Now the majority of these guys would tell you, if you asked, yea its a 440. Now is it fair that I have to pair up with this guy at a nostalgic drag race one weekend? I guess we will have to try to stop using the "C" word, kinda like we had to refrain from using other " " words in the past and just say "its not original"...

 

[69clone]

They are basically the same in my mind. The only difference is when I hear tribute I typically think of a better built car, usually to tribute a special car like a General Lee or one of one kind of car. I myself call my car a clone. It has the roadrunner decals, emblems and lift off hood. It just does not have a M in the vin... And is a satellite. I also would not do what I plan to do what I plan to do, to an original M coded 69 1/2 roadrunner. I always tell people who know at least a tad about cars that it is a clone and always stated it's a clone at car shows. But if its an import fan or anyone dumb I will just tell them it is roadrunner, yea I know it's wrong but it sure beats explaining it all to them. "No, not Satellite radio...":icon_eyes: Oh and do respect Satellites and one day I may pull off the decals and call it a satellite but for now it's going to roll as a clone.

 

[shag766]

Speaking of clones, I've heard that the proper term for a female clone is "clunt".

lol but, up here a clone is some thing you plant in early spring, usually in the back 40 and harvest in sept:icon_weed:

 

[MarPar]

^^^^ lol

 

[Flys-Lo]

lol but, up here a clone is some thing you plant in early spring, usually in the back 40 and harvest in sept:icon_weed:

LOL - I know, I watch Weeds.