Which Is Better: Pro Touring, Resto Mod, Or Pro Street? We Look at Popular Muscle Car Styles V8TV Video

Posted on by V8 Staff

There are lots of terms to describe classic and muscle cars these days, especially when it comes to those that have been modified. In this video, we explore the differences between stock original cars, restored cars, and modified cars… specifically those muscle cars modified in the Resto Mod, Pro Touring, and Pro Street styles. What are these styles? What does each need to have? What defines them? Watch and see.

Here’s the link to the comparison chart mentioned in the video:

Muscle Car Styles Comparison Chart Download

If you’ve got a classic, muscle car, Resto Mod, Pro Touring, or Pro Street car that needs some modifications or performance improvements, we’re happy to chat about it! You can reach us at www.v8speedshop.com today.

314.783.8325

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#protouring #restomod #prostreet #original #restored

Inertia Fuel Cutoff Switches on Retrofit Fuel Injection Installs at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop

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High-pressure fuel systems required by Electronic Fuel Injection systems pose a possible safety threat should the car ever be involved in an impact. We like to install Inertia Fuel Cutoff Switches in the EFI retrofits performed at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop. The Fuel Cutoff Switch turns off the fuel pump in an impact to prevent dangerous high-pressure gasoline spraying on a hot engine and causing a fire. Continue reading for the video!

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Mustang and Camaro Mini Tub Install Tips at V8 Speed and Resto Shop V8TV Video

Posted on by V8 Staff

A great way to fit a larger rear tire on a pro-touring, drag race, or restomod Mustang, Camaro, or other Muscle Car is to perform a mini tub install. Mini tubs are larger rear wheel houses that allow for wider rear tires which provide more traction when you’ve added more power to the engine. We install lots of mini tubs at the V8 Speed & Resto Shop, and we share some mini tub install tips in this video.

One way to widen the rear wheel tub is to slice it down the middle, narrow the trunk floor, move the inner tub inboard, and weld in a steel strip to close the gap in the wheel houses. Today, pre-made mini tubs are available from companies like Detroit Speed for the following cars:

1967 to 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
1967 to 1969 Pontiac Firebird
1970 to 1981 Chevrolet Camaro
1970 to 1981 Pontiac Firebird
1979 to 1993 Ford Mustang
1979 to 1986 Mercury Capri
1964.5 to 1970 Ford Mustang
1962 to 1967 Chevy II
1968 to 1974 Chevy Nova

Drilling, cutting, trimming, and welding skills and tools are required to install mini tubs, along with a complete disassembly of the interior and trunk items. Rear leaf springs need to be moved inboard to accommodate wider tires, or a 4-link suspension system can be installed.

If you are having a traction problem and want larger tires to make your muscle car launch harder or stick in the turns, we can help! We invite you to contact the V8 Speed and Resto Shop anytime at 314.783.8325 for a mini tub install or any other rust repair, metal fabrication, or custom work your car needs!

Can You Revive Dead Paint? V8 Speed and Resto Shop V8TV Video

Posted on by V8 Staff

Sometimes it’s not an option to repaint a classic or muscle car. It might be cost prohibitive, or the car might be wearing original paint that is not completely worn away. In this video, we show some techniques to revive faded or original paint using polishing techniques, using a 1966 Ford Mustang GT 289 and a 1963 Imperial Crown convertible as our examples.

The process Is often called “cutting and buffing” and can start with wet sanding with a very fine grit of sandpaper, like 1000 grit or even finer. The process is repeated with finer and finer grits of sandpaper, reaching 2500 or even up to 5000 grit. This process removes heavier dust and debris contaminants, and also helps level the paint.

In our two examples, we did not wish to use a sanding process, and decided to go straight to polishing. There are various types of polishing pads, with more aggressive wool or foam pads used for cutting, and finer foam pads used for polishing. There are also various compounds which again use a different abrasive to achieve their goals.

Both the 1966 Ford Mustang and the 1963 Imperial Crown convertible responded very well to polishing techniques. The Mustang had been repainted in the past, and suffered largely from stained, faded, and dull paint. The Imperial, on the other hand, was wearing its original paint, so we had to be conservative on our approach as we did not burn or damage the brittle original finish.

In the end, both cars improved drastically and benefited from the polishing exercise done at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop. Today, they are both shiny and respectable-looking, without the time and investment of a complete repaint.

