You know the old joke that goes something like this: I looked up “cheapskate” (or fill in the blank with another word) in the dictionary and what did I see? Your picture.  Well, I looked up “Pro Street” on Wiki, and this 1970 Mustang Mach I is so on point it’s not funny. So if you’ve been dying to relive the ‘80s, this might be your accessory. The car is available here on eBay with a current bid over 10 grand and the reserve is not met. You’ll have to tow it home from Port Angeles, Washington if you’re the successful bidder unless you want to drive it home a quarter-mile at a time.

What is Pro Street? A street-legal car that is built to replicate a Pro Stock drag car. A Pro Street car has been tubbed so that a huge set of rear “meats” can be stuffed underneath. This necessitates installing a radically narrowed rear end, along with other modified suspension pieces. Then there’s the cream in the coffee—a roll cage. In theory, these must be installed in any track drag car capable of doing under 10 seconds in the quarter-mile (there are a number of different regulations, but that’s the basics), but putting one in your Pro Street car, even if you never intend to track-race it, is the final sign that you’re in this for keeps. Of course, maybe in the case of this Ford, the cage is there precisely because it was raced to a 9.99 or faster, but there’s no specific mention of its racing history offered in the ad.

When was this trend cool and why? In the 1980s, when builds (and now-funny nicknames), were over the top in cost and complication. What came next, by the way, was Pro-Touring, which took the (let’s be real) ridiculousness down a notch and built a car that was stock-appearing while still being mechanically modified, with modernized fuel delivery systems, upgraded brakes, better cooling, larger wheels, and tires, etc.

But if you missed Pro Street the first time around (too young) or you just miss it (nostalgic older person) and want to go back in time, you could buy this Mach 1. What would you do with it? Well, you could drive it on the street, but you’re probably not going to do that because these cars were meant to go in a straight line, not turn corners. You could and should take it to the track, though. The current owner, perhaps to his credit, does not brag up the car’s capabilities. He keeps it as simple as saying that the 351-CID engine sounds awesome and is of the type to be original to the car, but is not the born-with mill.  How fast is it? Maybe you can write a new chapter in “Terminator’s” legacy and set some personal best times. But don’t invest too much money—cars of this ilk sell poorly of late, because for most people, Pro Street is over. Of course, there is the possibility of returning the Mach I to stock, but it’s not for me to say what undoing that tubbing would take, nor how much time and effort you’d need to strip the body for a paint job that does not include two colors and a nickname.