Anyone remember Pro Street?

[bret]

Yeah, I know this is a Pro Touring forum, but we all came from somewhere, right?

Here's where I came from...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiU_ykecdSI

Thanks to Scott Paytom and Michael Julian from Route 2 Media for a bitchin video!

[Larry Callahan]

I enjoyed it for a while. Thanks for posting.

[cornfedbill]

Wow, that brings back memories.

While I thought pro-street was cool, I was still trying to design IMSA inspired street cars during that era. I guess I just never fully assimilated into pro-street.

I did notice more pro-street than pro-touring at the Loveland Good Guys meet. It is not dead yet.

[rustomatic]

I was too young to drive, but I remember it. Yuck. Pizza cutters are not made for driving, hence the irony in the term "pro-street."

[qnitro]

Same basic engineering went into those cars as the pro-touring.. I'm a fan, but nothing is better than pro-touring

[MonzaRacer]

My buddy Jamie Quick just got a 65 es Impalla BBC/pro street.gonna switch up too 18/20s.and repaint . Me ill keep building what I can.
And I love Brets Mustang.

[TheJDMan]

I was actively bracket racing my Camaro in the late 70's but when I got tired of racing I just put the car in storage for 30+ years partly becasue it handled so poorly. The Pro-Street build style just never struck any chord with me. I always felt like PS was a one trick pony, impressive in a straight line but dont' plan on turning or stopping too fast.

[struck by Lightning]

I'm a Big Fan of Pro-Street ........ regret selling my 71 Bird.
.

[GeoffP]

My car was setup for Pro Street when I bought it... Lots of memories!

[IMPALA MAN]

Ah yes Brett, you taking the Fairmont to the show and laying the magazine spread on the windshield beside the For Sale sign. Then coming home with a white Caprice with Corvette wheels on it for your soon to be wife. Do I remember. I followed "you know who" the whole way to the show in the Fairmont while he was cursing the car. These were some of the funnest times that I can remember. Then there was the story where two state troopers were caught drag racing near the show. You guys are just enough older than me to have enjoyed the times when you could REALLY have fun. Cool video and thanks for bringing back some good memories of how we got where we are today.
So name that guy....(circa 1985ish) he pulls out onto the strip in Jasper, nails it to the wood in his Supercharged Camaro (I think it was a split bumper) about the time he sees the cop, he pushes it more into the wood. Then suddenly realizes he has dusted a blower belt! Thanks again for the memories.

[Rod]

Loved Pro Street and I dont miss it! here in Hot Rod land I get to see a different pro streeter almost every day.....if it has wheels I want it! better yet if it has an engine I want it! I want to drive it, Race it, Build it

heres a truck that Joe (another guy at the shop) and I are building, at its first show, (we couldn't wait till it was done and just had to show it off) it will be his (Joes) AA gas

[shizzy]

While I'll never own or build one, Pro street will always have a place in my heart. They were big when I was a teen and I thought they were amazing.

[J-440]

Thought I saw an engine shot of Scott Sullivan's 66(?) Nova. Had the bug catcher on top with the blower, but the carbs were relocated on each side of the radiator. Weird setup and radical for the time. Thanks for posting!!

[rocketman]

I love pro street cars and still build that style today, shocks and suspension technology has made them better.

Honesty the pro touring cars are nice and I enjoy autocrossing when I can but not crazy about them.

[riles]

Never was a huge fan of the Pro Street cars , thought they were too over the top and gaudy. BUT, if I had to choose one this would be the car.


Dave VerShaves Nova.

[Boatmark]

Pro-street was one of those things where I appreciated a the craftsmanship of a nicely done car, but it wasn't something that I was interested in building. I was looking at the Sullivan "Cheese Whiz" 55' Chevy in Hot Rod recently thinking I loved it when it was a fresh build, and it still looks great today. I love some form of most anything with wheels or that floats . . . a well done car is always a well done car. No matter the genre.

[regal454]

Bret,

Thanks for posting that video. Im35 years old and the Pro Street movement was big when I got into hotrods in the early '90's. I was really into the NMCA back then. I remember going to Rockingham Dragway and hanging out in the pits next to Tony Christiansen and Pat Musi. It was awesome to be next to all of the cars constantly featured in Hotrod and CarCraft Magazines.

[shortrack]

Ive never got it. Built my first Nascar Chevelle in '84 when I was 22. Ive always wanted something that handled. First motor race I ever saw live was the 1971 Can Am at Mosport Park when I was nine. Denny Hulme won the race. At the same time I had the Chevelle I was heavily into motorcycle road racing. Started off on a 550 production bike then up to a 750 Superbike last yr was '88. Thats the road race end of it. The stock car stuff comes from Nascar on TV and prob five 1/2 mile 1/4 mi pavement short tracks within 2 hrs of here. Still like that around here actually.

[mikedc]

I've never minded Pro Street.

I minded the fact that it dominated the hot rod world for about 10-15 years. I was so tired of seeing another bodystyle back-halved each month in the magazines, and the writers were invariably gushing about how "original" it was just because nobody else had done that bodystyle yet.

I felt (still feel) the same way about the Pro Touring world to be honest. I like it better because it is more functional overall. But IMHO our hobby is still pretty cookie-cutter for the most part. It went through a similar period where the same treatment was being called "groundbreaking" year after year as people did it to a different bodystyle each month.

[cactuss4]

Looked at this one today to see what it would take to turn into a touring car.. Think i'm passing since the cage would needs lots of modifications to put in a back seat, which just makes the cage kind of worthless. Right now it's Certified to 8.4 or something like that. Body is pretty decent, some stress marks showing at the back edge of the trunk and taillight panel. But the underside, drip reals quarter panels look really good, The front clip is all fiberglass but the lines are pretty darn spot on, someone did a nice job. Functioning lights, chrome bumper etc. Not that easy to tell the front is fiberglass. Would want to modify the cage so that the bar would go behind the dash vs in front of it (without extending the dash into the car more). Frame work looks nice in the back, probably make a nice track toy if I didnt need a backseat, probably pretty darn stiff!



Still thinking If I had more know how this would be a great starting point!!!!

But alas!

Tory