I can't see an argument for saying that pimping your mower isn't legitimate, lenny. Like over-restoration - which is not uncommon among collectors' mowers - it becomes an art form rather than preserving a heritage. We all have different tastes in these things - I prefer antiques to look old, for instance, but some people want them to look new, and others want them to look like a modern interpretation of the same artistic theme.
To put it more bluntly, I can't stand Harley choppers, but I can't stand original Harleys either. I wouldn't like to see a pimped Jaguar D type, but if someone wanted to cut a hole in the bonnet of a 2+2 E type and mount a GMC 6-71 blower on it, I'd say, "That's a car that truly deserved what it got." And that goes double for an XJS.
So, your mower is not rare, so you aren't buying the Mona Lisa and having your wife's face over-painted on it. Nobody is being denied a part of his or her cultural heritage. What you are doing is inventing a new art form that could become popular, and even profitable. Think of it as creative destruction. Schumpeter would be proud.
