Confused and need advise
 

I'm gettin a 74 Wagon all original, or as we say in the states all matching numbers from my brother that has too many toys and too many projects. I swapped him my 71 VW Squareback for his RX-4 wagon. My question is: Presently is automatic and I prefer manual. Should I sacrfice originality for preference ???

Really depends on what your expectations are for the car and how you intend to use it...

If you're just looking to keep it as a collector/show car/investment, it's usually best to keep it 100% original. The less restoration work you need to do to it, the better and the more it will be worth. That assumes the car is actually worth something to begin with as a collector piece. I don't know if it is, but '74 RX wagons are pretty rare in the states these days.

OTOH, if you value driving & enjoying the car, then go for the manual swap but strive to keep the look of the swap job as original as possible. Your VIN # may have came with an AT, but Mazda probably sold at least as many manual versions of the same wagon back in '74.

I'm going to keep everything else original as it also came with original A/C. I'm more for the joy of the ride with making many heads turn with envy.... LOL. Thanks!