Street Car Vs. Race Car.........whats your take?

[Fastbird]

Something another member said about their car prompted this thread. Essentially, what's your take on what's a street car vs. what's a race car?

Here's mine. A street car is a car that's got a full interior (save for back seats, that's a common thing to remove on these) to include carpet, trim, dash, etc. It's going to have accessories like wipers, heat, a stereo. May or may not have power steering or A/C.........but it's nicer to drive with both of those.

In other words, a car that's able to be driven on the street (and is) doesn't necessarily mean it's a street car IMO. A street car will have creature comforts, will be civil enough to hop in and drive anywhere, etc.

What's your all's thoughts?

[94Blackbird]

That about sums up what I think of as a street car.

[dawdaw]

That about sums up what I think of as a street car.

To me a street car is a car that has a GOOD amount of mileage put on it from year to year, Little things like ps, ac, stereo, etc don't really matter because people will argue on the absolute stupidest things on if its a street car and it obviously varies from person to person, theres a guy on a local forum that has a straight tube chassis full on turbo race car build that doesn't have a cage, and he honestly believes its a street car because of the only reason being it doesn't have a cage, but it doesn't even get driven on the street but a couple miles... if you drive your car on the street and put a good amount of mileage on it, it is a streetcar... period, but it's probably suited for the track lol

[GreenZ96]

With the technology these days there's not much to differentiate between street car vs race car.

There's plenty of street cars with no ac, roll bars, aftermarket suspension, drag radials, and power adders.

For me, dot tires, factory type electronics, and creature comforts make it a street car.

Slicks, standalone fuel systems, extreme weight reductions, lexan windows, mini tubs, things of that nature make it more of a race car for me.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

[meissen]

agreed with all of the above.

[shownomercy]

People daily drive busted ass POS fast cars, just the same as people daily drive busted ass POS slow cars.

Its all relative to individuals, my definition would be a street car is something I could hand the keys to a non car person and have no qualms of having to explain what this switch does and when this gauge is this do that etc. IE, they could just get in, and drive like a normal car.. if you drop a lot of coin that can be done with a lot of HP, and usually the same HP but less money spent is a ragged edge slow, race car.

[Badbird_96]

Agreed. Although IMO a street car to me has a stock interior. I like when you sit in it and it seems stock until you turn the key. Power steering and such is a must for me anyways. I like having a fast car that I can cruise comfortably in with a/c etc

[Jayz28]

I think if a car is intentionally built to race, it then becomes a race car. If you build 1000hp to spank ass, its a race car. I think street cars are cars that don't race and stay on the street. Or the ones that remain stock....

[CamaroZGuy]

Street Car- would you road trip it? (200+miles)

i consider mine a street car, with no ABS, A/C, full suspension, 4000watt system (with enough weight reduction to counter the system). i really think i depends on the owner, its a grey area...

[popo8]

I wanna say, I agree with FastBird and those who are on the same line...

To me....I want to add that a street car does not need a trailer to get places.... (unless broken, but thats a different story).

Also, I feel that you should be able to get in and drive to any destination...whether 5 miles away....or 1,000 miles away, and you can stop at any gas station and utilize the same fuel, the family in the Camry uses with no need to make adjustments.

[FSTFBDY]

If you can drive it on HOT ROD DRAG week. run 7's , 8's, etc... its a streetABLE car...lol.
Hot Rod Power Tour , etc..

As said above its all a matter f opinion really.

[popo8]

But by writting that you are finding a grey area...."streetABLE."

I think he is trying to define STREET vs RACE car....

Anything is streetable .... but a trailing vehicle carrying meth, or race fuel, does not count.....

[Neil350]

This is some thing I get in to down here, we have plenty of 1200+rwhp street cars down here, how ever when one of them actually has the safety equipment it needs to run the times these cars put down, it all of a sudden becomes a race car. That I disagree with.

[popo8]

This is some thing I get in to down here, we have plenty of 1200+rwhp street cars down here, how ever when one of them actually has the safety equipment it needs to run the times these cars put down, it all of a sudden becomes a race car. That I disagree with.


Well I dont think HP is the make it or break it thing for the difference.... but..

when you get in one of those cars and there is no real dash, just a few guages, and a metal seat, a full cage, no carpet, lexan windows etc.... I feel that is a street driven, RACE CAR.

[blackbirdws6]

Just because you can physically drive the car on the street doesn't make it a street car. The car can make all the power it wants as long as it is easy enough to drive for most people. The idle should not cause wild cam surge pushing through little drag brakes. It should drink readily available fuel (read:pump gas, E85 perhaps depending on territory) and not overheat sitting in traffic. A full interior, perhaps minus rear seats, is fine and A/C is optional.

[popo8]

Just because you can physically drive the car on the street doesn't make it a street car. The car can make all the power it wants as long as it is easy enough to drive for most people. The idle should not cause wild cam surge pushing through little drag brakes. It should drink readily available fuel (read:pump gas, E85 perhaps depending on territory) and not overheat sitting in traffic. A full interior, perhaps minus rear seats, is fine and A/C is optional.


WELL SAID... and someone else said something along the lines of, ANYONE should be able to hop in the car and drive it without instruction....

[Tyler Wheat]

If you can drive it on HOT ROD DRAG week. run 7's , 8's, etc... its a streetABLE car...lol.
Hot Rod Power Tour , etc..



I'll agree with this. If I were comfortable enough to run my car in drag week or the power tour, you bet your ass I'd be calling it a street car whether its simply streetable or a true street car. I'd love to do either!

