Remember these? Pro-Touring ala 1980's CAFE racer.

[BA.]

Just cleaning out the old magazines and thought I'd share some cars that reminded me of some early early PT type cars....at least they're trying to get the power and cornering in one package! :) :revto9k:

[WS6]

cafe cars are cool even if so many of them are over the top with graphics and body kits. I just find it a neat style to look back on.

[harshman]

sweet mother of marry!!!! One in a million indeed!!

[Foudie]

BA what magazine is has the one in a million article? If you want to part with it, I think I know of a guy who might like to have that in his collection :lol:

[TPI Monte SS]

Harshman, was that the original owner of your car????

[harshman]

yup.

[shmoov69]

WOW!!!Now those are some flares!!!:screwy:
And that wing on the Vette!!!:Alchy:

[TonyHuntimer]

yup.

I thought that Camaro looked familiar. Did you know it was in a magazine? How long have you had it? How old is that paint? Are those Keystone wheels?

Enquiring minds want to know...

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

P.S. When I dig out my old magazines I'll have a couple of old school P/T cars to post too.

[Steve Chryssos]

I must admit. That first car--the red 67/69/72 had a profound influence on me. That car appeared in magazine over and over again. I remember another feature where it had a humungous blower sticking out of the hood. I was 13 at the time.

[Jims78elky]

Wow,

Those were the old days! Must have been good for "Bondo"
back in that time lol,the red camaro does bring back some
memories though..:smoke:

[BA.]

back in the day the "one in a Million" had Enkei rims on it.....


.

[Black Box]

Are those Keystone wheels?

I remember reading that Camaro article, I think it was in Car Craft back when I just started reading it. IIRC, I think the wheels were Enkei's.

Steve

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

oh sheist!.. why did they call them CAFE cars?

ive never seen that before.. kinda messed me up..

[harshman]

I thought that Camaro looked familiar. Did you know it was in a magazine? How long have you had it? How old is that paint? Are those Keystone wheels?

Enquiring minds want to know...

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

P.S. When I dig out my old magazines I'll have a couple of old school P/T cars to post too.

see this thread (https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21185)


Yes I knew the car was in a mag. I bought the car about 6-7 years ago. The paint is from the mid '80's and it still shines very well. The wheels were enkies and I sold them on ebay for about $600. the front springs were like pillows. It felt like driving a boat. The engine is still original but I just replaced some parts here and there to make it run (replaced the cam, rebuilt the carb, headers, yada yada).

[vanzuuk1]

Damn steve, I remember the article it was a black and white photo across two pages. The car was owned by Ron Scranton.

Someone should do a protouring timeline with photos.

Thanks, BC

[69Nova]

I like the McDonalds looking car in the 6th picture.

[jp455]

Yeah the McDonalds car is pretty sweet looking! So were those flares purely fabricated with fiberglass or was there some sort of kit back in the day? Pretty smooth work if it was all custom. I always liked that look, kind of "extreme" TransAm...

Manuel Scettri

[harshman]

Ba da da da daaaaa.... I'm loving it!


Thanks.... I think. As long as I am not linked with um.....
















https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif







hey if you can't laugh at your own car, who will.

[Steve68]

I need to scan a pic of my car from the 80's it had flared fenders, a Porsche builder in Daytona Beach did the flares, all steel, koni coil over shocks, 15x8 rallys all the way around and 235/60/15 Dunlop GT Qualifers, of course with the wrong off set with bigger tires it would rub, Then I put 15x10 and 14x7 Centerlines auto drags on it, and a BBC, I will try to scan some pics of it Tuesday, dated!!!

[DeltaT]

I liked the Cafe Racers you posted - the tech was cool for the time and they definitely had the chops, but their paint jobs generally gave me a headache. Fortunately, my headache pain was masked completely by the nausea induced by the McDonald's Klown Kar shown above!

Jim

[overZealous1]

I must admit. That first car--the red 67/69/72 had a profound influence on me. That car appeared in magazine over and over again. I remember another feature where it had a humungous blower sticking out of the hood. I was 13 at the time.

+1 i remember seeing that car years ago with the blower. i got to clean out a library back in high school and have nearly every car magazine published from 78-88. they needed to clear 10 years of stock. i have the mags all those cars were in.
that car is mainly the direction i want to go with my car. even the flares!! and i happen to have a 6-71 blower waiting too.

