Street cars that became race cars...

[jamiep_jamiep]

While my car is currently going in the other direction, it got me to thinking about which cars in the past started out as street cars and became race cars. Ones I can think of off the top of my head are Mike Smiths 67, of course IP1, more recently... Daz Chandlers 67, Richie Webb's convertible - although am I right in thinking that is still street legal? You get the idea though... cars that developed from peoples run around transport to cars that pretty much spend their lives on the track.

I'm sure there must be dozens and dozens, but what are some of the more well known ones?

[stussyrich]

Not one of the well known ones but does this remind you of one a bit closer to home jamie.  

[kielbasa]

This was a car in our club Uber alles. Street car gone race car.

[Neil Davies]

There's the famous story of Underdog 1, that's probably the best known one I can think of!
More recently Phil West's Natural High car isn't a street car any more I don't think.

[Neil Davies]

Just thought of this one - Scott Bakken's Aronson replica, became a race car then back to a street car when he sold it to Russell and built the brown car. Mike Lawless, Muffler Mike and Allen Weiss are three more with ex-street cars!

[richie]

Surely all the race cars started as street cars? 

Old cab is still street legal, never really see it as a race car


cheers Richie

[jamiep_jamiep]

Surely all the race cars started as street cars? 

Old cab is still street legal, never really see it as a race car


cheers Richie

Haha well, NEARLY all Richie - I have a vague memory of reading that the black Berg car was bought new and immediately turned into a race car... I dunno I may have dreamt it

[Bryan67]

Troy Palmer`s is another one.

[jamiep_jamiep]

What about the old gassers, it'd be cool to see some of those when they were maybe Hot Street bugs? Fabs?

[dannyboy]

Not one of the well known ones but does this remind you of one a bit closer to home jamie.  

that is a pic for the ego wall mate 

[Rick Meredith]

Mike Irwin's Stage Fright

[Larry S]

Radical Rod 67, My brother had it as a 12:70 street car back in the late seventies in LaHabra Ca before it went to a full time race car.

[nicolas]

Surely all the race cars started as street cars?  

Old cab is still street legal, never really see it as a race car


cheers Richie

haha, i think many people would sell a kidney to have your car, and it's power as a race car…

klingaman's car is my contribution for this topic. very beautiful  race car, but i liked it a lot more in street trim with the 8 spokes.

[Neil Davies]

I'm with you on that one Nicolas! The Klingaman car is my all time favourite late model. Did the orange BAE Insanity car start as a street car or was it built as a race car from the outset?

[jamiep_jamiep]

Pinched from another thread, by fabs... I hadn't seen that this was a Hot Street Bug Neil. Looks amazing.

[speedwell]

Pinched from another thread, by fabs... I hadn't seen that this was a Hot Street Bug Neil. Looks amazing.

klngaman's late model started is live as a street car and the orange one was scott baken  67 who later was owned by shubbee

[autohausdolby]

Surely all the race cars started as street cars? 

Old cab is still street legal, never really see it as a race car


cheers Richie

Haha well, NEARLY all Richie - I have a vague memory of reading that the black Berg car was bought new and immediately turned into a race car... I dunno I may have dreamt it

Wasn't the Berg '67 a nearly new stolen recovered car that had been stripped? I'd have to open my Keith Seume book and it's just out of reach!

On that note, my race car only has a used roof, a pillars and the visible bit of the rear quarter - it's a floorpan car but everything (apart from the ash tray, steering column and box and the gearbox case) including the chassis is brand new and never road used. It hasn't even got a chassis number. I still think of it as the same car I bought to convert though.

[gkeeton@zbzoom.net]

What about street cars that became race cars, and are still street cars? A friend started a local VW racing group called the North Coast VW Drag Racing Association, and after making it into the semi's out of pure dumb luck the first event, I was hooked. Some 400+ passes later, I've managed a best package of .028, and have aggregated quite a few V8 racers. Tipping the scales at 2180 with me in it, and a 1776 powering it, it's not going to set any records, but I've had a good time so far.