t’s not uncommon to look back at history with rose-tinted glasses. In fact, some would say that’s the best way to look back, rather than remember days gone by for the somewhat less than rosy truth. The pro street era of the 1980s is one such period likely best viewed with those rose-tinted glasses firmly on, as while there’s no doubt that the vehicles looked amazing — which is why they made such an impression on Pukekohe’s Rob Conlon — good looks are often all they had. The truth is that the vehicles were largely built with the tough race-ready look as the key component, and trivial things such as ride quality and driveability took a very distant second place. Keep in mind the level of technology available back in the pro street heyday is nothing near that of today. These days it’s possible to build cars that produce staggering power levels yet which are happy to
