Define-Pro Touring and Resto Mod

[Darius]

I am at Fall Fling in Van Nuys and a guy comes by admiring my car. In our discussion he says Pro Touring is a setup more leaning toward street legal race type build and my car is more simply Resto mod in that I have restored it and modified it. My perspective is that my build represents Pro Touring as I drive it all over with maximum efficiency, performance,dependability,and comfort. I guess my point is if you are driving...Touring....around, you have a pro touring car. Resto mod is just that , a car restored close to original with some type(s) of modification. I suppose my car fits both descriptions.
I have always felt ifs you are a racer you build to trace, not drive around. Sure ,I could run my car if I want and be competitive in some classes but that is not why I built it this way.
I guess what with all of the modern stuff available now to build with this line between definitions has become blurred.
Comments?

 

[Bb70charger500]

It's the same thing in my book I do notice big wheels more with disc brakes on pro Turing cars resto mod in my opinion is a stock car with a few things here and there to make it better but it still looks mostly stock a pro Turing car does not nor is stock in most ways .

 

[Bb70charger500]

I guess to sum it up different levels of modified cars

 

[BeepBeepRR]

To have a pro touring car wouldn't one have to be a pro at something? As in Professional driver? The terminology is stupid. I refuse to use either term. Its kinda like a guy painting the wheels red on his 67 chevy pickup and calling it a ratrod. That is another term way overused and mostly wrong. Ratrod is a cobbled together pile of **** parts from all makes and models.. Not a mostly together 67 chevy with red wheels.

 

[rumblefish360]

Resto Mod through my eyes is a car that otherwise looks restored but sports parts that are not stock and more or less, can’t be missed and/or they are well hidden/disguised.

For me, it is AKA a Hot Rod. As if the car was only a few years old and modified with typical speed parts.

Pro Touring through my eyes is a car that may or may not be a resto level. It has altered aftermarket suspension designed for carving corners and/or drag racing. Low to the ground. Oversized tires in height and width to a large degree on all 4 corners, (far removed from stock) lots of roll cage inside, etc.
This car looks like a race car in hardware but otherwise looks like the body is stock.

 

[the mississippi madman]

Restomod is replacing old stuff with better bolt on mods, protouring is building something wild that it's basically a race car with the body of a classic car

 

[Kern Dog]

Darius, Just for an example you could look at our cars side by side. Other than paint that is more shiny than a stock B body, from the outside, BOTH of our cars look basically stock.
I took the route of a traditional 440 based build, 1970s era 3 speed automatic but then added some HD suspension and brake parts for a relatively economical build. I have spent some money on stuff purely for style where stock stuff would have been okay but for the most part, Mine is probably best described as a "Resto-Mod"
I don't think that our cars are really in the same class even though we share a fairly stock outward appearance. Under the skin, mine retains 1970s era parts that have been updated to perform better. I still have the torsion bars, the stock type K member, etc. You decided to go hog wild with aftermarket suspension and brakes, a late model 3G Hemi, and the interior upgrades.
The wheels on your car fit a "Resto Mod" title but the rest of the car is far more complicated to label it as such. It is a great look and I think it fits the goal that you had in mind.
Now, if your car was sitting on 20" wheels or bigger, it would probably shift public perception to refer to it as "Pro Touring". This not a suggestion on my part on what you should do with your OWN car. My thoughts are that the overwhelming majority of "Pro Touring" cars are fitted with the big wheels that many traditional Mopar guys do not like. I like the big wheels on some cars but not all. They have to blend with the theme of the car as it is built. Your car has style and is tastefully done. I would not change it nor would I care what people call it.

 

[747mopar]

To me a resto mod is a car that is still fairly close to original in looks and design with upgrades making it more enjoyable or more powerful.

Pro touring to me means it's built to handle meaning upgrades to the suspension, wheels, tires, etc... Typically that means low profile tires and a lower stance giving the pro touring look.

