Years ago when you owned your Torana it was considered something of a performance car, as the Clubsport, SSV and Calais are today, but there are many other ways of getting your driving thrills today without having to go for a V8. Some of the hot hatches now available would give you all the thrills, and more, than the big-bangers of old. Take a test drive in a VW Golf GTi or one of the fast Ford Focuses and I'm sure you'd rethink your choice. All the cars you mention, the Clubsport, SSV and Calais are good cars with plenty of grunt, the V8 sound, and the comfort of a big car. For mine though I'd be going for a hot hatch.

I can sympathize with you, the car could one day be a classic and the wrong caliper finish could affect its value with HSV enthusiasts. It seems clear that the problem was caused by sloppy work during the service and the dealer has accepted responsibility for it, but the action he's suggesting isn't acceptable to you. It would seem to me that it's not a huge cost to him to replace the calipers, and it would be to his advantage as a reputable dealer to do the right thing. You can try to negotiate with him to get what you want, or you could enlist the help of a solicitor and have him send the dealer a letter setting out your case and what you want.

In the short term either would have about the same resale, but if you're thinking about which might be more attractive to collectors in the longer term I would think the Clubsport would be the better one.