I got a special guest for you knuckleheads out there.. Mr. Daign Rogue.. no holds barred interview..
Put this in your pipe and smoke it….
1. Do you think your car is a Streetfighter?
Absolutely. Every component has been chosen for absolute reliability and ease of maintenance. It wears R888s on the street and I use it to get groceries and go to meetings alike.
2. What do you think a Streetfighter(car) is?
A barebones classic designed for overall performance. $20,000 paint jobs have no place on any car that gets driven a lot. It causes the owner to be paranoid about driving their car hard, leaving it places, and overall enjoying it.
3. How long have you been interested in the Streetfighter style builds`?
Since 1996 or so. A friend took me for a ride in his Red 1957 Chevrolet 210 with a 454 and as many suspension goodies as were available back then. It was his daily driver and there were frequently surfboards strapped to the top.
4. What do you think the point to a Streetfighter build should be?
A barebones car designed for maximum performance and reliability. A car as comfortable to drive to work, but flog at a track day and kick the crap out of modern cars. I believe if you build a fast car, you should explore its limits in a safe environment. I see 80 year old guys driving rental Cadillac DTS’s at track events. I’ve also met CEOs at track events. If you want to make the time you’ll make the time.
5. What is a streetfighter owner like?.. streetfighter mentality?
We are drivers, not car show attendees. We’d rather be driving our car than sitting around at a car show comparing bolt ons and stroking each others ego. I’ll attend Supercar Sunday every once in a while just to see some VERY rare cars. My favorite car I’ve seen was Bruce Meyer’s 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa.
6. Streetfighter and pro-touring… similarities?, differences?
I initially got into the pro-touring scene because I liked the idea of classic cars outperforming modern cars. Lately it seems as if Protouring is nothing more than a bunch of street rodders who have moved onto the latest trend. I recently saw a post by a major vendor on one of the forums stating that Air Conditioning is an absolute requirement for any pro-touring car. Pro-touring guys like to constantly hold dick swinging contests about who has the latest and greatest subframes and LSX powerplant. Don’t forget the absolutely necessary Car Rendering and fancy name to identify your car.
Streetfighter guys seem to enjoy the act of driving, don’t care too much for cosmetics or 20k paint jobs, and spend as much time possible driving their cars, whether it be at track days, on windy roads, or cross country.
7. The essential modifications visual and functional?
Subframe connectors, Guldstrand modifcation, a good alignment, good rubber, a reliable powerplant thats easy to work on in the pits. (Try diagnosing LSX fuel injection issues in between sessions.) and proper brakes, not those Wilwood Dynapro 6 calipers which flex like a juicehead at muscle beach. Those calipers nearly killed me at big willow. Brake manufacturer’s appear to be making ‘showtouring’ brakes that are no better than the stock brakes. They flex under pressure and you lose pressure. I’m just glad to be alive. But good brakes and rubber are all anyone really needs.
8. Do Streetfighter builds only apply to the lowbuck or are there Highdollar fighters?
A streetfighter build can be super high dollar. Look at Big Red or Bob Owens 69 camaro. Full bred racecars with street legal features.
9. Do you think a Streetfighter build is restricted to American cars or others?
Definitely not restricted to American cars. The europeans and japanese have been building them long before Americans ever started. Hot rodded BMWs, Volvos, Japanese Skylines, Celicas. My 1970 Austin Mini has a Yamaha R1 powerplant in it, and 12″ Metro brakes in it. Its been calculated at 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and handles like a slot car. If thats not a streetfighter I don’t know what is. Any car can be made into a functional street legal racecart ‘streetfighter’.
10. When they say “street” what type of conduct do you think applies to these cars on the street?
I drive within the speed limits but have been known to enjoy a curve or two in the canyons around los angeles.
11. The Streetfighter type people you have met along the way, what are they like?
Never met a single pro-touring guy at a track event. The only person I’ve met had a track prepped blue 69 camaro with an aluminum block 427 and dry sump. He was a serious track enthusiast and a very nice guy. Sadly the streetfighter and pro-touring crowd seems to only attend autocross events. I’m not interested in waiting 45 minutes for a few minutes of cone dodging with a maximum speed of 60mph.
12. To those who are afraid of this type of build style(ie: because of chipping their paint) what would you say?
Sell your car and buy a prius. You can polish it and attend Prius meets as well! Fast cars are meant to be driven, if you dont drive them, then why dump all the money into performance parts? This goes back to the dickswinging contest you see on the forums. I don’t believe classic cars should be wasted as a status symbol, if you want a status symbol go buy an AMG mercedes.
Youtube vids:
Some Big willow footage, car was driven there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CULoeZZV_4
Buttonwillow flybyes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV-gbMaGtkw
ButtonWillow Session:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M68CuIKVOww
Rolling Burnout
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTgSVykiw_U
Playing with a Ferrari F355 who was chasing me down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwTv_VqQ804
Posted by Mr. Vengeance on 
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