This is a tough one that should spark some interesting answers. Let’s say you have been hired by a Hollywood studio to remake the cult classic movie Two Lane Blacktop. The only thing that the studio tells you is that you are 100% absolutely NOT allowed to use a primer gray 1955 Chevrolet as the lead car. You can literally choose any other car on Earth but that one. They want the film to appeal to today’s generation of hot rodders so you need to update the look a little. (Not that the ’55 doesn’t appeal to today’s hot rodder but this is our fake story here!).
The world of racing, especially street racing has changed so much since that movie was made 40+ years ago, right? The rise of things like Street Outlaws, the mechanical advances made by people in everything from six second GT-R Nissans to street driven 5-second door slammers with big turbo engines has changed the landscape of what we see as a performance car.
Would you have them in a full-kill machine like Larry Larson’s truck or Jeff Lutz’s Camaro? Would you have them in a ratty looking Camaro with a big nitrous engine in it, rumbling around? Would you put them in a sleeper late model truck with a couple of turbos on it and plenty of room for their junk in the back or would you go for something more sleek like the Mustang or Firebird we have pictured below.
How would YOU choose to do it?
If You Were Remaking Two Lane Blacktop Today What Car Would You Have The Guys Drive?
I’m a sleeper type guy generally, something like the little blue Buick that was at RMRW would work for me, probably not for Hollywood though. There’s so much stuff to make late model stuff fast that ’bout anything would work (boring). And yes, a ’55 with a flat hood, big inch BBC on nitrous looking like the original would push all the right buttons.
I’d go with an LS-swapped Fairmont with a single turbo, not that Hollywood would ever listen to such a suggestion. The car doesn’t have the presence or style of a ’55 Chevy. But it is a plausible car that two dudes who couldn’t fit shiny paint into the budget might have thrown together for some cross-country asphalt mayhem.
A fox body is today’s 55 Chevy. These are easy and cheap to modify cause they are lightweight. Plus any engine combo works for this car.
I’d take any RVTW car, be it a fox body, a g-body or camaro. Heck even the guys who build the 10k challenge cars. It would not be a snooty pro tour thing. I hope they never remake this one show, cause it’s the pinnacle of pure hotrodding!!!
Hollywood is an expert at ruining really great things, I swear that nobody knows how to write an original story anymore.
Yeah, I think the Fox Mustang is today’s ‘55 Chevy. I would just have to add that it CANNOT have an LS!
Wasn’t this question asked before? Last time I think I suggested a bright coloured Demon as the “new” car, with a fox body Mustang sedan as the “street racer” (flat black, beadlocks on 315s, fully gutted, super thin flappy ‘glass or CF body panels, GF5R trans, and twin turbos on an actual Windsor engine).
A tubbed, flat black ’78 Malibu 2 door with a Grump Lump hood scoop running a Comp roller cammed big inch LSX with dual Dominators on nitrous, MSD controller and ignition, Tremec 5-speed with Hurst CP shifter, Gear Vendors overdrive, carbon fiber driveshaft, 4:88 gears in a Moser 9 inch with full South Side Machine Pro Drag suspension system. Wilwood six piston discs brakes, Hoosier drag radials on WeldStar wheels. DeWitt aluminum radiator with dual Moroso electric cooling fans and electric water pump. 20 gallon fuel cell, dual nitrous bottles with those trick clamps from the other day, 2 100 pound tractor batteries in the trunk, full cage in a stripped bare interior with 2 fiberglass buckets and 5 point belts, Sun “Big Daddy” model tach, 8 speaker 300 watt Pioneer stereo, tail/brake light cutout switch, cable operated dump bottom stash box and a push and pop cigarette lighter.
Driver; Kid Rock, Mechanic; Marshall Mathers, HellCat Challenger; Dwight Yoakam, Girl; Scarlett Johansson.
G-body, still fairly unassuming but has presence
A Dodge Demon with an engine from the Challenger Demon complete with NO2.