What Is Pro Touring?

[kevin_l]

If a pro-touring car must have 6-800 horse, cage, 4-6 piston brakes and a 6 speed. Then what do we call the rest of our cars? Example, I am building a 66 nova, dse front and rear suspension. 18x9.5 and 18x11's. C6 brakes (only 2 piston) and slotted dba rotors. Stock (at least for now ls1 t56) and no plans on a cage.

I am not arguing here or being defensive, but since I am not "racing" am I just "wasting money"? I don't think pro-touring really needs a set definition ether. but if it does I wouldn't make the ground rules be a race car with license plates.

I do agree completely that 69 camaro sbc with 20's & stock brakes isn't pro-touring. However what do we call the cars with fully upgraded suspension, brakes & fuel injection? It certainly isn't the same class as the previously mentioned camaro, or is it?

Maybe mine would be a PEE-WEE touring

[Che70velle]

Found in Websters...

touring car noun

Definition of TOURING CAR

: an automobile suitable for distance driving: as
a : a vintage automobile with two cross seats, usually four doors, and a folding top : phaeton 2
b : a modern usually 2-door sedan as distinguished from a sports car

[Sieg]

My car has never been on track or entered in an AutoX, but it has been involved in a 15-20 mile AutoX on I-5 with a 458 Ferrari that resulted in a thumbs up from the Ferrari driver.........that qualifies as competition to me.

Gotta go walk my dogs now..........

[kevin_l]

Originally Posted by Sieg

My car has never been on track or entered in an AutoX, but it has been involved in a 15-20 mile AutoX on I-5 with a 458 Ferrari that resulted in a thumbs up from the Ferrari driver.........that qualifies as competition to me.

Gotta go walk my dogs now..........

If we're voting I say yes

[Revved]

While there will always be that 2% that purpose build their cars by any moniker for full competition, by saying that anyone who doesn't compete doesn't meet your standards misses the entire point of why we indulge this hobby. One the reasons I love what I do is the people I meet, the stories they tell, and the new stories we make together; the cars are just a medium. The cars are the reason that we come together. They are an extension of our passions for mechanical art an how we fulfill our innate need to build, improve, tinker, and create. I'm not a fan of lowriders and imports but I have to respect that they simply practice a different form of our art.

By your definition it also begs the question...Is someone a "Pro-poser" because they can afford to pay someone like me to build a car for them? No, they just have talents in other areas that allow them to indulge their their hobby in a different way. You are awfully presumptuous calling it a "waste of money" if the owner is enjoying his investment by his standards but not yours? Your hardline definition is actually escaping the intent of the question. While a Pro-Touring car is built with performance in goal, not using it for performance does not make it less of a Pro-Touring car. A bow and arrow is made to hunt and kill, but using it for target practice does not make it any less lethal. IMHO what makes it a Pro-Touring car is its ability to perform, and the enjoyment of the owner in the way that he chooses to use it.

The great thing I found while researching my definition was that I could always find an example of a car someone was building that didn't fit the "traditional definition." There is a thread on Lat-G with a guy building an older Volvo with an LS engine and beautiful metal work, there are Foxbodies with full chassis and TT engines, last OUSCI I attended in 2013 there was a C10 pickup that would outdrive most cars... point being is that by trying to put a hardline definition to what is notably the most pertinent form our our hobby that most of us will see in our lifetimes you lose the point of why we do it.

Originally Posted by tyoneal

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Greg:

Thanks for the input:

"Pro TOURING -- not Pro Racing... Touring means it has a lot of great attributes and is capable of being drivable"

Grand Touring 1 cars, Grand Touring 2 cars, Grand Touring 3 cars, are hardly cars you would or could drive on the street successfully with any modicum of comfort, they are full blown race cars.

I believe the PT cars should be proven/experianced to actually doing both, otherwise what is the point of all the Roll Bars/Cages, High Speed Tires, Double adjustable shocks, 600 to 900 hp engines, the 13-14 inch, 4 and 6 pot disk brakes, 6-Speed Transmissions?

It would seem without ANY taste of a high performance experience, the cars would be:

1. A waste of a ton of money

2. Pro Touring cars would also fall under the "Pro Poser" title. The requirements I mentioned were very meanial. It is basically any experiance off public roads where one can experience some of the fruits of all their labors and money.

Otherwise, what is the point? One can build a car that looks cool for a heck of a lot less money.

Is that really too much to ask of a car being in the "Touring" Category?

The highways in Germany, the middle east, and Italy are probably more of a challenge than doing a 30 second autocross.

Again, I do appreaciate your comments. I am taking this position so that the thread can possibly shed some more depth into this part of the hobby.

Do you agree with any of the other points I mentioned? If not, please state your thoughts on the subject.

Thanks again.

Ty ONeal

[cluxford]

Originally Posted by tyoneal

What would you think would be a better name for the cars we like?

Thanks again for your input.

Ty O'Neal

Why do we need a name ? Don't we just all like cars. I love cars, of all shapes, sizes, colour, style and purpose. I call them what they are. 33 Ford, 69 Camaro, C7 Vette, Shoebox Chevy. If there are 3 cars of the same year, lets say 57 Chev and one has his in concours, another highly modified, and another just bolt on's. why do we need to give them a name they are just 3 awesome interpretations of an awesome car. Each to be admired.

[MeanMike]

Looking at some of the builds here, Pro Touring could be defined as "art on 4 wheels".

[fleet]

Ask Stielow to sign your dash.

If he does, maybe it's a PT car.





lol

[tazzz2_ca]

Pro-touring = A drinking club with a car problem,,,, just ask Bret he'll tell too LOL.

Guys this is like trying to find the corner in a round room to piss into,, find what pleases you and call it whatever you like.. Most of all as an enthusiast take pleasure out of your car, my car, and every car doing what pleases us in this carzy hobby....

[tyoneal]

Clill:

Thanks for the message.

I understand what you are saying, however I doubt very few high performance cars made to out handle other cars and run safely at speed without being tested?

Isn't testing your car a way to judge as to how successful your efforts have been?

Thanks,

Ty O'Neal
====================

Originally Posted by clill

I think there are plenty of Pro touring cars that have never been driven in competition and don't think that should be part of the requirement. Plenty of cars get built just so they handle well in street driving and never get to the track.