A gallery of Pro/Street cars

[herr_oberst]

The evolution of the fad in pictures. Something for everyone, from tidy little Vegas and Camaros to an early Mustang that's 'all ate up with motor' and a Nova with a flip body like a funny car and a Logghe or Buttera style chassis with IFS instead of a tube axle..
(I wonder how long the pinstripes on that blower belt will last?)
I like the looks of that butterscotch and white 1970(?) Mach1(?) Mustang.

http://www.motortrend.com/events/vintage-pro-street-cars-gallery-grand-national-roadster-show-2024/?galleryimageid=017814c4-bfac-40bc-96e2-26bff0a687bc

[GH85Carrera]

I can certainly appreciate the talent and dedication to building a car like those. But a car dedicated to pretty much one task of drag racing is not for me. Driver comfort is not really considered, just the safety. Yea, some are driven on the highways, but not really their high point.

Amazing money and time spent on going faster in a drag race. Just not something I see in my future for sure.

[pavulon]

All that talent and dedication can also come up with great cars that can be regularly and (mostly) reliably driven, stopped and turned without fear of killing anyone.

[pavulon]

[pwd72s]

Not that any of us really want one...but God bless those who have the creativity & desire to build them. Thanks for the pics...

[Dixie]

I don't get it. They're not race cars. They're not street cars. They're not even good at being rolling sculptures.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Capt. Carrera

I don't get it. They're not race cars. They're not street cars. They're not even good at being rolling sculptures.

They are the ultimate evolution of the old American muscle cars many boys in my high school wanted to build. Even more HP, way way more HP, a real updated strong frame, engineered suspension, actual quality disc brakes, and bling to make it the owner's dream. I get that, it just ain't my dream, but someone else's dream.

"Back in the day" when I was in high school a 14 second 1/4 mile was fast and few ever got to 12 seconds or less. Now they are so fast the track had to be reduced to 1/8 mile or even just 1,000 feet to keep the speeds reasonable.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Capt. Carrera

I don't get it. They're not race cars. They're not street cars. They're not even good at being rolling sculptures.

That's okay...there's a lot about the game of pool you don't get either. Like pool, there are many layers to the gearhead world. Not everybody has to get it, whatever it is...

[Jeff Higgins]

I find the multiple blowers, turbos, sometimes both together to be beyond ridiculous. Pure poser dipschitt nonsense of the worst kind. Right up there with the kid who poured a can of NOS energy drink into his bike's gas tank.

All we have to do is to look at an NHRA Top Fuel or Funny Car to understand just how much forced induction a motor can use. Or any other serious class in organized drag racing, with Pro Mod being the closest to these cartoon cars. Leave this nonsense for the Disney movies (and get off my lawn...).

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Capt. Carrera

I don't get it. They're not race cars. They're not street cars. They're not even good at being rolling sculptures.

They are subjective, and as with most things subjective, not everyone gets them.

I don't get some music. I don't get some art. I don't get a lot of fads. Some cultures seem odd to me.

Some are built to be extreme, that's it, that's the whole goal.

I remember this from the magazines in the 80s when I was 15-16.

https://www.stanceiseverything.com/2014/12/wtf-friday-rick-dobbertins-pontiac-j2000/

Built in the 80s, when hair was wild and paint was wilder, this J-2000 was designed to be THE Pro Street car to end all pro street cars.

Rick himself describes the thought process around the build as follows: First, I looked at the areas that defined a Pro-Streeter – areas like the engine, the transmission, the huge rear tires and the narrowed rear axles, the stance, the interior and the paint. Next, I determined that I would take all of these areas to an extreme. Finally, I decided to stuff all this technology into the smallest narrowest car I could find to get the greatest effect.

Not sure if these pics will embed right due to the wonky url






It was so insane that they even made a model out of it.

[herr_oberst]

I'm a fan of cars and machines in general and I say if you want to make a change to your car for your own artistic and creative reasons, then do it and I'll find a reason to celebrate it with you. It might not be my taste, but if it floats your boat then I'll be happy for you.