[Steve Chryssos]

+1 i remember seeing that car years ago with the blower. i got to clean out a library back in high school and have nearly every car magazine published from 78-88. they needed to clear 10 years of stock. i have the mags all those cars were in.
that car is mainly the direction i want to go with my car. even the flares!! and i happen to have a 6-71 blower waiting too.

Sounds like a great collection. Well then you and BA. are officially nominated as pro-touring.com historians. Maybe you can find these cars: I don't have much to go on. Definitely late 85 or 1986, there was a guy building 69 Camaros that were very tight pro-touring cars for the time--or at least I remember them being tight. Not goofy looking at all. Just clean pro-touring cars with normal wheelwell openings and tasteful paintjobs. He built two maybe three cars. One of them was pewter for sure. Can't remember the other car's color. One coupe, one convertible. I seem to remember mesh wheels. Both cars had a clean--showroom fresh--pro-touring theme.

[wendell]

Super tall fender flares are my guilty pleasure. That and front fenders with extractors behind the wheels. And double stack wings with the upper element two feet behind the rear bumper. I'm also into side pipes and HUGE cowl hoods to fit MFI velocity stacks. 14" wide slicks on possitive offset mags... I could go on and on. Basically any thing IMSA, Kelly Girl, Camel Lights-esque. I've got problems. Keep the pics coming.

[BA.]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/07/joecamel-1.jpg

[BA.]

Here's an early, early Pro-Touring theme by none other than the Buttera's. (which I ever so briefly mentioned in the 10 best builders thread)

[Steve1968LS2]

My 67 Camaro had a PT look.. I caught grief for the HUGE 16" IROC wheels and wide Gatorback tires.. Had four wheel GM disc brakes. IROC close ratio gearbox and a 327 engine. Even Corbeau seats. What's nice is that it doesn't look that dated, even 20+ years later..

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

I remember those big fender-flared cars.. That was all the rage back then, along with huge 671 powered Pro-Street cars.. the more chrome the better back then.. lol

Here is the ca on the cover of Popular Cars (with a much younger me in the shot).. funny that I now work in the building that used to house this magazine..

http://www.z069.us/67/camaro_cover.JPG

[sean smith]

The candy apple red camaro used to belong to ron scranton...Me and his son casey are best friends.....It was one of two built for a b movie in the early 70s...one was wrecked the other is the car in the mag....I belive lil john did some work on the car as well...Ron also had a vette that was way similar....can you guys find that car....

[Steve68]

I remember that mag, my friend used to get them,

[Steve Chryssos]

The candy apple red camaro used to belong to ron scranton...Me and his son casey are best friends.....It was one of two built for a b movie in the early 70s...one was wrecked the other is the car in the mag....I belive lil john did some work on the car as well...Ron also had a vette that was way similar....can you guys find that car....

Any idea what happened to the Camaro.

[vanzuuk1]

Which B movie?

[TonyHuntimer]

Here is the ca on the cover of Popular Cars (with a much younger me in the shot).. funny that I now work in the building that used to house this magazine..

http://www.z069.us/67/camaro_cover.JPG

Hey Steve,

Did you get my E-mail about the fender flares? and...Check you out on the cover. Nice job! What were you looking at? :)

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[WS6]

haha Tony beat me to it. What were you looking at there Steve? Just making sure that other camaro didn't have wider wheels that yours?

[Steve1968LS2]

Here you go.. you can buy one and relive those classic days of yesteryear.. lol

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-Camaro-Phase-1-69-Chevy-Collectors-Car-Black-Tan-427cid-Handcrafted_W0QQitemZ320012797569QQihZ011QQcategor yZ6161QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[sean smith]

I found out a little more about the Candy Apple Red Camero. It was built for a movie (Aloha Bobby and Rose) in the early 70s, it was black in the movie...It was also driven by Dan Gurney at the Riverside Raceway and was backed in to the wall and that is why it has a corvette rear end on it.The fender flairs were all steel and from what I was told they once jacked the car up from the flair to change the tire. The wheels on the car were real American Magnesium 12" front and 171/2" out back (where they got the name: mag wheels) and they would only stay shinny for a day or so and then they would need to be polished out again. The car was a '67 with '69 doors and front end and '70 corvette out back. That's about all I know about the car. Ron said that he sold the car some time in the mid eighties at a Reggie Jackson car auction in San Fransico. The guy who bought the car was about 75 years old and lived in the Napa Valley area. Ron would love to know where the car is now but has no idea. Ron is still building custom vehicles with his son Casey Scranton. They have done over 30 vehicles for Ford Motor Co., Chevrolet, Daimler Chrysler, and Nissan Motor Co. Check out there company at: www.cgsmotorsports.com (http://www.cgsmotorsports.com) they manufacture Air Intake Systems and Cat-Back Exhaust Systems for late model Trucks and SUV's

[BonzoHansen]

Here you go.. you can buy one and relive those classic days of yesteryear.. lol

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevrolet-Camaro-Phase-1-69-Chevy-Collectors-Car-Black-Tan-427cid-Handcrafted_W0QQitemZ320012797569QQihZ011QQcategor yZ6161QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I was just coming to post this.

