Modern Classics: Chasing A Pro Touring Setup

When it comes to muscle car builds, many enthusiasts get caught up in the “impact” factor. But the truth is, no matter what stylistic mods you make, that ride is still going to get tons of attention. What many builders tend to be taken back by though, is old school performance. You want to talk about impact?  These cars are loud, they don’t turn, they don’t stop, and hitting the highway for even a few miles can be tempting fate.

Sure, you may be blasting by, red light to red light through town—king of the streets. Then you hit the freeway and you find that you can’t keep up with the speed of the fast lane, your increased breaking distance induces heart palpitations during stop-and-go traffic, and you’re fairly certain the engine is going to overheat, leaving you stuck on the sidelines.

And not only are these factors an issue, but the ride quality, road noise, poor comfort, and—let’s face it—irritating lack of cup holders, often lead owners wishing they could bring their old-school rides into the modern world. Yes, there are many ways to skin a cat when it comes to accomplishing this goal… but no method sounds quite so seductive as a pro touring setup.

What Exactly Is Pro Touring?

So, what is Pro Touring? While Hot Rod Network gives credit to Mark Stielow, GM Program Engineering Manager, and Jeff Smith, Tech Editor of Car Craft Magazine (who officially put the word in print), generally speaking, it’s a term that’s cropped up seemingly as a result of the restomod boom that’s occurred over the past 20 years.

In fact, when loosely defined, these types of builds can seem really similar. Both take a stance on pairing the look of classic cars with the performance and comfort of late model entrees. Both feature massive updates to the suspension and drivetrain. And both require an extensive amount of time and money to complete.

Restomods are true-to-form muscle car builds designed to compete within their segment with modern features. LS-swapped first gen Camaros with updates such as modern seats, upgraded suspension components, and new comfort options would fall into the restomod category.

Pro touring mods, however, take on a much more hardcore stance. These builds not only bring the car up to late-model muscle standards, but also put it in a competitive place amid any other performance car. Successful pro touring setups often feature a complete overhaul of the suspension and chassis layout, pair the vehicle with an over-the-top drivetrain, and wrap everything up into a fully functional package.

By this, I mean the build aims to dominate on the street, road course, and even quarter mile.

The Right Pro Touring Setup Looks Different to Every Builder

The idea behind a pro touring setup is to redefine the vehicle as more than a mere muscle car. The goal is to get it on the spectrum as a serious contender in the world of modern performance. Additionally, the build should be comfortable—something you could drive coast-to-coast without needing a chiropractor appointment at journey’s end.

Think of a pro touring build as taking everything good about a muscle car and blending it with everything good about a Porsche, Lexus, or even Ferrari.

That concept alone entails that there is a huge gap to breach, and each builder is going to have their own perfect image. This means that each pro touring setup will be one-of-a-kind, which directly indicates that a lot of custom work will need to be done. This is particularly true for the suspension and brakes.

And while there are companies that certainly help with these areas, you can rest assured that very few of the products you need will be available for purchase off the shelf of your local parts store. In fact, many will need to be built from scratch.

So, How Do You Figure Out What Your Car Needs?

Since each imagined setup will look different to each builder, so will each process. And that means it will take time to find a quality, working formula. Luckily, almost all muscle cars have the same weak points: they’re heavy, they don’t stop, and they don’t turn.

Even though this is pretty generic information, it helps to get the wheels turning and give enthusiasts a place to start. But keep in mind, we aren’t just talking about comfort standards here. We’re also talking about boasting performance chops with makes and models well out of a traditional muscle car’s league. That means cutting serious weight and rebalancing the car, installing massive brakes, and fitting the suspension with a completely new identity.

If you’re not already, you’re going to need to set yourself up on some forums. Www.pro-touring.com is a great place to start. This site is dedicated to achieving a successful pro touring setup and will work as a great reference point for those looking for inspiration. I also recommend checking out your run-of-the-mill muscle car forums, as they will often have threads and discussions revolving around build plans. Even if you don’t follow what someone else is doing step-by-step, this will help paint a picture of where the car is truly lacking and what can be done to get it up to par.

As we mentioned before, you should prepare for a lot of fabrication during a pro touring build, especially with custom suspensions and late-model engine swaps. And while ready-made parts won’t always have you covered, don’t rule out viable brands like Wilwood, Brembo, American Powertrain, SST Shift, Hotchkis and QA1. They all are known for offering kits and components necessary for these custom builds.

Finding a Shop

Planning is a long part of the process and unless you’re a highly skilled professional with access to all of the necessary equipment, you will want to go to the pros. Furthermore, if you can, go to the pros while planning and have them talk through that plan with you.

How do you go about finding a shop, you ask? Well, research really. It’s not uncommon to have to deal with someone out of state or even across the entire country when it comes to this level of performance. You don’t really want to let the distance get in the way of the decision-making process. If you’re a Chevy guy, you want to a shop with experience with Chevy and the same reigns true for Ford, Mopar, or any other brand. Their experience is going to go a long way.

Even if you plan to be very involved in the decision-making, it’s good to work with a pro you can bounce ideas off. They can guide you into the right choice for suspension modifications, help you decide which differential to squeeze back there, and even help you find the best engine option. The key is to follow the experience. Remember, true pro touring setups are big-budget builds—now’s not the time to nickel and dime.

It’s also not uncommon to work between multiple shops. The right shop will have connections to get the job done—but don’t be alarmed if the engine will be worked on by one shop, the transmission another, and paint and upholstery taken on by specialists. Again, a lot of custom work goes into this, so fabrication is going to be a major part of the process.

Patience Is A Virtue

This will translate to a long turn around time. I mean, when you’re transforming a car from 1960s standards to modern or even futuristic standards, it’s not going to happen overnight. Many ideas may not pan out, major adjustments will need to be made from time to time, and, of course, because a lot of parts will need to be made from scratch, you might be looking at years to fully wrap things up.

All of this is exactly why you need to go with the best shop, regardless of where they are located. Leadership can change, the economy can shift, and you really don’t want someone to hack your car up with a six digit budget.

What does your dream pro touring setup look like? Let us know in the comments.