Stuart,
You're right, it isn't natural. When my neighbor saw the clutch plate he thought I had just gotten a new one.
I can only surmise that the PO replaced the plate for a clutch problem and shortly after it stopped working. The clutch plate still has the paint on the springs and the sticker for the flywheel side is still on and looks like it was printed yesterday. There is no glazing and very little wear. On the otherhand the throwout bearing is shot and the diaphram springs in the pressure plate are all tore up and distorted. The pressure plate and flywheel surfaces are clean. There aren't any oil leaks in the bellhousing, although at some time in it's history there was. The clutch wasn't slipping, it wouldn't disengage.