If you have a car with dead paint, we are happy to chat about performing this process for you. You can reach us at https://www.v8speedshop.com/contact today!

1970 Plymouth Road Runner Transformation at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop

Posted on by V8 Staff

This 1970 Plymouth Road Runner arrived at the V8 Speed & Resto Shop in preparation for a major facelift. Plans include a Superbird conversion and a late-model Hemi engine swap backed by a 6-speed manual transmission! Of course, the front and rear suspension systems will be upgraded to match. The V8 Team is extremely excited to bring this car to the next level! Read More to see the photos and videos!

Contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop with all your Classic or Muscle Car needs today!

817 S. MAIN STREET – RED BUD, IL 62278

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1977 Pontiac Trans Am Upgrades and Repaint at V8 Speed & Resto Shop

Posted on by V8 Staff

We’re completing some upgrades and restoration tasks on this 400-powered 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am in the V8 Speed and Resto Shop. This Sterling Silver 1977 Trans Am has been in our customer’s family since new and often driven over the years. Today, it’s in for a mechanical, interior, and body and paint restoration. We thought we’d share an update as we build the car in our latest “What are you in for” video series where we share in-process projects from around the shop!

Original-family owned cars like this 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am are special heirlooms for sure. Our customer was just 3 years old when his family went to their local Pontiac dealer and picked out this silver over red ‘77 TA, and it’s been in the family ever since. In fact, the story goes that our customer picked the color as a little kid! The car is powered by the Pontiac 400 V8, a more desirable engine than the California-spec Oldsmobile 403 alternative.

Today, it is showing over 170,000 miles on the odometer, which is great news… the car has been driven and enjoyed over all these years! However, that also means it suffered some wear and tear, despite the owner’s Father carefully performing maintenance on the car. Once in the V8 Speed and Resto Shop, our team removed the Pontiac 400 engine for rebuilding, and upgraded it with a COMP roller cam conversion for a bit more power and longevity. The engine cleaned and machined, and was fitted with all new bearings, rings, and other wear items.

The subframe was removed and media blasted, and the suspension system was upgraded with tubular control arms from Global West and Bilstein shock absorbers. SSBC disc brakes are an improvement over stock.

The 1977 Trans Am had some rust issues, so the V8 Speed and Resto Shop team repaired rust in the quarter panels, doors, fenders, dash, and trunk floor with new sheet metal. The car will receive a fresh coat of the original Sterling Silver color, along with a host of fresh restoration parts from YearOne to make the car look new on the inside and out. You’ll find the photos, videos, and podcasts about the car below!

V8 RADIO PODCAST:

1967 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova Restomod Upgrades at V8 Speed and Resto Shop V8TV

Posted on by V8 Staff

1967 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova Restomod Upgrades at V8 Speed and Resto Shop V8TV

This clean 1967 Chevy II Nova came to the V8 Speed and Resto Shop in need of some mechanical help, and our crew performed a lot of upgrades and repairs to this cool yellow cruiser.

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1968 Chevrolet El Camino Restoration at V8 Speed and Resto Shop

Posted on by V8 Staff

This very cool 1968 Chevrolet El Camino is a real, numbers-matching L78 396 SS with a Muncie M22 4-speed. These are very rare 375 HP engines, found in only 393 ’68 ElCaminos new. It came to the V8 Speed & Resto Shop looking to be straightened out and to look like it did when new.

Contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop with all your Classic or Muscle Car needs today!

Contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop Today!

817 S. MAIN STREET – RED BUD, IL 62278

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1979 Pontiac Trans Am Supercharged LS3 and Roadster Shop Chassis Upgrades at V8 Speed and Resto Shop

Posted on by V8 Staff

This clean 1979 Pontiac Trans Am came to the V8 Speed and Resto Shop in need of some major performance upgrades. The car was born with an anemic Oldsmobile 403 V8 engine coupled to a 3 speed automatic transmission. We did an initial dyno run to find it only made 168 horsepower at the rear wheels, which might have been okay for 1979, but definitely not cool for today. The answer to this problem lies in the form of a Edelbrock supercharged Chevrolet performance LS3 V8 backed by a 6-speed T56 Magnum transmission.

The Trans Am is going to receive a new Roadster Shop chassis for better stiffness and handling. The E Force supercharger relies on an upgraded camshaft from Comp Cams, and is capable of making over 800 horsepower running on E85 fuel. We will be sharing complete build and final dyno videos of this car once the transformation is complete.