:ripped:

[Steve1968LS2]

I was just coming to post this.

:ripped:


:slap: Beat ya!! :woot:

[dropit69]

steve ..you sure that isnt eric foremen for that 70's show in that car mag cover sure looks like it to me..you have a twin..lol

[BonzoHansen]

I'll get you next time!

[shmoov69]

Is that cooling ductwork for the DRUM brakes?!?!?!

[BA.]

WOW. I remember that Freeland Tanner Camaro. Siiiigh. The memories! I wasn't a big fan of the flares on it, but it was great in that it was so different for it's time with it's paint scheme and color theme both inside and out. And it's RALLY SPORT to boot!

Thanks for posting that.

[SicMonte]

a tech at my work has a 68 camaro done just like that red one. his is blue but has the same fender flares and everything.....i think they are awesome cars.

[wendell]

Is that cooling ductwork for the DRUM brakes?!?!?!

Yes. Complete with stainless mesh vents cut into the backing plates. SICK! I really sweat this car. The paint is right up my alley.

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

why do they call it CAFE cars?

[Damn True]

A "cafe-racer" is a style of motorcycle popularized in the UK. Stripped down, clip-on style bars, single seat, built to maximize handling over comfort etc.

I think they used the name because the cars emulate that ethic.

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

is that the same thing as streetfighter?

[Damn True]

Yeah, same kinda vibe.

Do a Google image search on the words "cafe racer" and you'll see the style.

I used to own an Triumph Bonneville of that style.

[vanzuuk1]

In the 60s, guys in europe had steetbikes modeled after race bikes, but they tooled around town on them from cafe to cafe.

In the 80s, magazine editors didnt know what else to call the euro styled iron, so they called them cafe racers or canyon carvers.

I would say streetfighters tend to be more stripped down, but its a similar look.

If this starts a big debate, relax, its just my opinion.

BTW, awesome thread, any old pics like these are cool.

[Jims78elky]

I found out a little more about the Candy Apple Red Camero. It was built for a movie (Aloha Bobby and Rose) in the early 70s, it was black in the movie...It was also driven by Dan Gurney at the Riverside Raceway and was backed in to the wall and that is why it has a corvette rear end on it.The fender flairs were all steel and from what I was told they once jacked the car up from the flair to change the tire. The wheels on the car were real American Magnesium 12" front and 171/2" out back (where they got the name: mag wheels) and they would only stay shinny for a day or so and then they would need to be polished out again. The car was a '67 with '69 doors and front end and '70 corvette out back. That's about all I know about the car. Ron said that he sold the car some time in the mid eighties at a Reggie Jackson car auction in San Fransico. The guy who bought the car was about 75 years old and lived in the Napa Valley area. Ron would love to know where the car is now but has no idea. Ron is still building custom vehicles with his son Casey Scranton. They have done over 30 vehicles for Ford Motor Co., Chevrolet, Daimler Chrysler, and Nissan Motor Co. Check out there company at: www.cgsmotorsports.com (http://www.cgsmotorsports.com) they manufacture Air Intake Systems and Cat-Back Exhaust Systems for late model Trucks and SUV's

Aloha Bobby And Rose,

Here is a link for that same car,looks like Hot Rods and customs are
doing a camaro for a HUGE fan of the movie.

http://www.hotrodscustomstuff.com/aloha_camaro-01.html

Ahh,the memories! ..lol:yeah:

[Steve Chryssos]

Nice Camaro.......Terrible Movie.

[TonyHuntimer]

I vaguely remember an old issue of Hot Rod had 2 cafe style first gens and a second gen. I think they were all red and were on a centerfold. If I could only find my stash of centerfolds.

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[BA.]

ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT!!!

I'm diving back into my stack of old mags, if you don't hear from me in 2 days, please send help!!!

