Rons 72 pro street • The Dodge Challenger Message Board

by **Bryan Eidins (Bryan)** » 06 Jun 2002 14:52

hello ron, were you at brooklands wheels day with this car?

by **Ron Morgan (Cartman)** » 06 Jun 2002 15:48

bryan,i wasnt,but the prev owner did say he went with it before i bought it..

by **Douglas Little (Dlittle)** » 15 Dec 2002 2:54

At the risk of sounding really dumb, what is a pro steet?

by **Dave-R (Roppa440)** » 15 Dec 2002 11:11

'Pro-Street' was a '80s fashion on cars. The idea was to make street legal cars look like track only drag cars (i.e. Pro-Stock becoming Pro-Street). Originally this meant tunnel ram or (more usually) supercharged engines, roll cages, and huge rear tyres. At first they used to have to use race-only tyres at the back. But then (seeing a demand) Mickey Thompson started making his big street tyres.

Because these cars were usually built to run off a trailer and around a showground they always looked a lot faster than they were in reality. But the owners were only ever interested in looks and these type of cars never drove up a track.

Rons car we see here was bought by Ron already built like this. It is not as extreme as a lot of the trailer queens of 20 years ago. He loves the tough 70s/80s race-look of his car and it is a real attention grabber. Which, I guess, was the whole point of pro-street thing to start with.

by **Ron Morgan (Cartman)** » 15 Dec 2002 19:13

1ST OF ALL DAVE,CHEERS FOR THE COMPLIMENTS,IM BUZZIN NOW..AND TO DOUGLAS,JUST A BIT OF THE SMALL INFO I KNOW SO FAR ABOUT MY CAR,AS IM STILL GETTING UNDER AND OVER IT,SORTIN OUT WHAT IVE ACTUALLY GOT ON IT...
THE ENGINE IS A 383 MAGNUM SPEC BLOCK,APPARENTLY OUT OF A PRE 70 R/T ,INTERNALS NOT KNOWN YET,BUT SOURCING OFF THE MAN WHO BUILT IT IN KENT.TUNNEL RAMMED WITH TWIN 400 HOLLEYS,AND BUGCATCHER.SLAPSTICK G/BOX,COMP RATIO DIFF.3 INCH STAINLESS EXHAUST FROM HEADERS.
IT HAS THE "PRO STREET" STYLE REAR..BACK HALF CHASSIS IS RECTANGLED TUBING,AND NARROWED AXLE.
AND WHEEL ARCHES TUBBED INWARDS,JUST ON THE LIMIT TO KEEP THE REAR SEAT ORIGINAL.THIS GIVES THE SPACE TO GO NUTTY WITH THE SIZE OF REARS YOU CAN GET ON.COULD GO BIGGER BUT THEN U LOOSE THE REAR SEAT,WHICH IS OK IF ITS A RACE CAR,BUT THIS ISNT,AND NOWHERE TO PUT THE DOG!..PLUS IM GLAD,AS MY INTERIOR IS ALL ORIGINAL AND NEAR MINT,.
IVE ALWAYS LOVED THE LOOK OF PRO STREETS,AND ALL MOPARS IN PARTICULAR,MY FAV BEING MINT CUDA"S.
I GUESS THIS COMES WITH BEING BROUGHT UP IN THE 70/80"S,AND THIS WAS THE STYLE WE ALL WANTED..BUT FEW COULD AFFORD.OR WAS TOO YOUNG...PRO STREETERS NOWDAYS ARE VERY MUCH RACE ORIENTATED,AND WELL OUT OF MY LEAGUE,IN PERFORMANCE,COST,BEAUTY,RUNNING BILLS,KNOWLEDGE TO KEEP ON THE ROAD,NOT TO MENTION INSURANCE...
THE STYLE AND LIMITATIONS OF MINE IS REACHABLE BY QUITE A FEW BLOKES(AND WOMEN),AND THATS WHAT I THINK THIS CAR REPRESENTS.
ALL THAT BIENG SAID-HAS ANYONE GOT A NOS KIT/OR S/CHARGER!!! ONLY JOKIN...OR AM I??

