Is It Possible?........

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RustyRatRod said:
Is it possible to build a pro touring car that doesn't LOOK like a pro touring car? Something brutally FUN to drive and drive everyday, but that does NOT look like a pro touring car. Something that looks like a regular hot rod build, but will handle very well, and basically BE a pro touring car. NO huge wheels and ultra low profile tires. More like 235 60 14s. Not slung down in the weeds......but not sittin WAY up high either. No offense to pro touring cars, I know we have some on here. It's just not my cup of tea as far as the LOOK, but I wouldn't mind the handling characteristics.
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It is. Unfortunately tires matter. And to put any performance upgrade to a standard tire size will result in poorer performance. Even with today's softer and better performance tire options.

I think the best compromise is a mini tub solution. It's not cheap. But depending the beginning platform? It does give with bigger tire option a fighting chance. While maintaining some stock appearing stance.
 
cojohnso said:
It is. Unfortunately tires matter. And to put any performance upgrade to a standard tire size will result in poorer performance. Even with today's softer and better performance tire options.

I think the best compromise is a mini tub solution. It's not cheap. But depending the beginning platform? It does give with bigger tire option a fighting chance. While maintaining some stock appearing stance.
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Well we're talkin about a slant 6 early A body here. So I'm wanting as good a handling car as possible within the parameters of a 14" wheel.
 
Did this one years ago 1994.If not for the wheels and tires it looked like everyday grandma driver.
Before.jpg

Slant 6 usual mods.Intake, carb, headers, head work.Shocks, springs, front and rear sway bars,.920 torsion bars,225/60/15 front 235/60/15 rears.
Interior done,high back lumbar seats,race belts. Did several long haul Power Tours. Cruise 80-90 mph.Top speed was about 115 before it started to float a bit at 120 square box aerodynamics and didn't like that speed for long.
Rpm was done anyway.
IMG_0179.jpg

This one was a stock Slant with air,ps,pb.Underneath same suspension mods as the red one. Same size wheels and tires but 72 stock Chrysler road wheels. Driven coast to coast. Another 3 time Power Tour long hauler. Both cars looking stock but fit as touring cars. Handled great,Low budget.So it is possible,subject to definition.
 
You can have a good handling car without going full on pro-touring. It will limit your handling capabilities strictly because of the tires available (or not available). 14’s will really put a hurt on your handling, even 15’s have more options.

That said, the rest of the recipe is the same. Lower a little bit from stock, you don’t need to put it in the weeds because you won’t have the tires to back it up anyway. Run a good alignment, you can use the SKOSH chart as is if you’re not changing out UCA’s. Offset bushings in the stock UCA’s and as much positive camber as you can get should be fine as your tires will still be fairly narrow.

1” to 1.03” torsion bars should be fine, no reason to go bigger than since you won’t have the grip to need more. Still worth running sway bars front and rear. I would still get rid of all the rubber bushings, poly with greaseable pins and zerks will be good, get rid of some of the rubber slop in the suspension anyway.

Some mild chassis stiffening, torque boxes and subframe connectors would be good. Same with reinforcing the K frame, seam weld and a steering box gusset and LCA pivot pin reinforced would help eliminate some extra flex especially in the steering.

You might take a look at these tires. The pattern is classic looking, but they come in a 220 treadwear so they’re a soft compound. Lots of classic sport cars in these. And at 205/70/14 they’d be a bit over 25” tall. There are some 200 treadwear tires available, like even thr Falken azenis I run. But they’re in like 195/60/14 so they’re only 23” tall.

***Edit***
link doesn't seem to be working, these are the 205/70/14's I'm talking about- V rated (149 mph), 220 treadwear. Not available until the end of the year unfortunately...
Screen Shot 2022-05-24 at 8.08.28 PM.png
 
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So the proposed pro touring car is different from a factory 340 Duster or big block Roadrunner how, exactly?
 
jos51700 said:
So the proposed pro touring car is different from a factory 340 Duster or big block Roadrunner how, exactly?
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Much better tires. Larger torsion bars to deal with the better tires and make up for the factory undersprung issue. Chassis and K frame stiffening those cars didn’t have. Slightly lower ride height to improve the CG. Better shocks, I think I forgot to mention those in my last post.

It’s not pro-touring for sure, but it will handle loads better than factory. Including the factory 340 and big block cars, which were still undersprung for their weight, had bias ply tires, and didn’t have any steering box gusseting or subframe connectors.

