As the title says, what car has given you the motivation to build yours?

I know a lot of guys out there see "Big Red" (69 Camaro) as the starting point for their facination of the pro-touring movement (although I would argue that none will come close to its performance) & it giving them the urge to build something that can take on the next apex. Or maybe its one of the Stielow camaros that he built for One Lap.

But for me it was a GTO from June '99 issue of Hot Rod.

http://hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/p155534_image_large.jpg

Heinrich Gerhardt is the owner of the car that set my rear tires into a smokey oblivion. I couldn't put down the mag for months. I still carry the issue in my car just to read the article over again while I'm waiting (business trips etc. etc.). Yep, I'm a closet GTO stalker of the June '99 Hot Rod fame.

What amazed me about it was his use of the GM parts bin & if they didn't have it....he made it himself. I thought that was just nuts! :cool: :thumbsup:

For one example, there was no real EFI intakes for pure poncho power when he was building the car. So what did he do? He made one from carbon fiber after doing some calcs. on plenum/runner size as well as machined out his own throttle body patterned off an LT1 (much bigger bore size of course!). And it didn't stop there. The rest of his car has GM parts bin written all over it (rear discs, interior, wheels....even Caddy Northstar powertrain tid bits, this thing is nuts I tell yeah!). BUT!! The car looks almost completely stock (save wheels) when you roll up next to it at the stop light. It has just enough, "Wait a second! Something is going on with that car" appeal that raises the eye brow for a second look.

A couple of years ago I got an e-mail asking a question about my website from a strange named fellow. Yep, Heinrich e-mailed me to ask my opinion. I couldn't believe it!

After telling him my fascination with his GTO he kindly sent me more pictures and we conversed over e-mail from time to time shooting ideas and thoughts back and forth. He even asked if I wanted to come out to southern california to work as he would have given me a recommendation for some engineering gigs opening up. I passed that offer up as I'm too cheap to pay for nice weather all year 'round and I dig my job playing with V-twins.

I kept on asking for more pictures as I wanted to see it all, but I don't think he had the heart to tell me the car was dead. Badly wrecked via a late model sedan with a driver not paying attention while talking on her cell phone. Once he did send me pics of the car I felt horrible. Kind of like your favorite superhero not coming out on top while facing the evil villain. :(

How could someone not see that beautiful GTO in traffic? My neck would have broke from turning so quick to catch a glimpse.

The good news is, the GTO is back on track to being put back on the road. She's spent her jail sentence of over a year in paint and body hell, but she's up for parole and hoping to get released soon (the GTO...not the lady ;) ).

And I can't wait to have a business trip out to southern california & e-mail Heinrich to maybe fetch a ride in her :D

So, sorry for the long story, but I want to know what car has motivated you?

Joe

I remember that car :cool: sorry to hear about it's fate though :(

I always liked pro-touring since the first time reading about this "new" trend in Chevy High Performance...

That like turned to love when I saw Keith Anderson's '70 El Camino :thumbsup: Then I decided I MUST have one too :D

The Chevelle in the movie Dazed and Confused inspired me to but my Chevelle when I was 13.

I would have to say one of my major inspirations is the 1966 Hot Rods To Hell chevelle that they have yet to finish grrr. Its basicly a full blown Nextel Cup car sheathed in chevelle clothing with a 540 all aluminum Donovan big block to boot. That car and just looking around on pro touring web sites.

I would have to say one of my major inspirations is the 1966 Hot Rods To Hell chevelle that they have yet to finish grrr. Its basicly a full blown Nextel Cup car sheathed in chevelle clothing with a 540 all aluminum Donovan big block to boot. That car and just looking around on pro touring web sites.
Yeah, the HTH cars were some inspiration to me (I have an HTH suspension), as well as a 69 done by a guy here with the username Laps. It's one of the baddest 69s I've ever seen. Unfortunately he never posts here, nor anywhere else that I can tell, and didn't seem to want to talk about it when I emailed him.
I owe alot of motivation to airrj here who helped me spec out my engine, 72SSABody who used me as a guinea pig for some of his C5 brake brackets :D, and others that have helped me along since it all began.

I spent probably 3 years dreaming/planning/envisioning how I wanted my car to come out. My original goal was for the chevelle to out-stop,handle, and accelerate the 2001 SS camaro I owned at the time. I think I've achieved that now, even though the car is far from 'finished' and is very 'grassroots'. Nothing fancy about it, it just gets the job done.

My inspirations were both Oldsmobiles - the 68 442 and the 71 yellow Cutlass Rally Sport - with rear spoiler!!

