I must be more liberal than I thought lol...
Conservative about .. well nevermind that.
Everybody changes wheels, paint is only pigment, and using factory exhaust parts at this point is just silly IMO, even if you could find the parts.
I would move a car from "stock" designation if you'd changed something functional, or something that would not have been a factory option. We have had this discussion on SCCA forums so many times It makes me nautious.
Even by SCCA rules when have been evaluated a million times by a million "car guys" (so fairly reliable/credible I think) and they allow paint, wheels, and exhaust for stock
racing classification. That being said, I can understand why some fancy ZapplesterFocon wheels, a Lime green Polka dot paint (using an extreme to prove a point), and a side exit dual exhaust system would make some classic FULL stock merkur guys cringe.
Then you might ask what is stock? Do Sierra/Cosworth parts count? We all know the only reason the XR wasn't called the Seirra like the Euro version was because Gm already had it, and we all know if the wind had blown a little differently on the day they decided the engine/trans setup for the US version, we may have had the 2.0L instead of the 2.3 Lima motor.. maybe even the more appealing RS500 body kit as an option. Hey I'm not certain but I'd bet money they even had color/paint options we didn't have.Its not a far stretch at all IMO, even less than aftermarket exhaust parts. Something to consider in your purist guzzling binges lol.
Me, IMO.. its all about change. I never leave anything alone, tools, furniture, cars, I WILL modify it lol.. so.. I may not be the one to vote into THIS office.
I'll submit a more pleasant example for points sake as well, then Ill note what "makes the difference".
Say the car is painted a slightly pearled white, as we all know there are a MILLION whites on the market you could paint the XR and it'd be almost stock. Sure, you could use and find the stock "Diamond White" too, its available but is a little less mix of custard yellow, and strong black in the paint really, I chose a BMW spec white because it has more depth and gloss than the OEM Diamond White, but I bet you would never notice. But Lime green lol.. even I wont vote that in stock class, against any logical reasoning you could muster!
Wheels? I mean I dont like ANY of the factory options, and who leaves stock wheels on these days!
And if you wanna be picky about exhaust.. whats the line? Are we really purists here? No polished tips, no increased diameter, no high flow cat!?
Ouch! I think we have to allow a tiny bit for age of the car?
Well that's my peace, I'd leave his in "stock" were it my torch but, I was only 4 when this car came out lol... Ford had already abandoned it when I started driving. I adopted the kid, I'll teach him what I want, Ill change him for the better (Merlin). You're asking an "original or adopted" kinda question.
Lastly, to throw some things you have to admit are hard to stand on...
Factory Glass (any and all), Tires, weather seals.. things that will or are broken and gone at some point and simply aren't available?
I know its gettin picky but all that to say we are not deciding what is stock that was done 25 years ago, we are deciding what's allowable to change
from stock. The older a car gets, the harder that is to decide I think, let's keep that in mind as we vote
Having a TRUE stock XR is getting harder and harder to pull off, so you may
need to allow more and more rule bending to even have a category at all.
It's easier to decide for you guys that have a little money, 4 parts cars and maybe even some connections or skills that others may not have to decide what's allowable, but be careful not to crush the guy whose changed his wheels because his rims were bent at some point?
Meh I'd rather fight about taxes and health care than this.
