If you have been watching the numerous classic car related TV shows, or even read the classic car features and watched the YouTube videos, and the terms “restomod” and “pro-touring” keep popping up. These classic car building styles that have a lot in common, with many similar visual characteristics, but the terminology is normally not interchangeable. Asking your local hot rod shop to turn your family heirloom into a pro touring machine may result in a vastly different car than if you ask for a restomod—and the bill at the end of the day could look quite different.
We will show you the difference between a pro touring car and a restomod and give you a list of attributes to help you choose which one you like best.
What Does “Restomod” Mean?
The word “restomod” is a combination of the word’s “restoration” and “modified.” Think of a restomod muscle car as one that is two parts restoration, and one part modified, and you will be close. The recipe for a restomod is more restoration than modified, and those non-stock modifications are there strictly to help bring the vehicle up to or near the driving standards of a showroom-fresh performance car.
Let us say your 350-powered 1967 Chevelle originally stopped from 70 mph in 300 feet with its original drum brakes, an average or even good number for 1967. Let us also say your daily-driven 2018 Camaro will stop from the same speed in just 150 feet. In one scenario, you may be driving your Chevelle on the highway one sunny afternoon when the car in front makes a panic stop. If your Chevelle is restored to original specs, you may well find yourself visiting an expensive shop getting its front end repaired, or worse.
Restomod
The word “restomod” is a combination of restoration and modern –– which gives you an idea of what this concept is all about. Essentially, it is an approach that involves restoring a classic car so that most –– or all –– of its esthetics match the original version, but significant high-performance upgrades have been made to the engine, transmission, and other systems and parts.
People who love restomods (and there are many of them!) feel this restoration approach delivers “the best of both worlds.” That is because their car looks like a classic model from decades ago but performs like something built last week.
The next step up the muscle car ladder is probably the best compromise in the muscle car world: resto-mod. It is a classic that has all the great style and character of a traditional muscle car, but adds choice modern components to increase drivability, performance, and reliability. Resto-mods are highly appealing classics to folks who like to put their cars on the road and see the sights. That is because resto-mods are 1) generally more livable than traditional muscle cars and 2) generally more affordable than pro-touring cars. Building on that second point, most resto-mods could almost be considered pro-touring light, in that they are not so altered or modernized that they compromise character to serve a specific purpose.
A common feature of resto-mods is a better, often retrofitted drivetrain. Consider a 1957 Bel Air that is swapped its old school 283/Powerglide set-up for a fresh LS3 and a modern 4L60E. But it does not even have to be that drastic. How about a 1967 Chevelle that features a mid-70s small block and a catalog-bought Tremec 5-speed? As happens with Chevy 350s, different factory rear ends are sometimes swapped in, with 9-inch Ford axles being popular conversions in many makes of cars. Safety is usually improved, with retrofitted or upgraded power disc brakes joining retrofitted or upgraded power steering. Mild suspension modification is common, usually manifesting in tubular control arms, subframe connectors and/or traction bars. Rolling stock is generally larger, more expressive takes on timeless 5-spoke designs. And, while aesthetics stays largely traditional, they do begin to trend into the custom realm, with mods like filled markers and smoothed firewalls complementing things like shaved trim and modest interior upgrades.
This 1969 Chevelle is a perfect example of a home-built restomod. The GM A-body is well supported in the aftermarket with brakes, wheels, tires, suspension, and powertrain upgrades. It has got a decidedly factory vintage vibe, but with modern capabilities. With a restomod, the goal is to retain as much of the original look and feel of your classic, while upgrading its performance, safety, and over-the-road performance (economy, comfort, infotainment) to new-car levels. If you want to do some SCCA racing, a rally, or hit the autocross circuit, a restomod is not going to be enough to take home the trophy, but you will still be able to have some fun without worrying about wrecking your pride and joy. For the win, you will need a pro touring car.
Why Not Just Restore It?
Making your classic machine safer to drive with more modern brakes, tires, chassis components, and other safety gear like three-point seatbelts might seem like a no-brainer, so why are traditional restorations so popular? For one thing, it is usually the least expensive way to go for most popular cars where reproduction parts are readily available (Camaro, Mustang, Chevelle, Challenger, etc.). Also, for many, owning a perfect example of an original ride that has no modern upgrades is like stepping into a time machine. That is a huge reason to restore rather than modify.
The fan who is going more for nostalgia or collectability will choose the restoration over the restomod and may even choose what is called a day two look, a form of restoration that allows modifications that would have been available at the time of manufacture. An otherwise completely stock 1969 Chevelle with five-slot mag wheels, Cherry Bomb mufflers, and a carb/intake upgrade such as a dual-plane with a Holley double-pumper would be considered a “day two” restoration because while not stock, these are mods the original owner could have performed literally the next day after driving it off the showroom floor. Day-two restorations are popular for the same reason showroom-fresh restorations are popular: they tug at the heartstrings the way no restomod or pro touring machine could ever do!
The Pro Touring Machine
At a quick glance, a restomod might look like a pro touring car (also known as a g-machine), but there are some important differences. While a restomod may have a combination of a modern wheel/tire package, safer disc brakes, lower stance with mild suspension upgrades like stiffer springs, performance shocks, some form of overdrive transmission, and a warmed-over powerplant, the pro touring car takes things to the next level. Where the restomod recipe was two parts restoration and one-part modification, the pro touring machine is one-part restoration and two parts modified.
When deciphering or deciding between a restomod and a pro touring machine, the emphasis on pro touring is the word “pro”, which means a car that is purpose built for autocross or road course competition, such as the Optima Ultimate Streetcar Challenge. It also means the car is built (usually) by a competition-oriented shop, since much of the chassis and suspension is custom built for optimum geometry, on-track safety, and chassis stiffness. This means a pro touring car has near zero compromising for street driving. Pro Touring cars are, by definition, street-style cars, but they will behave and feel closer to race cars than a showroom-fresh 2020 Camaro.
