how to go pro

   In my scant few years as a car fanatic I have allready seen alot of trends come and go. Usually the pinnacle of the trend is called pro-something. Pro street, pro-touring, pro-lawnchair and now we have ratrod. May i suggest that now we could even have pro-ratrod? Pro ratrod would be defined as being farthest as possible from a well built vehicle. If a ratrod is rusty, dented and uses junkyard parts then a pro-ratrod is such a heap that it leaves a trail of parts and fluids behind it as it moves. I can see it all now.... Barret Jackson auctioneers need to lay out a special absorbant red carpet and turn on smog sucking fans as a leaking, smoking pro-ratrod is pushed on to the block. The bidders go wild, with coughing and choking! My theory with these trends is to allways stay on the middle ground. Tasteful never goes out of style.
   No matter what trend you may decide to follow, the common denominator is always a powerfull engine. Hotrodders all agree that there is no place for a wimpy mill in any trend. Probably the trend that requires the most power is pro street. The modification that defines pro street is a narrowed rearend, widened wheel tubs and giant tires. In hotrod jargon this is called "tubbed". Those big tires tell everyone that this car makes alot of power and needs all the traction it can get. If you build a tubbed car you better make sure that you run 9's or you will look lame when a small tired car hangs a licken on you. In the hotrod hobby, running 9's is considered a rite of passage to becoming a legend. According to NHRA rules a special drivers liscence is required at 9.99 and faster. Running 9's is also the point where the hobby gets much more exspensive. The car requires at much better roll cage that must be inspected and certified, a parachute may be needed, and many parts are dated and must be replaced every two years. In the 9 second range things happen very fast. My fastest pass is a 10.4 @ 133 mph and i nearly hit the guard rail when i lost traction at the 100' mark. The thrust of the car at that speed created a smile on my face for two days! I highly recomend to all my readers that if you are starting to lose motivation or are getting depressed with a project that you take a ride in a 9 or 10 second car! Your motivation will come back and you will tackle your project with a new enthusiasm. Also don't blame me if you also warm up your credit card with a new enthusiasm!!!!
   Credit cards can help you or hurt you as a hotrodder. Many mail order speed shops are paid totally by credit card. There is no simpler way to pay over the phone than with plastic. Just remember that every time you use that card you are borrowing money. If you can't pay it all back when you get the bill then you will be paying a nasty interest rate. A piece of advice i recieved from my dad when I was a teenager was "don't borrow money for something that doesn't make you money". I haven't allways followed that advice but I believe that it is good advice especially for young guys. We live in an instant gratification culture where we are led to believe that we need stuff to be happy and we need it now.  This is the mentallity that makes credit card companies rich.  When you owe money, in a way you become a slave. Think about your life. Every dollar you earn takes work and a portion of the time out of your life. Don't throw away your life to fat, rich, blood sucking banks and credit card companies!!! If you completly think through a project car and lay out a plan before you start spending money, you will save alot of money in the long run. This is a great hobby but you don't need to be a "pro" to have fun.
thanks for reading.