 

[Darius]

To me a resto mod is a car that is still fairly close to original in looks and design with upgrades making it more enjoyable or more powerful.

Pro touring to me means it's built to handle meaning upgrades to the suspension, wheels, tires, etc... Typically that means low profile tires and a lower stance giving the pro touring look.

This is my thinking as well. To Kern Dog's point, I really don't care what label people want to put on my car, I LOVE the thing! I drive the hell out of it and it provides everything I hoped for and more I did not even realize I was going to get. I do know that what ever someone looking at it is calling it, they are also telling me how much they like it so I suppose it really just does not matter!

 

[Dennis H]

Whatever mine is, it's the poor man version. I'm no Pro.

 

[Kern Dog]

Whatever mine is, it's the poor man version. I'm no Pro.

Ahhh....Dennis, Dennis, Dennis....You are too humble. You have an original body, original 4 speed, original Dana 60 car. You probably log more miles in that car in a year than 10 FBBO members combined. That is an inspiration to many, myself included.

 

[andyf]

I consider my '65 to be a resto mod but I suppose some might call it Pro Touring. To others it might be a rat rod with faded paint but I don't think that term really applies. It has original paint so I suppose it could be called a survivor but it probably has too many mods to be a survivor.

 

[SimDog]

I consider my 68 Charger R/T a pile of junk right now. But I will make it my own in time. I got this car as a stripped out shell with no drive train or interior and typical rust. I plan on combining some new with the old. Sticking with a 440 and original K member (for now) going to upgrade other suspension parts for better handling and ride. Going to upgrade the interior and may do some slight body mods (nothing that sticks out too much). I know a lot of people would cringe at the thought of doing this to an R/T 440 car but it will never be a "numbers" car so I am going to make it a driver and build it for me. Honestly I don't care what anyone calls my build, I call it MINE! All of you guys here on FBBO have inspired me, there are a lot of awesome builds on this site, I hope one day soon my name will be added to that list.

 

[747mopar]

I consider my '65 to be a resto mod but I suppose some might call it Pro Touring. To others it might be a rat rod with faded paint but I don't think that term really applies. It has original paint so I suppose it could be called a survivor but it probably has too many mods to be a survivor.View attachment 541614 View attachment 541615

I call it sexy

 

[Budnicks]

Here's my interpretations of the 2

#1 Pro Touring
Bigger LARGE diameter wheels/rims & wider low profile tires

Bigger usually 4 wheel disc brakes {usually painted calipers}

Aftermarket suspension like tubular control arms
& a 4 Link or air ride etc. lowered stance
&/or coil over suspension or struts, like contemporary cars or race cars

Aftermarket sound system, radios & amps/speakers etc.
"if you can get them with HP, Kill them with watts"

Aftermarket interior components, form fitting buckets,
racing style seats belts, plush leather, plush carpeting,
IMO more so a custom, than stock-ish

Bright shinny Paint, some wild colors, some flat/semi-gloss
trends vary, some Bright chrome & trim accents,
tucked or removed bumpers, monochromatic, added lights
wings or spoilers etc.

A newer more powerful engine, newer contemporary type build
late model, EFI, A/C, Power Rack & Pinion, modern fuel system,
built to drive & handle, not work on all the time
& loud-ish larger exhaust {usually polished Stainless Steel}
with cut outs etc.