Back in about '86 I saw a GM factory show car that was in Super Chevy Magazine. It was a Caprice that was loaded up by GM from the coperate part bin. It had IROC rims, big sway bars, big brakes, Corvette TPI 350, etc., etc. The car was two-tone brown and copper color. It was actually a very clean cool looking car. I am sure that it was slow and overweight, but it was an attempt at a good handling big coupe. I wish I could find a photos of it. I was cooler looking than it sounds.

That isn't the biggest motivation of mine, but one of the earliest ones that I can remember. I am allot like Joe in the fact that I really like the OEM look in modified cars. Basically newer OEM parts transformed into older vehicles.

My first dabble in P-T was not a show car but a daily driver. My sister ran a 1981 Malibu wagon and she blew the original 267 SBC. I was helping run a street stock circle track car at the time. So we took one of our backup motors and put it in the wagon. Then it snowballed from there. We kept putting leftover CT parts on the wagon. Bigger swaybars, good shocks, stiffer springs, 15x8 50 series tires. And by the time we were done it was an ugly brown Malibu wagon that could run on the street with 95% of all of the Corvettes and Z28's. She used to work next to Ralph Wilson Statium and on the way to work each morning she would suprise a Buffalo Bills player in their fancy new Mustang GT when she would lose then at the stop light and then make the car stick as she went onto the freeway on ramp at speed.:)

Ahh, rambling. It feels soo good. Now I have to go build some toys.

I grew up around muscle cars. One cousin always had a Cutlass or 2 most were 68-9 but anything 64-72 and another cousin was into 62-64 Impalas. Dad had a 67 Chevelle SS, 68 RS/SS Camaro, and a 67 Corvette Ragtop before I was born but we went to Cruise Nights together.

I have also always prefered handling/road racing to drag racing and then in Middle School I read about Big Red. I wanted a 69 Camaro RS ever since. At 15 I bought a 69 RS but traded it for a very solid 70 SS396 Chevelle after figuring out the cost of a restoration (especially body work). I'm glad I have the Chevelle now. Not to knock the f-body guys but a pro-touring a-body is more unique these days.

The Chevelle in the movie Dazed and Confused inspired me to but my Chevelle when I was 13.
I remember seeing that movie for the first time and my buddies were all jumping up and down saying thats a twin to my car. The GTO is cool too.

In response to the first post, I'm sad to hear that it was damaged but good to see its going back on the road. It is frustrating when you complete a project and the car gets damaged, I've been there. However a pro-touring project is never completed. I love the Goats too, my mother's first car was a 66 Le Mans red/black vinyl top & interior, console with buckets just about everything but a GTO. I've always wanted to do a 69 Judge with the hide away headlights in a pro-touring style. The vision is in my head....oh to have the $$$ and time to build all of your dreams. Andrew's 70 GTO has been an A body inspiration for me.

My first car in 1978 was a 1963 Triumph TR3.

I lived most of my childhood in the mountains with curvy two lane roads.

I never understood the appeal of going in a straight line for exceedingly short distances and spending exceedingly huge amounts of $$$ to do it.

My daily driver is a 2001 Mustang Bullitt, a special derivation of the GT using parts bin pieces from the Cobra. Little things like bigger brakes and seats. Added to that was lowering and stiffer springs and shocks from the factory. I have taken it a step further by converting the rear suspension over to the Cobra IRS.

For me it just so happens that PT is a trend that somewhat matches up to my own personal tastes rather than some inspiration or other. But if I had to pick I would not pick any of the magazine cars as they typically have a lot more $$$ and time and go a lot more extreme than I will ever go. I would instead pick a lot of great examples of creative combinations you can find here on TC. Certain individuals seem to have similiar tastes in automotive engineering to mine, and I find them much more inspiring than any particular car.

Steve

The Chevelle from Hell, as it is dubbed, is actually moving along again. The interior sheet metal work is nearing completion and soon it will be time to send it off for body work.

I shot some new pictures and will put them up on the Hotrods to Hell website in the next few days. (I do HTH's website work)

The Chevelle from Hell actually started out as a relativly nice, clean 327 4-speed car. Other then the cheap macco paint job, covering up a clean factory job, and the 70's sun roof, the car started out as a nice piece.

The amount of detail that has gone into modifying the frame and suspension on the car is simply mind blowing. At this point most of the work that remains is paint, body and final assembly.

I have been dying to take a ride in that car for longer then I car to think, but like many project of that level, they can't be rushed. A little fun fact, the color and the wheels in the concept drawing were inspired when the Chevelle from Hell's owner saw my '66 chevelle.

http://www.hotrodstohell.net/chevelle_from_hell/index.htm

The motivation behind my car was the '93 mustang cobra R. I was not able to afford a modern v8 muscle car at the time (still can't) so I decided to get an old car and "make it work."

