i have a very stock all original 1972 350 vert. I am having a tough time making it custom, the car is in great shape and needs nothing. I just want to tinker....hmmmm

i voted both because its indeed your car and either you go stock for value and nostalgie or go custom and use the car for your idees on tuning and look.Somebody buys it to look at it ,others drive it.
I work on it .....

Cars that are original, or like it, should not be modified.  Unless of course the mods are reversable.

If the car will not likely be NCRS show quality,  well, It's your car, do with it whatever makes you happy.

Trying to start a war, are we?
There are many things to consider. Do you plan on keeping the car forever? If so, then do what makes YOU happy. If you see yourself selling it later, then you have to consider the fact that what you like, someone else might not, and that may be the difference in whether or not the car sells.
I like original cars to stay that way. Just MY opinion. You can, however, change things that are reversable, such as the interior, and still keep the value of the car. Paint, and body mods are a lot harder to reverse, and therefore effect the re-sale value.
After all of that.....it is your car, and your decision!

I am having a tough time voting for this poll, my vette is or could be considered stock, I believe the numbers all match, only things different is the exterior paint color is now red and was laguna grey, also have chambered exhaust.  If i was a person that knows how to work on cars then custom might be an opition, on the other hand I trurly believe that if it ain't broke don't mess with it.  I have had the vette for about three or four years and have always gotten from point a to point b, with no problems, except the everlasting grin from ear to ear,  So yes they are our rides and I don't ever for see me getting rid of her, and the bridge I'll have to cross is when some thing does quit working do I replace with orginal parts or upgrade to modern technology, At this time I can not answer that question.

Larry

Whatever turns you on... and you are paying the bills... but personally... original makes me happy when I'm paying ...

I'm going through the same thing.  My car's pretty original, except for the paint.  (Started out Elkhart Green and sometime in the past was changed to blue.) 

I don't plan on ever getting rid of it, and I have no desire to show it, so it will stay blue.  (Which I like better.)  Everything else will pretty much stay stock.

Later on if I decide to do a full frame-off I'll probably change it back, partially to show it, and partially for the value of the vehicle.

Right now I just want to drive and enjoy my car!

As long as you're going to stay away from some of those hideous body mods they came out with in the 70's (although, personally, I DO think the wider flares on the back wheels are nice!), do what you want with it.  It's your little piece of Corvette heaven, don't you think you should be able to arrange it the way you want?

If in ver good shape and 90%+ original, any Vette from the chrome bumper era is worth much more factory original than modified.  I am modifying my '81 considerably, as I also have that urge to constantly improve the car.  However, that car will never be worth a whole lot either way, as they were just to slow in factory original configuration to be a highly sought out car.  Your car however is a valued year.  As others have said, do whatever makes you happy, save EVERYTHING you remove, as a future owner may find value in what you think is garbage (you'd be surprised).  Just beware that if you take a very original, chrome bumper Vette and start modifying it, you have actually spent money to reduce it's value in the market.  Just my personal opinion, but if I ever bought a chrome bumper Vette, or big block later year, I would pick one that already had non-original motor and several other non-original components.  You can get them for much less $$, plus you then don't feel guilty about modifying an already non-original car.

BTW, a significant point, you might want to invest the time to research just how original the car is.  www.ncrs.org is a great place to start with that.  Very often, cars that appear very original to the less-than-expert eye, in fact have engine, tranny, rear-end, or just a myriad of other smaller components that are non-original.  If enough of these are non-original, your car probably won't be worth huge bucks down the road, so you might feel less guilt about modifying it. (no offense intended, it just wouldn't be the cream of the crop, as there are a few dozen (?) VERY low miles, chrome bumper, 427 Vettes out there which is where the real value is.)   

Good luck in your decision!

I'm all for internal or mechanical mods.....would never alter look or shape of original. If an engine or suspension mod adds pleasure to my driving, bring it on!

JR