Street car -or- Race car?

[Oldschool]

I am thinking of setting up separate topics as stickies to post up your combo and what times you are running.  These will be based on 1/4 mile ET. I am thinking of a 12.99-13.99 section, 11.99-12.99 section, 10.99-11.99 section, 9.99-10.99 section, and a 8.99-9.99 section.
I am thinking of setting this up for street cars. There could also be a separate section for race cars only.
Thus begins the age old issue. What defines a street car and what defines a race car?                 

[72hemi]

I think its a great idea. For me a street car has license plates, exterior lights, windshield wipers, full exhaust system, street tires, and runs on pump gas (91 octane, I know there are some rare pumps with 100 at them, those don't count). I have seen some mid to low 8 second street cars in the past that are legit street cars (there is a Viper that comes to mind with twin turbos).

[BB73Challenger]

I too like the idea - this section as a whole is good but getting an idea of different proven drivetrain/traction combo's is great.

[brads70]

Great/interesting idea! I come from the stock car crowd and they wouldn't tell you the truth of what they have for fear of loosing there "competitive edge"
Different animal/crowd, mind set I'm guessing?
A few things on the list for a "street car" would be to say if the times are on straight motor, or NOS . Wheelie bars wouldn't be allowed around here either? Cops would pull your plates/tags with great pride! I can see how defining a street car will get mixed "opinions" as the laws on what's allowed varies? Eg. around NOS is illegal to be connected on the street. You can have it in the car but it the bottle can't be connected.

[AARCUDADEN]

I think its a great idea. For me a street car has license plates, exterior lights, windshield wipers, full exhaust system, street tires, and runs on pump gas (91 octane, I know there are some rare pumps with 100 at them, those don't count). I have seen some mid to low 8 second street cars in the past that are legit street cars (there is a Viper that comes to mind with twin turbos).

a race car is non street legal

[the_engineers]

What about people running E85?...100+ octane and available in more and more places every day.  Had a buddy with a Nova running aluminum heads and 14.5:1 on a "street" car.

[whitesatinmopar]

  Great idea Ken and should be very interesting to see like Jeff said some drive train and suspension setups that have proven suscessful (no "fish" stories guys keep it honest and true  ), I'd say if the car is street legal she's a street car. But all street legal cars may or may not have current plates      

[Oldschool]

Ok, here is what I am thinking of doing concerning this debate. For this deal, I am going to say the street car/race car thing will be determined by the primary usage of the car. If it is raced a lot and rarely if ever driven on the street, it should be listed as a race car, regardless of the ET. If it is primarilly driven on the street and rarely ever raced, it should be a street car, regardless of the ET. Does that sound fair enough for what we are doing here?

[the_engineers]

 

[BB73Challenger]

sounds good to me.... the debate of race/street car could rage on like telling people
she's a dancer not a stripper 

[Cooter]

Been waitin' for a thread like dis so's I can turn it loose....
Debating this is like the "Buy American" debate, when those that clearly are opposed to buying anything Japanese, send their kid off to college in a Honda or a BMW....They are ALL IMPORTED...Nobody in their right mind sends their little Johnny/Susie off to college in a busted, broken down, worn out, POS, 1974 Chevy Caprice Classic...
IMO............

A "Street car" is just that a STREET CAR...NOT a 100K "Super car" that you just happened to buy off a showroom floor that is CLEARLY a race car sold as a "Street car"...A Viper comes to mind as well as a few others like that Twin turbo Corvette Linginfelter guy builds...

A Race car is one that employs ALOT of "Race car" tech and parts in it to the point to where it clearly isn't a "Street car" anymore..It's simply a race car with a "Street car" body over it...(Jungle Jim roll cages come to mind as well as tube chassis)...

A "True" street car IMO, still retains a part number from the original manufacturer in every aspect of suspension/trans/engine block/interior/body(Full steel)/etc...

Afterall, if your running a factory Hemi Cuda with an all out 900 Cu.In. Alcohol burning, aluminum block, Keith Black Hemi in it, then it isn't a "Street car" then is it?

You can't say a "Street car" is anything that's "Street leagal" cause different states call different things illeagal...What may be leagal in Vermont, may not be leagal in the state of Kentucky....