by **Douglas Little (Dlittle)** » 16 Dec 2002 3:40

I can see it clearly now. This pro-street is something I have been working on all along (I just did not know it). Grades to the car. I have never heard a bad word about a 383 even though a mess of them came with 2v. I suppose your car has an 8 3/4" rear. Would love to get mine narrowed a bit. Great how you kept the inside original. Challangers have great natural shapes for SOUND. Out of curosity do you have a sound system? I can certainly understand the sound of the engine is much better. I know about being brough up on Mopars. My Dad had a 59 New Yorker 2dr/ht while I was a senior in High School. It had a 413 that would burn'em till the cops came but it had very sorry brakes. A true Chrysler lead sled. I like Cudas too but my 73 Challenger is a super car. My dream mopar car is a 59 Desota Adventurer ( or Chrysler 300) 2 dr/ht with the 413 cross ram. But I ramble. Sorry Dave, I know this is a Challenger site. I love the idea of NOS or maybe better a Paxton blower. My cus had one one 56 F**d that took them all. Oh I do ramble....

by **Ron Morgan (Cartman)** » 16 Dec 2002 15:14

HI DOUG,NO SOUND SYSTEM APART FROM THE FACTORY RADIO,WOULDNT BE ABLE TO HEAR IT ANYWAY,MY DODGE RAMCHARGER MONSTER TRUCK HAS ONE THOUGH...

by **Douglas Little (Dlittle)** » 16 Dec 2002 21:27

I understand about the radio Ron. I am putting together a car now that is maybe a bit pro-street. I have deleted the heater and the radio. All wiring will be under the dash. The engine compartment will be clean less the master cylinder and the wiper motor. Manual steering gear box (no p/s pump), electric fan and single wire alternator. The engine will be what I what to hear in this car. It is a 71 Duster, I could not bring myself to do this to a nice Challenger. My Challenger is a daily driver and sometime I am in it for hours at a time. The CD-radio system is not large but sounds very good in the car. It would be hard to be without it.

by **Tom Charron (Tomc)** » 16 Dec 2002 22:07

Hey Doug, I've been waiting for someone to talk about sound systems.
To me the only sound system fit for a Challenger is an AM/FM 8-track. Sounds like sh-- but lot's of fun. All the kids say "Whats that"
I installed an old Muntz AM/FM 8 track in my 72 that was originally installed in my 71 Challenger I drove 25 years ago. I found it in my basement in the same box as the original AM radio. Does not sound too bad with a good set of rear speakers. I still plan to, hide a CD player in the trunk.

by **Douglas Little (Dlittle)** » 17 Dec 2002 0:51

My Challenger came with an AM and one speak. I don't even know if it worked because the speaker was rotted away. I made a good installation of the cd-fm set with no damage to the dash while I had it out. Looks, fits and sounds good. My first experience with CD quality. In the picture the lower tim pieces are not in place.

I invested in some good 6x9's for the package tray and some fair 4 round's in the kick panels which had to be cut (hated doing that). I have a factory installed 8 track in a 69 Fury III that I look forward to hearing when its time rolls around for fix up. The idea of the player in the trunk is very smart.

by **Ron Morgan (Cartman)** » 20 Dec 2002 21:04

better camera,better pic.

by **Ron Morgan (Cartman)** » 21 Dec 2002 0:19

by **Ron Morgan (Cartman)** » 09 Feb 2003 10:38

got the nos kit now,just getting real steel to sort out a few fittings for it,and also now have bought 15 x 6 front wheels,found at american autobarn,peterbourough,as i was sourcing a single one 15 x 3 for the little accident i had with a tesco truck that thought it was a great laugh to push me over into a central reservation,folding my wheel in half..but after waiting 6 months for it,with weld usa actually sending over the wrong one TWICE!! i finally decided to get what i could,as im not missing this years events..