That Streetfighter thing:

[Damn True]

PT is but a small niche within the whole spectrum of Hot-Rodding. Growing to be sure, but still small. Within this group we still have sub-groups.

There are those who want an original looking car with a few modern performance touches that make the car more pleasant to drive.

There are those who want to seriously modernize every aspect of the look and feel of a car. Originality be damned.

There are those for whom this is just the current style of Hot Rod. Not unlike Pro-Street was not so many years ago. "Show-Touring" or "Pro-Tweed" if you will. ("Not that there is anything wrong with that.")

There are those who intend to run their cars at auto-x and Open Track events.

At the risk of inflaming the ire of some (It's not as if that has ever stopped me before) I'd like to start a discussion of a specific build type within the PT niche. I know we all resist labeling cars as this or that, but I think this style lends itself to a label more than others. If for no other reason than to explain to some rube why the heck you built it the way you did.

Streetfighter.

What is it?
What makes a car a "Streetfighter"?
Is it a look, or is it a deed? (Nature vs. Nurture?)

I'll give my opinion (and it's just that....and yes, it stinks just like yours) then open the floor for ya'all to chime in.

IMO, a "Streetfighter" is to PT what a chopper is to Harleys. Minimalist first and foremost. Sure it still has carpet, but there's no room here for DVD monitors. Performance should be the primary concern. Occupant comfort and the eardrums of the neihbors kids are secondary concerns. Retro or Modern theme is fair game, though I have a personal preferance for something that stylistically leans toward the old T/A cars. There is certainly room for a more modern look with a set of CCR's and bunch of carbon fiber as well.

The word itself conjurs up an image. "Street" implies that it actually gets used to it's potential, not merely waxed on Saturdays and parked on a lawn with a crying baby doll on Sunday ("Not that there's anything wrong with that.") It also implies an "edginess" something that might be a bit offensive to "normal" people. Remember how your parents reacted to the cover of that Sex Pistols album....that's the vibe. "Fighter" alludes to a car that has seen it's share of nicks and scuffs. Rock chips are fine, encouraged even. A couple of marks on a rocker panel from orange cones at the last auto-x are badges of honor, not detriments.

These are cars that get driven, hard. As such they should have appropriate safety equipment. Quality seats, properly installed. Harnesses, again...properly installed. Bonus points for cages, fuel cells and fire systems.

A buddy of mine found this website the other day with a couple of fine examples of the vibe:
http://web.mac.com/streetfytr/iWeb/T...ETFIGHTER.html

I think you'll recognize a few.

So let's discuss.

Who's headed this way with their car?
Who's built some bitchin custom doo-dad to inch closer to the goal?
What's needed from the aftermarket to support this niche within the niche?

My other intent for this thread was to provide a centralized location for vendors (paid advertisers of course) to launch products specific to the genre. Also a place for us, and those like us to share ideas for the home-made stuff we've built.