Upgrades in order to go faster are inevidable, but where does one draw the line you ask? I draw it at the money invested....It's isn't hard for respect of all to be had if you write a check and dump 200K into your Hemi Cuda just to have that "King-o-the street" title...True Street cars have to be tuned in order to run the times...
A better way of classing this would be to see who goes the fastest with the STOCK SUPENSION...I'm not talking bout some cobbled up junk that is unsafe, I'm referring to enginuity over check books...

Too many times I see this at the local track here...I get to turning some pretty good times in my junk, then I get paired with some Top Fuel looking car, with a sh*t ton of money in it...Ringers suck in every facet of life..Especially racing...When you can tout your cars running low 9's in the 1/4 mile for under $20K invested in the whole damb car, then you'll have my respect cause it isn't hard to go fast when you have money....


While I'm not into imports by any means, there was a guy at work that had a busted old Eclipse and that thing would fly..10.0's @135 MPh 1/4 mile..With less than $5K invested...THAT is what I'm talking bout right there..

Just because you bought a Dodge Viper for $90K or even $40K wrecked, it's still an expensive car to build and it will take Money, LOADS of it..Where you buy a 1976 Dodge Dart Sport, dump an all iron 440 in it and run low 11's for under $15K and can wave at the guy in the Viper for 1/3rd of the investment, when it comes to drag racing,who's the dumbass? Whether you fork over $90K all up front for a Viper twin turbo or you dump $90K in your '76 Dart, you have still spent a sh*t ton of money in order to go fast...I only spend that kinda money once in my lifetime...My house....

[The Cuda Guy]

Street Car:

- Tagged
- Can pass state inspection if state deems
- Runs on Pump Premium (91-94 oct)
- Can idle at 1k
- Can drive 50 miles no problems
- Mufflers
- DOT radials (unless slicks are legal in your state)
- Wipers and horn Work
- All lights work eg. turn signals, head lights, brake lights

This is what I consider a street car, can cars not meet this and still be drove on the road yes, but if we are talking street cars we are talking about cars that can be drove from place to place in need be.  I think this is a fair criteria for a street car.

Don

[Roppa440]

Street Car:

- Tagged
- Can pass state inspection if state deems
- Runs on Pump Premium (91-94 oct)
- Can idle at 1k
- Can drive 50 miles no problems
- Mufflers
- DOT radials (unless slicks are legal in your state)
- Wipers and horn Work
- All lights work eg. turn signals, head lights, brake lights

This is what I consider a street car, can cars not meet this and still be drove on the road yes, but if we are talking street cars we are talking about cars that can be drove from place to place in need be.  I think this is a fair criteria for a street car.

Don

Totally agree.
I had a buddy that was running a 9 second Hemi Dart on race fuel and a lenco who claimed his car was a "street" car just because it would drive down his street and back. I didn't agree and we had an argument about it.

Another buddy of mine has a 9 second B1 engined Coronet which is totally street legal (UK regulations are MUCH more strict than in the US) but it is a real pain to drive as the plugs foul and you need to keep reving the engine in traffic to stop it stalling. It also uses a full cell of fuel just to get to our local meet and back.

The only cars that seem to keep to all the rules, drive on a cruise through a busy town, fill up on regular pump gas, but still run 8s and 7s on the track, seem to be the big inch twin turbo cars. Their cars run real sweet on the street with no problems and then at the track they just turn up the boost and make a couple of thousand BHP.

That seems the way to do it.

[whitesatinmopar]

Some good points made  I guess personally I'd be interested in the 11 and 12 second cars that are street legal and drove around town from time to time. The 9 sec. cars as described to me are "Pro Street" a class rather than a street car. I haven't run any of my cars much at all the last couple years, but with the 72 440+6 and now getting the 440 dart a lot closer to running I may/could consider some set ups especially in rear suspension conponents. Any of it factory? Hell no,but fun and one hot street car that will make ricer jonnie pucker his arse.    Will I take either to the drag strip? Doubtfull, but maybe just for some fun and et times, would like to see if the Dart can break the 12 sec. time. Providing I don't stare too long at the pretty blinking lights.   

[Roppa440]

Some good points made  I guess personally I'd be interested in the 11 and 12 second cars that are street legal and drove around town from time to time.

Well the one I have in the For Sale section runs those sorts of times and can be used as a daily driver. I put 1500 miles on it every year. I used to do double that before gas got so expensive over here.