[RobM]

am i the only one who thinks a cafe racer is a BIKE? other then damn true??? (we always seem to be on the same page) now i know why my norton is one of a kind

[LowBuckX]

Rob you are correct and I was thinking the same thing also. I did a search and found alot of stuff on the subject all of it about bikes. http://www.ace-cafe-london.com/f2_2.htm

[TonyHuntimer]

Here's the cover of the Hot Rod magazine I'm talking about. It's the February 1981 issue. I couldn't resist. I just bought it off Ebay. This second gen was way before it's time. Could this re-start the argument of when Pro-Touring started? :)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Ebay is cool. Ebay is evil. :)

When I get the copy I'll post the images on my NEW!! page on RaceHome.com

Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

[twosaturns]

sorry I missed this thread earlier, but oh well...
I LOVE these cars! all the IMSA styles, CAFE racer, gymkhana, whatever they would label it, it's all cool. before I got my '70 Nova (from my brother) he had flares and a 3 piece spoiler on it! there was actually a company that made that stuff back in the day. i never saw another gen2 nova w/ anything like it (of course, I tore it all off when I got it).

[69Nova]

Do you have any pictures of before the flares were taken off?

[twosaturns]

Do you have any pictures of before the flares were taken off?
I know I had at least one, from when we went to the super chevy show in reading, PA back in, whoa, 87? I got the car in '90 or '91, sold it in '93.
I'll have to look, but I really don't know where it is, sorry.

[neki67]

Here's the cover of the Hot Rod magazine I'm talking about. It's the February 1981 issue. I couldn't resist. I just bought it off Ebay. This second gen was way before it's time. Could this re-start the argument of when Pro-Touring started? Tony Huntimer
RaceHome.com

if I remember correctly there was an article in a 1978 Hot Rod issue about how to make a 2nd gen handle like a Porsche. In fact I believe that particular article was called; Poor man's Porsche.

God, now I know why I forget so many things, there's just too much (useless) ancient data in my head . . ..

René

[96Z28SS]

Here is the car on the cover of Popular Cars (with a much younger me in the shot).. funny that I now work in the building that used to house this magazine..

http://www.z069.us/67/camaro_cover.JPG

Whatcha looking at Steve?

[bnickel]

all those old canyon carvers have always been my favorite build style and they are definitely the orginal pro-touring cars without a doubt in my mind. i kind of preferred the trans am styled cars as oppposed to the can am styled ones but i thought they were all cool. that was always the direction i was taking with my car, even the Riken mesh wheels. i'll putting the stang up for sale once it's done but the 69 cougar i'm getting to replace it will continue the modern PT/vintage corner carver T/A style. no flares though. i may to do some fender massaging on the front so i can fit a wider wheel without rubbing the fenders but if i do no one will be able to tell it from stock unless they are a cougar expert and hopefully i can even confuse those guys.

[USAZR1]

In 1972,I built a severely lowered 1969 Nova SS in a TransAm/IMSA style. We flared the fenders (all steel) to fit 15x8 & 15x10 Halibrand Sprint wheels with M/T tires and added an L88-style hood to cover its L72 427 BBC(rebuilt to L88 specs w/ZL1 valvetrain). Exhaust was a pair of Hooker sidemounts with 4" sidepipes. The trans was a Muncie M22 with Hone overdrive and 4.56 cogs in the 12 bolt. Sure wish I still had some photos to show you guys.
Kinda hard to believe I've been a serious fan of this style for over 30yrs.

[bnickel]

In 1972,I built a severely lowered 1969 Nova SS in a TransAm/IMSA style. We flared the fenders (all steel) to fit 15x8 & 15x10 Halibrand Sprint wheels with M/T tires and added an L88-style hood to cover its L72 427 BBC(rebuilt to L88 specs w/ZL1 valvetrain). Exhaust was a pair of Hooker sidemounts with 4" sidepipes. The trans was a Muncie M22 with Hone overdrive and 4.56 cogs in the 12 bolt. Sure wish I still had some photos to show you guys.
Kinda hard to believe I've been a serious fan of this style for over 30yrs.

oh man, i've been hunting a hone-o-drive for my 9" rear forever!!!! you wouldn't happen to know where i could get one would you? i'm assuming your's was the trans tailshaft mounted variety?

[ProdigyCustoms]

I really liked the wide bodied Vettes in the day. In fact I saw one the other day, I think I still like them. Maybe some modern updates like 345/30/19s instead of 15" ballon tires? My wheels are turning!

[bnickel]

yeah, like the eckler's vettes? i think they still those parts.