I've been building cars this way for quite awhile before they were called Protouring. However,what really convinced me to build my 69 El Camino was owning a couple of highly modified ZR-1 Corvettes. I wanted an El Camino with 6spd,big brakes,killer suspension parts but with the ability to just turn the key and go anywhere at a moments notice,in comfort. There's still lots of work to do but the car is gradually getting there.

When I was very young, about 7 yrs old, my best friends father drove a Red 1969 Mach 1 with a shaker hood, spoiler on the trunk lid and louvers on the back window. He would sometimes take us to school in that car. It was brand new and it was a cool muscle car. Man, that was cool! :cool:

My earliest inspirations for my interest in cars, was a friends uncle. I'd go to his Grandma's with him and his uncle would be working on his car. It was a 64 Falcon. Way up in the air, gasser, style. It had big old ladderbars and rarely had a hood on it. I loved that car. This was the late 70's.
The uncle has a 64 Comet now that is tubbed, not obscenely, with Cragars and a full gage. He drives it often too. Looks and sounds good ( for a Ford ), I mean. I'm glad I didn't "go that way", if you know what I mean. Later

Andrew's 70 GTO has been an A body inspiration for me.

Me too! Andrew Borodin's '70 GTO stuffed with a worked over ZZ502 and a Richmond 6-speed has certainly been a main inspiration for my current project. Andrew and I have been e-mailing and talking on the phone since the summer of 2000. Never met him though...he "almost" came to CB2005 last June, but something must have come up. I still have the Popular Hot Rodding magazine where he made the cover issue. Neat ride!

The Chevelle from Hell, as it is dubbed, is actually moving along again. The interior sheet metal work is nearing completion and soon it will be time to send it off for body work.

I shot some new pictures and will put them up on the Hotrods to Hell website in the next few days. (I do HTH's website work)

The Chevelle from Hell actually started out as a relativly nice, clean 327 4-speed car. Other then the cheap macco paint job, covering up a clean factory job, and the 70's sun roof, the car started out as a nice piece.

The amount of detail that has gone into modifying the frame and suspension on the car is simply mind blowing. At this point most of the work that remains is paint, body and final assembly.

I have been dying to take a ride in that car for longer then I car to think, but like many project of that level, they can't be rushed. A little fun fact, the color and the wheels in the concept drawing were inspired when the Chevelle from Hell's owner saw my '66 chevelle.

http://www.hotrodstohell.net/chevelle_from_hell/index.htm

The motivation behind my car was the '93 mustang cobra R. I was not able to afford a modern v8 muscle car at the time (still can't) so I decided to get an old car and "make it work."

Good to hear the Chevelle From Hell is moving along. I assumed it was but I didn't think they necessarily had time to update the site. I agree with you the work that is being done on that car is incredible and I am only relying on pictures when I assume you have seen it in person. Can't wait to see that thing out on the road and carving up some corners. Thanks for the update.

Motivation for getting my first car as a 70 Chevelle was when I was about 12 I saw an old add that stated it as the "King of muscle cars" That alone hooked me then especially that they came with the 454. I thought that was it until later after I bought one at the age of 17, I saw Mike Face's 1970 nascar style Chevelle. From there inspiration for the "WSS" project has also come from cars like the C5R, a couple different Lemans race cars and John Parson's "II Much".

My ex-girlfriends dad had a 1968 442 with a 454 in it. He let me drive it all the time. I got mad when they wouldn't sell it to me so I bought my Chevelle. No regrets!

well back in '84 my buddy had a '65 that was nice. i got my first "love in the backseat" experience in that car. as coincidence would have it, i ended up with my own '65 in '86. dunno if it is related to that event or not though.

With out a doubt Red Line Oils 70 SS 454 chevelle that was in the pages of CHP Silver with black stripes, hotchkis suspension, fab-9 rear, 5spd, 540 merlin, 17" budnik famosa's
That is the one that sparked my interest in pro touring, and is still by far my favorite chevelle of all time.hands down.

I'd have to say the Red Line Chevelle is what got me interested in Pro Touring cars too. I thought it looked so cool with those wheels.
Andrew's car interested me too.

I tried a set of 17's on my 68 with 315 35 rears. They fit and looked good.
So afterwards I went with a ZZ502, Then twelve inch front disc brakes, complete Hotchkis TVS,then aluminum radiator, then an overdrive.
I really wouldn't car my car Pro Touring but it was set up with improvements and upgrades inspired by other Pro Touring cars.

When I was a kid I wanted a 69 Chevelle. I was close to buying 2. One a Malibu the other a SS396. I was 15 at the time, I missed out on both.(Thanks Dad)
When I was 18 a lady I worked with had a 307 powered 69 Malibu. Someone had gotten mad,and every peice of sheet metal on that car had been dented from someone kicking it. She would let me borrow it occasionally.

