I almost think that location plays somewhat into this. Out here, the sheet metal is typically not a concern. As a result, I think my preference would be on the numbers matching aspect. Perhaps if I lived in rust country my feelings would be different. Just my two cents.
This is a good point MadMopars makes...I live in the rust belt. So when I was looking for a car in my price range, I wanted to find the cleanest "body" I could afford. #'s drivetrain wasn't a big deal. I had to look quite awhile for one that I was happy with..and in doing so, I had to travel out of state to look at my A body. It was a southern TN. car for 98% of it's life. Until it wound up( always garaged and taken care of) in PA. for a couple years, where I got hold of it. Clean sheet metal for me.
