[ratbikeharley]

What exactly is a Pro-Touring car?
Is it low profiled tires, fancy rims, big brakes and a big motor?
This is a serious question.
I am really curious as to what exactly needs to be done to a car to get the title of a "Pro-Touring Car"

Thanks for your imput in advance.

[Jeff H]

You'll never get a consensus on the true definition of pro-touring. Myself, I like to see a modern engine/trans combo with EFI, bigger modern wheels/tires, 4 wheel disc brakes, killer suspension, upgraded modern steering, upgraded modern interior, nice body/paint. Too many people slap 17" wheels on an early Camaro and call it pro-touring which is a joke. Other people probably won't think EFI is needed, but to me I would only call a car pro-touring if it has all of the above.

[MStennes]

Originally Posted by Jeff H

You'll never get a consensus on the true definition of pro-touring. Myself, I like to see a modern engine/trans combo with EFI, bigger modern wheels/tires, 4 wheel disc brakes, killer suspension, upgraded modern steering, upgraded modern interior, nice body/paint. Too many people slap 17" wheels on an early Camaro and call it pro-touring which is a joke. Other people probably won't think EFI is needed, but to me I would only call a car pro-touring if it has all of the above.

Thats pretty much it Jeff, although I would not say total interior but defiantly seats, AC, modern stero and real 4 wheel brakes not the cheapos you see or rear disc conversion kits advertised for a real low price which are not very efficient. Oh and a roll bar. My cars a driver, now its straight but the paint has rock chips and chunks of rubber on the rear quarters, not allot of flash but hey I drive it like I stole it and it shows.....

[MCGOO]

Originally Posted by Jeff H
You'll never get a consensus on the true definition of pro-touring. Myself, I like to see a modern engine/trans combo with EFI, bigger modern wheels/tires, 4 wheel disc brakes, killer suspension, upgraded modern steering, upgraded modern interior, nice body/paint. Too many people slap 17" wheels on an early Camaro and call it pro-touring which is a joke. Other people probably won't think EFI is needed, but to me I would only call a car pro-touring if it has all of the above

Hmmmm, Does that mean my 6 banger 4 gear car ain't quite up to pro touring spec..............
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Paul

[baz67]

Originally Posted by Jeff H

You'll never get a consensus on the true definition of pro-touring. Myself, I like to see a modern engine/trans combo with EFI, bigger modern wheels/tires, 4 wheel disc brakes, killer suspension, upgraded modern steering, upgraded modern interior, nice body/paint. Too many people slap 17" wheels on an early Camaro and call it pro-touring which is a joke. Other people probably won't think EFI is needed, but to me I would only call a car pro-touring if it has all of the above.

The flip side to that is too many people slap 20" wheels and call it pro-touring. That is even more of a joke to me.

Defining pro-touring is dificult because it can encompass so much. If you have some reading time give this a read http://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11764

[onovakind67]

Originally Posted by Jeff H

You'll never get a consensus on the true definition of pro-touring. Myself, I like to see a modern engine/trans combo with EFI, bigger modern wheels/tires, 4 wheel disc brakes, killer suspension, upgraded modern steering, upgraded modern interior, nice body/paint. Too many people slap 17" wheels on an early Camaro and call it pro-touring which is a joke. Other people probably won't think EFI is needed, but to me I would only call a car pro-touring if it has all of the above.

I think 'killer suspension' needs to be defined. In keeping the bar high to exclude all those Pro-touring pretenders it should be at least a 4-wheel independent setup, not some rehash of the stock suspension. Leaf springs are for wagons and trucks....

[Mkelcy]

Originally Posted by onovakind67

I think 'killer suspension' needs to be defined. In keeping the bar high to exclude all those Pro-touring pretenders it should be at least a 4-wheel independent setup, not some rehash of the stock suspension. Leaf springs are for wagons and trucks....

So you would eliminate from pro-touring any car with either the DSE QuadraLink four link rear or the Lateral Dynamics 3 link? I think you've just defined your way into a very small and not very logical corner. Also, leaf springs can perform extremely well in first generation Camaros.

[68sixspeed]

Ah, this is why Webster's dictionary doesn't do opinion polls!

So by JeffH's and onovakind67 definations mine doesn't qualify even though it's one of the first non-unibody, full frame touring cars done (1992-94), coilovers front/rear, etc? Guess I need to et EFI to join the club, darn... not trying to dig on you, but I think this tells us everyones definition is going to come up different on this one.

[onovakind67]

Originally Posted by Mkelcy

So you would eliminate from pro-touring any car with either the DSE QuadraLink four link rear or the Lateral Dynamics 3 link? I think you've just defined your way into a very small and not very logical corner. Also, leaf springs can perform extremely well in first generation Camaros.

