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Well, I guess I will have to walk this back somewhat and make my comments restricted to Corvettes. The reason, not all classic cars HAVE a frame. This is likely some of the reasoning for Motor Trends definition.
I got caught up in the Corvette only mentality which is funny to me since I consider myself a “car guy” rather then just a Corvette guy.
another thing I did not mention is that MANY Corvette restomods that I see and define as a restomod have custom interiors. They can be modified in all ways EXCEPT the exterior body.
stock, hot rod, modified, restomod and pro touring
My 1962 still has the stock frame perimeter and the middle X frame piece but the back suspension is Art Morrison with a triangulated 4bar and front is Jim Meyer Racing with tubular a-arms. The engine will be an LS3 with 4L65E 4 speed overdrive automatic. It has Wilwood disc brakes all around and will have power rack and pinion. Car will have Vintage Air AC and 20" back wheels and 19" front wheels. No power windows and no exotic high dollar frame and I still don't consider mine a restomod but a modified C1. I have a friend who is a collector and a purist and he rolls his eyes when I talk about my car, LOL.
Long story short they say restomod is "restored and modified" (control arms, disc brakes, etc) and pro-touring is the full aftermarket chassis setup. At the end of the day I think everyone is going to have their own interpretations and that's fine.
Here's their summary:
Affordability. A restomod is typically much more affordable than a pro touring machine. Can also be built in stages more easily.
Brakes. A restomod has a brake package that's upgraded to modern passenger-car standards. A pro touring machine will have race-caliber brakes.
Wheels & Tires. Both restomods and pro tourers have larger-diameter wheels and tires, but a pro touring machine is more likely to sport a more aggressive rubber compound and lighter, more costly wheels.
Chassis. A restomod will retain the stock chassis and rely on simple suspension bolt-on parts that don't destroy or alter the factory metal. A serious pro touring machine will have a ground-up chassis.
Suspension. The restomod is in the sweet spot for enthusiasts because most vintage chassis types are well supported by the aftermarket. A few choice bolt-ons can close 80 percent of the handling gap with a pro touring car for about a third of the price.
Overdrive. Since the goal of both restomods and pro touring cars is ultimately to drive them on the street, an overdrive transmission is the key. A competitive pro touring car will almost always have a manual transmission, though.
Safety. As a mostly street-driven vehicle, a restomod will only require the equipment mandated by the Fed in the year of manufacture. A pro touring machine, however, may get significant use on track and other high-speed venues, such as mile racing and open-road racing (Pike's Peak, Silver State Classic, Big Bend, etc. ). This will require significant safety upgrades in the form of rollbars or rollcages, fire suppression systems, fire-resistant attire, helmet, and rollbar padding.
Maybe I am out of touch as I don’t spend any time on OTHER type of cars but I thought that the term Pr Touring had run its course??? Is that not true? They are saying that a Pro Touring car is more expensive than a Restomod? I would think just the opposite. I never hear the term Pro Touring used on any of the televised classic car auctions.
What say you guys?
Well, I guess I will have to walk this back somewhat and make my comments restricted to Corvettes. The reason, not all classic cars HAVE a frame. This is likely some of the reasoning for Motor Trends definition.
I got caught up in the Corvette only mentality which is funny to me since I consider myself a “car guy” rather then just a Corvette guy.
another thing I did not mention is that MANY Corvette restomods that I see and define as a restomod have custom interiors. They can be modified in all ways EXCEPT the exterior body.
The reasoning is better explained in the follow up article they did bc they reserve the term for the cars with the aftermarket chassis as "Pro Touring". They define the restomods with just suspension upgrades (control arms, disc brakes etc). Again I think everyone will have their own definition of each term.
In regards to exterior body mods I think you'll find many have body modifications mainly to fit the much larger wheels/tires you get once you have upgraded to an aftermarket frame. No one is going to put a $50k Roadstershop or Art Morrison chassis under a C2 and put stock skinny tires on it. BC of this you'll find the floorpan and quarter panels usually get modified a bit on these builds.
Like on my 63, along with the Roadstershop chassis, MAST Motorsports 605hp LS3, Tremec T56 Magnum, 14in Baer brakes, 19in Forgeline wheels, etc etc. The rear quarters look stock but are much wider to accommodate the 325's in the rear. All the bumper have been modified as well to fit tighter to the car and look better.
Maybe I am out of touch as I don’t spend any time on OTHER type of cars but I thought that the term Pr Touring had run its course??? Is that not true? They are saying that a Pro Touring car is more expensive than a Restomod? I would think just the opposite. I never hear the term Pro Touring used on any of the televised classic car auctions.
What say you guys?
Pro Touring is definitely a term used as a step up from Restomod....atleast with everyone in the car biz I know and I've been around quite a few shops that build these types of cars that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build.
I think it's all Hot Rodding. People get bored and start making up new stuff, like the term Overlanding...it's all just car camping.
A woman bought this car new in Los Angeles June 28th, 1967. If she was to drive it today, she would be amazed. Instant start hot or cold, better handling, more horsepower, and better gas mileage. What do I call it ----- a 67 Corvette.
Back in the 70's there was a description for certain street rods, a street rod is a modified 1948 and older American car, "Resto-Rod". It meant a stock bodied 1948 and older American car with performance upgrades. I'm pretty sure this is what spawned the idea for the word Resto-Mod. Stock bodied post 1948 performance modified American automobiles. "RESTO" clearly indicates stock bodied.
I like these kind of descriptions, if you're knowledgeable about these things, it's a great way to categorize types of builds for other guys in the know, not civilians.
I agree with the earlier post where someone noted we used to just call it all hot rodding.
Actually, "hot rod" has a very specific definition. A street rod era car that has been lightened by the removal of body panels and anything else that can removed in the effort to increase performance.
Yeah, but it evolved over time to much more - just look at Hot Rod Magazine and how far back it goes and it’s evolution. I’m reminded of this by my 82 year old friend who restores old Shelby’s and other assorted Fords - some stock and some not quite so. He’s in the middle of a 66 Shelby ground up right now. Often after he is telling me his latest trials and tribulations of repairing earlier owners wok, sheet metal repairs, gathering 50 year old parts, rebuilding mechanics, etc - he’ll end it by saying, “But that’s just hot rodding.” At 82, with many decades of car enthusiasm and work behind him, if it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me.
…IMHO, a RestoMod is any car that has been restored and modified to the owner's personal liking. KISS.
I agree…. IMO, add an EFI throttle body setup ( Holley, etc), and an Overdrive transmission, perhsps d as one 17 inch wheels, And it’s a restomod…. A very basic restomod, but that’s what it is to me… restored but modified/modernized…
IMO, you don’t need an aftermarket frame/chassis or even an LS motor to be considered a Restomod….
Looks Like Post #17 & Post # 35 got it right on the money. Also, Motor Trend was correct in it's definition.
Let's not confuse the difference between Resto-Mods with stock interiors/exteriors $$$ to the very high end Resto-Mods $$$$$$ with custom hand made interiors/exteriors. Custom Resto-mods VS Stock Resto-mods is all we are talking about folks. Just more $$$$$ was put into the pot to make it custom.
03-20-2023, 10:21 PM