[Jims78elky]

Just for a update,here is the "aloha bobby and rose camaro"
project that hot rods and customs did..Looks like it came out
pretty well,and there is video's of it finished and running.

:cool:

Still...a bad movie though..lol.

http://www.hotrodscustomstuff.com/aloha_camaro-01.html

A few other cool projects on there site also.


-Jim

[DeepBlue68]

I must admit. That first car--the red 67/69/72 had a profound influence on me. That car appeared in magazine over and over again. I remember another feature where it had a humungous blower sticking out of the hood. I was 13 at the time.
That's funny because Harshman's car (on the cover of one of the other magazines, in older form) had a big influence on me about 2-3 years ago. IIRC, the issue of PHR with that his car on the cover was the first PHR I ever bought, and it got me totally hooked on P-T. I bought my '68 less than 3 months later. Funny how a single car can be around long enough to influence people in multiple eras of car-building.

[USAZR1]

oh man, i've been hunting a hone-o-drive for my 9" rear forever!!!! you wouldn't happen to know where i could get one would you? i'm assuming your's was the trans tailshaft mounted variety?

Didn't Gear Vendors buy out Hone?
Yes,mine was mounted on the tailshaft,IIRC.

[bnickel]

it was either doug nash or american overdrive that bought out hone, i think. nobody is making the diff mounted units anymore though. i'd rather have one that style than the tailshaft style.

[narcotix]

Does anybody remember the series of articles in Hot Rod in the late 70's entitled "Mustang Magic?" I remember seeing some rear flares, front fender venting, and a front spoiler from MAS (man, those ads were great!).

The last time I saw that car, a '65 Mustang Fastback -- green (I think) with red, black, and yellow accent stripes (I think, very foggy) -- was from the microfiche collection at UCLA.

(....yeah, instead of studying, I whiled away my time at the sintkin' library checking out old Hot Rod mags on microfilm/fiche!!!)

-Jimmy

[Bob Johnson]

I really liked the wide bodied Vettes in the day. In fact I saw one the other day, I think I still like them. Maybe some modern updates like 345/30/19s instead of 15" ballon tires? My wheels are turning!
yeah but the're turning backwards..lol..at least you said you THINK you like them..I hope that was after a Christmas Party and you had waay too much to drink..lol

[Damn True]

yeah but the're turning backwards..lol..at least you said you THINK you like them..I hope that was after a Christmas Party and you had waay too much to drink..lol

Those FIA vette bodies were sooooo cool. My dad took me to an IMSA race at Laguna in the mid '70s. The field featured those great old Vettes, Box-fender Bimmers, and the old Bhrumos (sp?) 911's. That day started my addiction to road-racing cars.

[Bill Howell]

Those FIA vette bodies were sooooo cool. My dad took me to an IMSA race at Laguna in the mid '70s. The field featured those great old Vettes, Box-fender Bimmers, and the old Bhrumos (sp?) 911's. That day started my addiction to road-racing cars.

Funny how we all have different tastes. I personally liked all the cars you mentioned here, Except for the Vettes. For some reason, I just never liked any body mods to old Corvettes. Strangely enough, I liked the Monzas with the same basic mods????
The Brumos 911s were the stuff though, hardly ever broke. I used to go to the 24hrs of Daytona just to watch them beat on the 962s all night too.

[Damn True]

I'll agree that those body modifications were NOT attractive, the Eckler's copys for the street were even WORSE. But what IMO made them so cool was the unabashed utility of them. They were an abject departure from the design of the car for the sole purpose of hauling a$$. I too think the Monza and Bimmer modifications really LOOKED GOOD, but those box-flares were applied to already angular bodies and sorta fit the theme of the original where the Vette stuff looked like someone said, "Screw what it looks like, will it be fast?"

[twosaturns]

Does anybody remember the series of articles in Hot Rod in the late 70's entitled "Mustang Magic?" I remember seeing some rear flares, front fender venting, and a front spoiler from MAS (man, those ads were great!).

The last time I saw that car, a '65 Mustang Fastback -- green (I think) with red, black, and yellow accent stripes (I think, very foggy) -- was from the microfiche collection at UCLA.

(....yeah, instead of studying, I whiled away my time at the sintkin' library checking out old Hot Rod mags on microfilm/fiche!!!)

-Jimmy
that WAS a cool mustang, i have a few of those issues. remember they even toyed w/ a superbird style wing on it? it had a great interior, mesh headrest recaros, IIRC.