PRO CAMINO

WE’VE ALL GOT CRAZY CAR CONCEPTS IN OUR MINDS; NOW IS THE TIME TO SEE YOUR IDEA BROUGHT TO LIFE IN RENDER FORM

If drag racing in the ’80s was your type of weekend sport, spectator or racer, you might recall the birth of the pro-street look. The look goes back to the ’70s but we really started to see a culture change during the peak of the ’80s.

If you’re not familiar with the term ‘pro-street’, it’s a style usually built to imitate a pro stock class race car but street legal. Other than the rear suspension and wheel wells, cars of this type often remain unmodified from the firewall back, keeping stock floor pans and a full interior with windshield wipers, carpet, and working lights.

A pro-street car would typically be more at home on the street than the drag strip. It was a desirable look that has seen many imitations, even to this day. Here at NZV8 HQ we are all about the pro-street vibe; the look and style just scream tough.

This month’s concept car was inspired by John Burndred, who owns a ’55 El Camino — cut down from a ’55 sedan — and is in need of a render to help bring his ideas to life. With the car’s current state, you could rock up to Jalopy Dust Up or a nostalgic race, fit right in, and have a blast, but its current rat rod look is not what John envisions for its future.

The key components for this build are reliable modern power, a big tubbed rear end, a wild paint scheme, and a comfortable ride, all the while retaining the pro-street look. At present, it has a 283ci small block Chev and Powerglide transmission; John has requested “a late-model engine for some reliable go power”. We would swap all that out for GM’s

finest LSA package, which is capable of delivering 650 horsepower in a smooth, quiet, and well-balanced engine package ready to go right out the box. That would be matched with GM’s 10L90 10-speed overdrive transmission. To swap cogs would be great, but for modern comfort and all, auto would be best — and, if the occasion arose, autos are better suited to the drag strip.

John also mentions a “tubbed rear deck”, and, let’s face it, it’s not pro-street without big tubs and meaty wheels. Speaking of wheels, generally a pro-street will have a street-legal, drag-spec style of wheel, so Weld Racing Alumastar Pro would be the choice.

The blank canvas leaves many options for paint choices. John requested a wild paint scheme, so, giving it a two-tone for some contrast, and a break up, we have laid down House of Kolor Brandywine Kandy over a grey metallic base coat, with the roof painted in Silver Galaxie, again from House of Kolor.

Although John intends to use the car more on the street than the drag strip, a four-link set-up, which is typically used for drag racing, would be installed. However, rather than coilovers, it would be fitted with airbags and relocated shocks. It would still be drag capable but off the strip it would be a smoother ride; it would have the pro-street look but with modern comforts, not to mention that it could be lowered for that extra-tough, slammed-out look that would give a ride not many would say no to. We certainly wouldn’t — so here’s hoping John ends up making the concept a reality.