(Just make sure you've got proper seat belts and enough brakes if you're taking somebody for a ride - especially if there's going to be cameras on board.)

I know I said the Mach One was my favorite of the batch but to be honest, I would actually own a more subdued Pro/Street machine like this Vega. Nicely tubbed, a great rubber rake, a smallish 6-71 sticking out of the hood and some polished Centerlines.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

I'm a fan of cars and machines in general and I say if you want to make a change to your car for your own artistic and creative reasons, then do it and I'll find a reason to celebrate it with you. It might not be my taste, but if it floats your boat then I'll be happy for you.

(Just make sure you've got proper seat belts and enough brakes if you're taking somebody for a ride - especially if there's going to be cameras on board.)

I know I said the Mach One was my favorite of the batch but to be honest, I would actually own a more subdued Pro/Street machine like this Vega. Nicely tubbed, a great rubber rake, a smallish 6-71 sticking out of the hood and some polished Centerlines.

Yep, this car is my type of this type of car (even if this isn't my type of car these days like it was when I was 15-17).

If I was going to have an old America muscle/pony style car, I'd rather have a restomod style car, modern motor that makes good power and is reliable, good brakes, and upgraded suspension, so it would hopefully, make a good driver that has some of the great character of these old cars.

[unclebilly]

Some of the above comments are ‘interesting’ and sound downright liberal… I don’t like it so nobody should be able to do it.

The ironic thing is that a Tesla Plaid would eat most of these for breakfast.

[GH85Carrera]

One of the car "cultures" I don't get at all is the drifting cars. Yea, it takes some skill to go sideways, but it is as stupid as burnout contests. No doubt the tire makers love it. Or just doing donuts in a parking lot, just makes no sense. At least they are not using my tires.

[pwd72s]

Drifting...way back in the stone age of road racing when tire technology wasn't near today's standards, drifting could be the fastest way through some corners. Fangio was a master of the drift.
Today's tires? The slow way....but it looks cool. I guess that's why it's done? Yep, glad it's not me buying the tires.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Drifting...way back in the stone age of road racing when tire technology wasn't near today's standards, drifting could be the fastest way through some corners. Fangio was a master of the drift.
Today's tires? The slow way....but it looks cool. I guess that's why it's done? Yep, glad it's not me buying the tires.

I suspect the amount of drift that the racers back in the day did was very different from todays drifting. I think modern drifting came from the Japanese Manga/show, Initial D that was about mountain racers in Japan.

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

That's okay...there's a lot about the game of pool you don't get either. Like pool, there are many layers to the gearhead world. Not everybody has to get it, whatever it is...

So you advocate the use of 10 foot long, multi pronged, flamed and pinstriped cues 'cause they're cool? Gotcha.
... And kudos for being able to make your post patronizing.
,

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Capt. Carrera

So you advocate the use of 10 foot long, multi pronged, flamed and pinstriped cues 'cause they're cool?

I'm not generally "for" mods that reduce performance, but I can get behind folks enjoying themselves and having a hobby. It's not my thing. I may appreciate some of the cars that are modded for aesthetic sake even if it's not my style. I may not appreciate all of them, but that's just a matter of taste, and everyone's tastes are different.

[JackDidley]

Originally Posted by masraum

I'm not generally "for" mods that reduce performance, but I can get behind folks enjoying themselves and having a hobby. It's not my thing. I may appreciate some of the cars that are modded for aesthetic sake even if it's not my style. I may not appreciate all of them, but that's just a matter of taste, and everyone's tastes are different.

^^^^^^ This. I go to cars and coffee and look at all sorts of cars. A lot are not cars I aspire to own but I do like to see the results of someones hard work. I prefer a stock look with mods inside the motor but I am a car guy and like them all. Almost all anyway.

[Jeff Higgins]

These things are the "choppers" of the four wheeled set. Modified to the point of absurdity and uselessness.