Inside, black and white hound’s-tooth covers modified Recaro bucket seats; a custom dash and gauge panel provide a fresh take on a classic 1969 Camaro interior. One of the biggest wow factors of this Pro Touring machine was its full roll cage and safety harnesses, something rarely seen in a street-driven car at the time.
Another feature that rocked the automotive aftermarket involved the massive rear tires that rolled beneath The Twister Camaro. Although small compared to some of the Pro Touring builds you see today, these tires kicked off a trend of mini-tubbed muscle cars with super-wide low-profile rubber.
Out back, The Twister featured a Ford 9-inch-style rear end, similar to the ones used in NASCAR racing, suspended by leaf springs. Although most high-end Pro Touring cars currently use a four-link suspension with coil-overs, Kyle’s original leaf-spring setup was hot at the time. He moved the springs inboard and widened the original wheel tubs to fit the larger tires.
You may notice several differences in this front suspension compared to what is currently offered by Detroit Speed. Kyle’s original front suspension setup consisted of custom tubular upper control arms, modified original stamped-steel lower control arms, a custom spindle, and a custom spring and shock configuration. Also note the large sway bar and disc brakes.
As if the bright yellow paint job weren’t enough, The Twister featured a lowered stance and wide tires and wheels on all four corners. When Kyle and Stacy Tucker drove this car all over the country in 2000, it put Detroit Speed on the map, and the couple never looked back.
So you’ve made the decision to go the Pro Touring route with your vehicle. Let’s get down to business regarding the necessary tools and skills to get the job done. Tackling a restoration or custom build is an in-depth process that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Some special tools are necessary, and if you’ve never torn into a muscle car, you’ll learn a lot during the build. This book, with its great collection of photos, tips, and special tricks, should help you build an awesome Pro Touring vehicle.
If you’re a car guy, an empty engine bay isn’t all that scary. But if you’re new to the hobby, this could offer enough intimidation to turn you away. Luckily, the right tools make a huge difference and make big projects easy to tackle.
First of all, a good mechanical mind-set is necessary to perform many of these installations. Even if you’ve never restored or modified a car, the process is fairly straightforward if you use some common sense and a basic set of tools. The techniques are sometimes tricky but tips are provided that allow you to complete a Pro Touring build in your garage. You may not be interested in taking on such a daunting task but even if you send your car to a professional shop, it’s a good idea to know the ins and outs of your build before you hand it over.
Who Can Build a Pro Touring Car?
The ability to build a Pro Touring car depends on the extent of the build and your experience level. If your only automotive experience is changing the oil in your daily driver, you may not want to start from scratch with a complete build. Don’t be afraid to take on a challenging task but know your limitations, especially if welding or other modifications are involved in your plan.
A full assortment of regular hand tools is a must for any car build, including a Pro Touring project. Don’t overlook the obvious stuff, such as wrenches, sockets, and hammers. This stuff gets used a lot during the build process.
Specialized tools, such as this bushing remover/installer (used for GM A-Body upper rear axle bushings), really come in handy when you’re in the heat of the battle. When a hammer and chisel don’t get the job done, a specialized tool will help.
Luckily, the key components in a Pro Touring build consist of suspension parts, and most of them are bolt-on pieces. An average car guy with a full set of hand tools can easily rebuild the suspension and add a few aftermarket parts along the way. If you’re going all out with items such as a mini-tub kit or a Detroit Speed QUADRALink rear suspension, you’ll do a fair amount of cutting, welding, and grinding to install the components.
Rotisseries are an excellent way to reach every square inch of your project car but please note that they are not completely necessary. If you have a vehicle torn down far enough to put on a rotisserie, you’re already pretty deep into the project.
If this is your first build, there will certainly be moments that make you think, “Can I really do this?” and that’s perfectly fine. If this stuff were easy, you wouldn’t need to read a book about it. The main thing to remember is the wealth of information in this book, as well as the helpful nature of most car guys. If you have a couple of gearhead buddies, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’d be surprised how much more quickly and easily things may fall together with another pair of hands and eyeballs. Missed steps are often avoided when a helping hand is involved, and to be perfectly honest, it’s much more fun to hang out in the shop with a couple of friends than to handle the build alone. Go ahead and plan on ordering a few pizzas and stocking up on cold beverages. Your friends will likely accept this as an even trade for their time and experience. If not, you need to find some new friends or take on an easier project!
All joking aside, you will most definitely need help from time to time. Some of the suspension pieces are a handful, and you always want an extra pair of hands when it’s time to lift heavy stuff, such as the rear end or subframe, or attempt to install an engine and transmission. Just as there are times you need a helping hand, you may also need to have certain items pressed into place, which may require some running around town to find a shop that can help. Control-arm bushings, some types of ball joints, and most leaf-spring bushings are usually the only items that require a press to disassemble and install the new parts, so it usually isn’t a big expense or time consumer. With this in mind, the extent of your build determines how much time you spend at the local fab shop or machine shop. Engine builds can be costly and sometimes risky for a novice but it’s part of the process, unless you have the available cash for a ready-to-run crate engine.