15’s would be better, you could run 11.75” rotors and 11” drums in the back. Pick up a couple more tire options.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Is it possible to build a pro touring car that doesn't LOOK like a pro touring car? Something brutally FUN to drive and drive everyday, but that does NOT look like a pro touring car. Something that looks like a regular hot rod build, but will handle very well, and basically BE a pro touring car. NO huge wheels and ultra low profile tires. More like 235 60 14s. Not slung down in the weeds......but not sittin WAY up high either. No offense to pro touring cars, I know we have some on here. It's just not my cup of tea as far as the LOOK, but I wouldn't mind the handling characteristics.
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Tough to find tires that would fit the bill. If you step up to 15" there are a few 50 series performance tires if you are willing to run the shorter sidewall.
 
I would think a nice A body (like a 69 Barracuda) with a Reilly Motorsports front AlterKation setup, rear street lynx setup, good brakes and 17" rims with performance tires would give very nice handling. I know a lot of you do not like 17" rims, but I like them. Plus, they give you a LOT more performance tires options.
 
Darter6 said:
Did this one years ago 1994.If not for the wheels and tires it looked like everyday grandma driver.
View attachment 1715932536
Slant 6 usual mods.Intake, carb, headers, head work.Shocks, springs, front and rear sway bars,.920 torsion bars,225/60/15 front 235/60/15 rears.
Interior done,high back lumbar seats,race belts. Did several long haul Power Tours. Cruise 80-90 mph.Top speed was about 115 before it started to float a bit at 120 square box aerodynamics and didn't like that speed for long.
Rpm was done anyway.
View attachment 1715932544
This one was a stock Slant with air,ps,pb.Underneath same suspension mods as the red one. Same size wheels and tires but 72 stock Chrysler road wheels. Driven coast to coast. Another 3 time Power Tour long hauler. Both cars looking stock but fit as touring cars. Handled great,Low budget.So it is possible,subject to definition.
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Very cool. That's kinda the direction I am wantin to go.
 
harrisonm said:
I would think a nice A body (like a 69 Barracuda) with a Reilly Motorsports front AlterKation setup, rear street lynx setup, good brakes and 17" rims with performance tires would give very nice handling. I know a lot of you do not like 17" rims, but I like them. Plus, they give you a LOT more performance tires options.
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So far, I've not seen 17s on a early A body. I'd be open to it, but the wheel and tire combo would have to be just the right one.
 
mgoblue9798 said:
Tough to find tires that would fit the bill. If you step up to 15" there are a few 50 series performance tires if you are willing to run the shorter sidewall.
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That's the area I don't want to get into. A very noticeably short sidewall. I don't like the look. Maybe a little bit, but not much.
 
All I see on Summit is ONE wheel in 17 with the 5x4 bolt pattern. I'm not changing the small bolt pattern. So I reckon I'll make it handle good as I can with 14s. It'll look better to "ME" anyway.
 
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Cuda416 said:
Not sure if this fits the bill but I think these guys did a great job on this...

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Not bad... A little too "pro-tour" for my taste. But doesn't look too bad.
However, I don't think that is what @RustyRatRod was going for lol.

As far as tires for 14 inch rims... Yikes! And here I thought 15 inch selections were crap.
 
Cuprum-74 said:
Not bad... A little too "pro-tour" for my taste. But doesn't look too bad.
However, I don't think that is what @RustyRatRod was going for lol.

As far as tires for 14 inch rims... Yikes! And here I thought 15 inch selections were crap.
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Up to a few months ago, there were lots of 14s available. Now, not so much.
 
Remember the "Green Brick" from Mopar Action? Rick E used almost all factory parts on that car I believe, & still looks kind of like a stock Valiant.
 
Cuprum-74 said:
Not bad... A little too "pro-tour" for my taste. But doesn't look too bad.
However, I don't think that is what @RustyRatRod was going for lol.

As far as tires for 14 inch rims... Yikes! And here I thought 15 inch selections were crap.
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Agreed but it wouldn't take much to turn the pro tour look down several notches.
 
I think the original definition of “pro-touring” was something that had a modern feel and amenities. It has since evolved into the thinly veiled race car that can be street drive, much like most styles do. But like Darter6’s cars there is a broad range and I don’t think ultra low profile tires and full aftermarket frames are required to be considered pro-touring.

Use the same formula for the suspension and put the wheels and tires on it that you like. If you’re not chasing the last 10ths of handling, accept what you get and enjoy it. It will probably be all you need and more than you expect.
 
Cuda416 said:
Not sure if this fits the bill but I think these guys did a great job on this...

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I don't consider this a pro-tourer. It's a dedicated drift car and not set up for cruising comfort. When I think pro-tour, i think modern amenities and significant upgrades on the interior, and usually a modern FI engine swap along with a lower ride height and suspension oriented to road course handling.
 
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