Having witnessed it in action on several occasions, the Blazer is damn fast. IIRC it's on a circle track tube frame chassis with a massive V8 and some of shortest gearing you'll witness. 1st through 4th gears in like 20 yards.
Out of the 3 pics OP posted, I'd drive that truck.
The other two.....they may be fast/cool/loud/fun/whatever, but they do not interest me much at all.
The Caddy pic looks like it was taken at the entry to T3 at Road Atlanta.
Here, it sits outside of Bristol Motorspeeday:
I agree with Appleseed. And isn't pro touring what Olympic figure skaters do when they are to old to compete :p
I'm in the process of bench building/actually building 3 sorta pro-touring cars. Right now, money and garage space are holding me back, but here is the stuff so far:
96 Impala SS:
Pretty easy pro-touring conversion. This one is getting a 383 LT1/T56, and I'm trying HARD to get the guys at Schwartz to use my SS as a prototype for a B-body chassis.
66 Bonneville:
This one was mostly done before I tore it all apart for a new direction. It did have a Caddy 500/TH400/GVOD, but now its getting a diesel. I haven't decided on a Duramax or a 6.7L powerstroke yet. The Dmax would be easy, but then my tranny choices are limited to a 4L80E (which fits, but wouldn't like the 800+ lb-ft I'm planning) or an Allison (which is great, but has poor ratios for a car and its massively huge.)
It has a 10.5" FF rear, 3/4 ton front spindles and brakes, custom suspension control arms and trailing arms built and designed by yours truly, and is currently in the body shop getting straightened out.
Here it is before teardown with the caddy 500:
1967 LeMans:
I don't have any pictures yet because I haven't even picked it up yet. Its sitting at my buddy's place in TX. The plan is a complete road-race/Trans Am build that is completely street legal. LS-something, T56, possibly even a T56 transaxle with a C5 rear?
oldsaw wrote: The Caddy pic looks like it was taken at the entry to T3 at Road Atlanta. Here, it sits outside of Bristol Motorspeeday:
This seems incredibly wrong....and that fills me with happiness. questionable ideas tend to have that effect on me
curtis73 wrote: I'm in the process of bench building/actually building 3 sorta pro-touring cars. Right now, money and garage space are holding me back, but here is the stuff so far: 96 Impala SS: Pretty easy pro-touring conversion. This one is getting a 383 LT1/T56, and I'm trying HARD to get the guys at Schwartz to use my SS as a prototype for a B-body chassis. 66 Bonneville: This one was mostly done before I tore it all apart for a new direction. It did have a Caddy 500/TH400/GVOD, but now its getting a diesel. I haven't decided on a Duramax or a 6.7L powerstroke yet. The Dmax would be easy, but then my tranny choices are limited to a 4L80E (which fits, but wouldn't like the 800+ lb-ft I'm planning) or an Allison (which is great, but has poor ratios for a car and its massively huge.) It has a 10.5" FF rear, 3/4 ton front spindles and brakes, custom suspension control arms and trailing arms built and designed by yours truly, and is currently in the body shop getting straightened out. Here it is before teardown with the caddy 500: 1967 LeMans: I don't have any pictures yet because I haven't even picked it up yet. Its sitting at my buddy's place in TX. The plan is a complete road-race/Trans Am build that is completely street legal. LS-something, T56, possibly even a T56 transaxle with a C5 rear?
"3"????
Dang how I envy your energy and time!!
99.999% of the completed pro-touring cars out there are afraid of hitting a cone and ruining their $6k paint job with a scuff. it is nothing more then the prostreet craze of the 80's and 90's. Glorified show cars that fit a certain segment of "static hot rodding". Posers.
note: Father in law has not 1, but 2 high quality early 70s C10s - one is nearly showroom stock, straight 6, no PS, no PB, no radio!!! - the essence of farm truck. 70k original miles...basically just new paint, and consumables like hoses and such. That one is staying bone stock.
The other is a partial restomod abortion that ended when the previous owner got divorced and needed cash, so FIL picked it up. Bed is rusty, some rot in the cab. He plans to pick up a 110 welder and teach himself to weld...and I fully plan to be present for class as well . Once the body is straight, its getting IRS, coilovers, and a ws6 LS/trans swap
things will get interesting
Ranger50 wrote: 99.999% of the completed pro-touring cars out there are afraid of hitting a cone and ruining their $6k paint job with a scuff. it is nothing more then the prostreet craze of the 80's and 90's. Glorified show cars that fit a certain segment of "static hot rodding". Posers.
I gotta disagree with this one. That was my uneducated opinion at one time. I recently became friends with a guy into the scene. These guys drive the piss out of their cars, both on-track and at autocross. They are being built to handle and stop.
Met Kyle Tucker from Detroit Speed Engineering at CMP on a Friday before a Lemons race. They were out there track testing and pounding their development parts.
I got the opportunity to drive the piss out of this car. I can tell you that it turns, goes and stops every bit as good as a modern car. It has about 480hp, fuel injection, and a slick 6-speed. Rack and pinion steering, excellent visibility and feels almost weightless for something of this size.
Pro-touring isn't my personal flavor, but these guys are hardcore and they're the ones spending the money. Sponsorships are about 1000% easier to come by than autocross, club racing, etc.
Old cars make people smile.
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