[Badbird_96]

On this note mine will be a street car but I'm doing h/c/I with a monster cam, 6spd swap with a street twin, full suspension, and a s60 but I'm leaving full interior, a complete exhaust, and it will still run on pump gas meaning I can drive it anywhere I need without going deaf or hitting airports for fuel. For example Sean's purple t/a, I still consider that a street car. Yeah its awesome with what, 690rwhp at 15psi but its still very streetable. Or Larry with 590rwhp at 12psi same story. We all seem to agree just have different ways of stating it.

No race fuel, a semi stock interior, no ridiculous stuff( like lexan windows, on piece front clips, tube chassis, etc), any Joe schmo can jump in and drive it, it can be driven any distances, and creature comforts I have to have but others are more manly than me I suppose lol. That about cover it?

[Bersaglieri]

This is a good discussion. I like the point about certain cars being street driven race cars. You see alot of people labeling their drag car a street car because they drove it to town one day to scare all the ricers. I think some peole label stuff 'street' so they don't look so bad compared to the true drag stuff. But as seen here many terms are subjective, everyone has got their own opinion about "street".

Some things, in my opinion, that border becoming a race car driven on the street: Race fuel or racefuel mix, no registration, can't drive more than a couble dozen miles at a time... that being said, all the rest are just comforts, radio, heat, A/C, massage my buns seats, etc are things I'd like in my truck, but not necessary in my fast 'street' car.

[Badbird_96]

This is a good discussion. I like the point about certain cars being street driven race cars. You see alot of people labeling their drag car a street car because they drove it to town one day to scare all the ricers. I think some peole label stuff 'street' so they don't look so bad compared to the true drag stuff. But as seen here many terms are subjective, everyone has got their own opinion about "street".

Some things, in my opinion, that border becoming a race car driven on the street: Race fuel or racefuel mix, no registration, can't drive more than a couble dozen miles at a time... that being said, all the rest are just comforts, radio, heat, A/C, massage my buns seats, etc are things I'd like in my truck, but not necessary in my fast 'street' car.

Good point. A fast street car is nowhere close to a fast racecar. So when your Turbo 347 mustang runs an 11.3 at the track and you say its a street car its ok where as if it was a racecar it would be laughed at for being so "built" yet running slow times.

So we have a distinct idea of the 2 with a bit of grey area in the middle lol.

I'm going back to sleep I will check on this later.

[Ryan Stout]

IMO my car is right on the ragged edge. Retains full interior, minor weight reduction, uses 93 octane, has heat, stereo, and drives like stock (minus faceplated trans). Then again it's got skinnies, no AC, manual rack, meth injection at higher boost, faceplated trans.

If you ask me, it's a fine line anymore. A race car IMO is gutted, A2W intercooler (ice tank only), bias plies and skinnies, no alternator, race gas, etc. I know many guys who have 10 pt cages, bias plies, a2w, and whatnot and I'd call it a street car. I'd say it mostly depends on street manners and interior lol.

[BIG CAT]

Randy seawards mustang is a street car. He drove 1800+ miles. Ran mid/high 8's then drove back home.;)

[SexyTransAm]

i get into this alot where im from. if u drive the car, not trailer it everywhere. can get in full up and drive a few hours away from home, stop at any gas station full back up and drive home. e85 is pushing the edge cause ya cant get it every where yet. there r all kinda of race cars that see street time, but they have to bring their own fuel most the time. as far as seats, im not goin to hate on a aluminum seat, those kirkey sets with covers feel better then some stock seats. a/c, p/s, abs, power seats/windows r more an option to me. hell there r still new cars u can buy that dont have those.

[popo8]

....Or Larry with 590rwhp at 12psi same story....

602....

Lol


Larry (Popo8) Co-owner
LTXtech.com

[ZGOBYBY]

Mine is going to be race car. Interior is gone, making a completely new dash, standalone fuel system, blah blah blah. I got some stuff in store, it's just going to be a while.

[popo8]

Mine is going to be race car. Interior is gone, making a completely new dash, standalone fuel system, blah blah blah. I got some stuff in store, it's just going to be a while.

We are waiting!!!!

lol

[shownomercy]

Stand alone fuel system?

When did we start the fast & furious quotes?

[blue85350]

This is a matter of perspective. I think if the owner is willing to get in it and drive as far or as long as he wants its a street car. Look up boostedgt's video on you tube, "I'm a streetcar". As far as driving it cross country, I know people who rent cars to go out of town at all, so to me that's not a clear indicator.

[Bersaglieri]

Randy seawards mustang is a street car. He drove 1800+ miles. Ran mid/high 8's then drove back home.;)

Next time I see him around town or at the track I'm gonna go check that car out. I didn't realize that thing drove all over till the thread on YB. Pretty impressive.

[94Blackbird]

This is a matter of perspective. I think if the owner is willing to get in it and drive as far or as long as he wants its a street car. Look up boostedgt's video on you tube, "I'm a streetcar". As far as driving it cross country, I know people who rent cars to go out of town at all, so to me that's not a clear indicator.

The other thing to consider, is some people may not be physically capable of driving their street cars cross country. Or they may not want to be stuck at the track in case something breaks. Once my car is back together, if I'm going to the track, it's going in the trailer. I'm not getting stuck at the track because I broke something. At the same time, though, I'm still going to be out on nice days cruising around and scaring people when I lay into it lol

My back wouldn't be able to take a long trip in an f body anymore. I had a hard time over thanksgiving in my wife's car, and it's pretty cushy. My current truck is the only vehicle I've had in the last few years that I wasn't in excruciating pain when I got to where I was going. With my car leaning more towards the strip side of street/strip, there's no way I could make the trip and be functional in any sense of the word by the time I got where ever I was going.

[BIG CAT]

Next time I see him around town or at the track I'm gonna go check that car out. I didn't realize that thing drove all over till the thread on YB. Pretty impressive.


yup. we used to race the no bull when he lived here. it always ran good.