It falls in line with most of the other reasoning. If I don't have 4-wheel disc brakes, am I disqualified? A good disc/drum setup performs extremely well. If I don't have EFI do I have to turn in my PT button? I know some carburetor guys who can make them perform very well. Modern steering? I know a lot of classic road racers who do very well with stock steering. What if I like the stock interior and a Muncie 4-speed?

[Joe Harrison]

My definition is a Camaro (say that because we are on a Camaro site) that handle, stop and perform with todays or later model cars. I also will throw into the mix they have some combination or just a few of the modern upgrades from the after market or adapted to fit like fuel injection, overdrives and interior, exterior parts.

I am working more on the looks side of mine right now, but it's going to have A/C, 4th gen seats and center consol and an overdrive trans. It was some suspension upgrades that are simple hotchkiss springs and front bar, del-lum bushings and I plan to have GW Cat 5 rear leafs. I will have some 17 inch wheels. My engine is vortec headed 327 witha mild vortec crate engine cam and headers.

Mods I am saving up for are the cat 5's, my wheels, then ATS spindles, and touring classics brakes at all four corners.

It's al going to be wraped up in a 67 Camaro body, with a stinger hood painted a solid color of 2002 Prowler Orange pearl with no stripes and only a stripe on the hood stinger in darker color than the car or a grayish and the tail panel blacked out like a big block car.

I will call the style I am doing mine as pro-touring. You could call it resto mod also but I think the interior changes and planned suspension up-grades with big brakes and last of all the color change to something not even GM put it into the pro-touring rank and not the resto-mod ranks.

That's a long winded version of what i think makes a pro-touring Camaro. I think it a fine line between it and resto mod. I think resto mod is a more stock appearing Camaro but it could perform just as well or better than a Pro-touring Camaro.

There are pro-touring Camaros out there that are monsters and will eat most anything up on the road but for those of us that work very hard to save just a few hundred $$$ in a 6 month peroid to spend on our Camaros the Pro-touring Cmaro your most likely to see is something more like what I am building.

Joe

[DjD]

I've never called my car pro-touring but many have refered to it as that. I have aftermarket performance springs, shocks, big 4 whl disc brakes, 17" wheels and 45 series tires. Also a carb'd roller cam'd sbc bored and stroked to 383 cu inches and an overdrive transmission, all sitting about 2" lower than factory.

When I first heard of pro-touring it was all about improving an old classic to drive, handle and ride in a more modern performance fashion. Now it seems it's becoming an elitist thing where only those that can afford to deck out their car with the latest in aftermarket parts are allowed to play...

I guess I'm glad I never addapted the moniker... I think I'll start a new classification, it will be called "pro-taint". Defined as: it taint pro-touring and it taint stock. Any other outcast Camaro owners on a limited budget want to join the ranks? You won't have to save reciepts or build a spread sheet of all the mods you've done and parts used. You won't have to show off a build sheet or orig window sticker or have your broch marks certified to join either. I think we will have to have some sub classifications under pro-taint, for the performance guy you can call your car "hot-taint" and the more show oriented you will be "show-taint". The only thing is no "impor-taint" allowed...

Back to reality... It's just a name guys, back in the day we hotrodded and customized our cars. In modern times the name hotrod kinda stuck with the pre-'50s era cars with open wheels and open top roadsters. Look in the pages of HotRod Magazine, you won't find just 32 hi-boy articles. Pro-touring is just the modern moniker for hotrodding when applied to 60's vintage and newer cars. Look at what a modern roadster is all about and other than the vintage of the orig car it's the exact same thing that is going on in the pro-touring world...

[ProdigyCustoms]

Oh man, let me get the popcorn.

[camcojb]

Originally Posted by ProdigyCustoms

Oh man, let me get the popcorn.

Got room for one more Frank??!!!

Jody

[68sixspeed]

Originally Posted by ProdigyCustoms

Oh man, let me get the popcorn.

Yeah, this could get interesting-- my point earlier is that I don't think it is fair for some people to lock the definition to a bunch of absolutes-- why try to exclude the person who can't afford the high dollar suspension or LS2 motor, maybe to him/her 17" torque thrusts and the guldstrand mod are pro-touring, or at least joining the club.

DJD has it right, it's just a name- I'm glad we were in on it before it had a name.

[Jeff H]

This is just a name the same as "Supercar". There is no set definition for either one. People use the PT term to try and enhance the value of their car. It seems like it's only the people trying to sell their car that want to call it PT. I don't think an expensive suspension or expensive disc brakes are needed, but upgraded and better performing parts are IMO. I personally don't like cars that are lowered too much because the roads and parking lots in NJ will wreak havoc on vehicles that sit too low. Resto mod, pro-touring, resitication. They're all just made up terms with no true definition. But the idea is to share information on how to make your older car perform, handle and stop more like a modern car.