The interior of a full-tilt pro touring machine. Note how every panel is being customized and a form-fit roll-cage has been fabricated for both driver protection and chassis stiffness. When finished, it will be a no-compromise, track-ready machine.
By comparison, this same-year 1968 Dodge Charger interior is the one from our lead image car. As a restomod, it carries over the bulk of the factory styling, with modest improvements to running gear like a full disc brake conversion and overdrive.
Going to the 1969 Chevelle example, a restomod version might have a stock-style suspension with aftermarket control arms, while the pro touring machine would typically have a completely redesigned perimeter-frame chassis, like those from Roadster Shop or Schwartz Performance, to name two. That will certainly raise the budget, but it will also provide a solid platform for the management of much higher power levels.
Pro Touring
Pro touring refers to a kind of classic muscle that has been fundamentally enhanced to either meet –– or quite often surpass –– the performance standards of a modern performance vehicle. Imagine taking a glorious ’69 Chevrolet Camaro and making numerous improvements so that it can drive side-by-side (or zoom past) a Ferrari or Porsche. While esthetic improvements are part of the process, enhancements are about performance. For example: the suspension may be re-engineered for better geometry, or 13” brakes may be added.
If traditional is one end of the street-focused muscle car spectrum, pro-touring is the other. Many pro-touring cars are, for all intents and purposes, modern machines under retro metal. More focused than their resto-mod peers, they are often built with specific activities in mind like showing or amateur autocross. That said, pro-touring cars are not necessarily hard to live with, because years of advances in engineering now allow builders to weave excellent performance into easy drivability. Some pro-tourers are extreme performers but can also double as awesome weekend cruisers. And many enthusiasts find them more fun to drive than traditional muscle because of that increased performance potential.
One defining characteristic of a pro-tourer is some form of aftermarket chassis, or significant portions of aftermarket chassis. Builders like The Roadster Shop and Art Morrison offer full set-ups that vastly improve the suspension geometry of classic cars, while firms like Detroit Speed and Heidts offer application-specific subframes that accomplish much of the same effect. That chassis is usually powered by an impressive, often one-off engine that is supplemented with the latest and greatest transmission and a reinforced third member. Braking, steering and other ancillary components are upgraded with full systems from specialty companies like Wilwood or Classic Performance Products. Because most of these cars are built to make a statement, maximal, sometimes custom wheels highlight varying degrees of custom bodywork. And interiors, almost always installed by professional shops, are fully reimagined cocoons that feature rosters of modern technology.
Restomod Vs. Pro Touring briefly
One of the best things about being a car restoration enthusiast is that there is always something new to learn — especially regarding terms and concepts. For example, you have probably come across the terms restomod and pro touring numerous times and wondered if they are synonymous (as they are often used), and what they mean. Here is a brief review of each concept:
- A restomod is typically much more affordable than a pro touring machine. Can also be built in stages more easily.
- A restomod has a brake package that is upgraded to modern passenger-car standards. A pro touring machine will have race-caliber brakes.
- Wheels & Tires. Both restomods and pro tourers have larger-diameter wheels and tires, but a pro touring machine is more likely to sport a more aggressive rubber compound and lighter, more costly wheels.
- A restomod will retain the stock chassis and rely on simple suspension bolt-on parts that do not destroy or alter the factory metal. A serious pro touring machine will have a ground-up chassis.
- The restomod is in the sweet spot for enthusiasts because most vintage chassis types are well supported by the aftermarket. A few choice bolt-ons can close 80 percent of the handling gap with a pro touring car for about a third of the price.
- Since the goal of both restomods and pro touring cars is ultimately to drive them on the street, an overdrive transmission is the key. A competitive pro touring car will almost always have a manual transmission, though.
- As a mostly street-driven vehicle, a restomod will only require the equipment mandated by the Fed in the year of manufacture. A pro touring machine, however, may get significant use on track and other high-speed venues, such as mile racing and open-road racing (Pike’s Peak, Silver State Classic, Big Bend, etc.). This will require significant safety upgrades in the form of rollbars or roll-cages, fire suppression systems, fire-resistant attire, helmet, and rollbar padding.
Aside from seriously pedigreed traditional muscle cars, pro-touring cars tend to be the most expensive classics on the market because of the resources and gestation put into their builds. However, that sort of specialization can sometimes be a drawback, as specialized parts and build techniques can be pricey and difficult to duplicate if something goes wrong.
The Overlap
If you are scratching your head and saying, “hmmm, these concepts seem very similar!” then you are right –– and that is why the terms are often used interchangeably. Plus, there are some car restoration enthusiasts who steadfastly refuse to consider pro touring a type of restoration at all –– since the true goal of pro touring is to “enhance” rather than “restore.” There is obviously a big enhancement element to a restomod as well, though emphasis is not purely on performance in that scenario. (You can see why restomods and pro touring are popular topics of conversation, and sometimes debate, at shows and events!)
Recap
Whether you are interested in a total restoration or a full-tilt pro touring monster, you will want to understand the hierarchy of performance. A restoration is the process of returning a car to its as-born configuration without any mods. Up from that is the day-two look, which encompasses simple bolt-ons available at the time of original manufacture. At the restomod level, the delivery truck starts bringing bigger boxes to the garage, with disc brakes, larger-diameter wheels and tires, higher-output engines, stiffer suspensions, and overdrive transmissions. At this point, your restomod should be roughly as capable as a showroom-fresh performer such as a new Camaro SS, Dodge Challenger R/T, Corvette, or Mustang GT.
So now you know the differences, and you can make your decisions based on your plan and your budget.