Usually a shitload of $$$ to build, many are checkbook builds
built by a big name guy, but not all of them {Not meant as an insult}

There's nothing wrong with any of it if that's what you're into !!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
a lot of stuff similar in build styles,
just more long term era correct or what's trending regualarly

#2 Resto-Mod

sort of loose interpretations of the now old school
"day 2 look"

wider &/or sometimes taller/larger aftermarket wheels & tires
some chrome, polished or as cast wheels, not factory stuff

Maybe a scoop added, or a blacked out hood, added spoiler/wing
nice paint, personal touches, not always show paint
more of the common guy/enthusiasts style builds

aftermarket engine parts & drivetrain components
a little stance change, hopped up stock stuff/bolt-ons
Louder/larger exhaust, headers
bumpity bump camshaft & aluminum, heads, valve-covers, intake
water pump, bigger or multiple carbs or FI/EFI etc.
steeper gears stock-ish type trans, shifter & rear axles,
IMO meant more for stop light to stop light excursions,
more drag race 60-70's inspired in many cases,
than the Pro-Touring freeway style gears/or overdrive transmissions
meant for long trips & lower RPMs

some suspension mods, some stance changes
some aftermarket stuff, maybe tubular control arms etc.
or beefed up/gussied up stock stamped crap, more budget built
usually more self or garage built by enthusiasts,
IMO not so much check book builds, built by shade-tree mechanics
{or more of a "purist" minded mentality, must use brand specific stuff}
But still want them to not be like everyone else's
of the showroom stock type car
{Not that there's anything wrong with either style builds,
it's not meant as an insult to anyone, just my spin on what I've seen}

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I'll throw out another category/labeling

#3 Street Beast

a lot of the same as above 2 labels, but built to suit,
but IMO mainly for performance & handling...
Weekend Warriors or even regularly driven
Not wanting to be like anyone else's car
built to suit personal tastes & styles, more old school
& select performance needs, wants/likes
weekend racer &/or stop lights challengers

could have larger/loud-ish exhaust
could have stiff *** suspension
could have big huge sway-bars & made to handle
could be blown
could be turbo'd
could be multiple carb-ed or a tunnel ram
could be Fuel Injected or a combo of a few things above too
could be a 4-5-6 speed manual or a manual shifted auto
could have a lose converter & drag radials too
could be a borderline racecar with license plates
could be monochromatic or all chromed out or a stickered-up race car
could be flashy or subtle, like a sleeper
IMO it's sort of like the old Pro-street cars, but not the extremes
of the really narrowed rear ends & big little combo's tube chassis etc.

Certainly not a "no go show boat, trailer queens"
IMO it's those cars that piss off the total purists,
because they modified them...
Just like the Pro Touring or Resto-Mods guys do too...

Again this is not intended/meant to piss off or demean/insult anyone,
or their build choices/styles, it's all just my thoughts, over the many years...

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My car has many of the Resto-Mod or Street Beast accents
BUT; I really hate labels, I build my stuff for my taste, my style
I don't like putting it in a little box,
slapped with a label or Millennial terms...

I'm a little stuck in the 70's-80's as build styles ,
but love modern stuff too, I like HP but want my stuff to corner as well,
but with that old era correct "day 2 look", with modern stuff hidden
not all flashy, mostly stock-ish appearing, not really any major body mods
with a few select differences & stance, suspension mods
or a few on the exterior, nice shinny wheels & fatter tires in the rear
than the front....

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I was going to add #4 Pro-Street too,
but you all know what that was...
I'll just stop now...

Carry on, just my ranting

 

[Dennis H]

Mecum on now. Channel 26 here on East Coast on asshole Spectrum Cable. Ends at 300 eastern time. Where to see live bidding for Lot 152? First was Lot C 11.

 

[Dennis H]

Peacock? What channel is that on Spectrum.

 

[Dennis H]

Hammer. 51k. Congrats!

 

[69a100]

I don't know about all those classes? All I know is that I classify my unrestored well taken care of 66-300 as "Sport Touring"! That's my opinion and I'm stickin to it!
Congrats on the sale of the X, I know you got more into then that, at least you got a bunch of miles out of it!

 

[cr8crshr]

Darius I liked that car immensely when I say it in person at the Sac/Capitol City Mopars event a number of years ago. I know you put a hell of a lot into it and most likely didn't get any where near it back. But at least the new owner will have one sweet ride to drive...Congrats...cr8crshr/Tuck