In 93 I bought an 86 Grand National.

I love the Chrysler 300 and the Cadillac CTS and STS.

So I wanted to combine all of those cars. I cant afford to buy a 69 so I am having to make due with a 72. But I want to do the performance-sleeper attitude of the Grand National with the comfort and drivability of the Chrysler 300 and Cadillac CTS /STS cars.

I can't say there was any one car or article that sent me down the pro-touring road. I just built the car as I wanted and in the end it fit the class or term of pro-touring. I just stumbled into this direction as a matter of personal preferance rather than by design.

My insperation was a 32 Ford 5 window project I looked at. I REALLY liked the look of the 32 Ford but once I sat inside and had to hang left arm out the window and my right arm was partially across the passingers seat...so no 32 Ford. I Found a 49 Ford 2dr sedan, in original condition except for new red paint and factory correct new interior. That got the ball rolling...I now have 3 pro-street cars in my stable, a BB Troino GT and my latest find is an 80 Elky out of Arazona. Gotta love the Heart Beat of America!!! I'm American made ALL the way...no jap crap around here...sold my hot rod 04 Focus when I found out it was made in Mexico...I do my research now!! I Bought a Caddy STS for a daily driver to and from work in the summer and a low milage 91 Ford Explorer 4X4 with 5spd standard shift for my winter ride. Northern Ohio gets a bit of snow come winter time around the Great Lakes!!


Tazz

My inspiration came when I was about 13 years old....that was in 72. The muscle car era wound down by then......I do remember riding my bicycle (which I did a lot with my other "gear head" friends). We stopped at my friends house and the neighbor from down the street came home when we were all out on the front lawn one spring day just relaxing from a long ride. It took about two seconds for me to know I had to have one.....a 70 SS Chevelle. It was big, it was mean, it was loud....and it (they, there were two of them) shook the ground we sat on when it (they) drove by! I 'll never forget them cars, brown metal flake, raised in the front and rear, skinny tires up front, wide out back, lakewood ladder type traction bars, Cherry bomb mufflers hooked right up to the header flange and exiting right under the rear seat floorpan, Cragar SS wheels......loud and mean,....nasty mean! The other was similar but was a dark metal flake green.....nasty mean! These cars had real metal flake in them, flake that sparkled from 30 feet away in the sun. I love it and I got one now too! What an impression that was and it still lives inside of me to this day, I'll never forget them....of course it helps that my Father works for Chevrolet for the past 40+ years also. To think I used to play crash test dummies with all those miniture promotion cars they had, Corvettes, Chevelles, Impalas, Biscanes....all trashed when I was a kid. Oh well, at least now I have the real deal. My other favorite would be the 69/70 454 Corvette.

1957 chevrolet salesmen coupe, black, fuel injected, glass packs, chrome exhaust tips coming straight out the back with the big V on the trunk.
It was new and I was 15 years old. I will never forget that car until the day I die.
I lived in a town of 200 people 25 miles south of traverse city, Michigan, we were kind of back in the sticks, didn't see a lot of nice cars, nobody had much money.
Anyway, it was a nice sunny day on a sunday afternoon, our family was coming home from visiting some friends a little ways out in the country.
We were pulling up to a stop sign at our main highway, just a two, one lane each way. It was a fairly long straightaway, so you could see it coming, no other cars on the road, just that 57.
We pulled up to the stop sign, and my older brother says, Rob theres that 57 from Honor, a town about 15 miles from us, and if I remember right his name was Loyd Akey, something like that.
I can see that car yet today, clear as a bell, going down the road right in front of us.
I never met the guy or ever saw that car again, but telling this story brings tears to my eyes.
Rob

The only cars that have provided inspiration for a 'Pro-Touring' setup has been the 2 Porshce 911s I've owned. I bought my El Camino SS from my Mom in '74 and while it's a true SS, I always wanted it to perform better (350) and have not been too concerned about orignality. Using the 911's handling and performance as a benchmark, I started mods back in the late early '80s just after I bought my first 911 - a 1978 Targa. The El Camino got KYB gas shocks, heavier sway bars and sticky 16in /50 series tires (that lasted about 2000 miles!) Years later, when all this is now hip and fashionable, I have a lot more choices for speed and handling equipment. My current Porsche/Chevy alliance has ideas from each car working for the other. Besides striving for Porsche-like handling, The El Camino is getting interior pieces and carpet direct from Porsche's supplier. I was hoping for Brembo brakes but there weren't in my budget.;) And I'm looking at a tunable fuel injection system for the Carrera like the Stealth Ram setup on the Elky.
Now, if I can find some road-corse race class for the El Camino.....:waving: