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Car enthusiasts talk a big game, boastful about the pain and agony they’d endure to daily drive a race car, yet precious few ever find themselves in the position to do so. Well, for those waiting for their moment, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is and snag this 2003 street-legal NASCAR, due to cross the Barrett-Jackson auction block in Palm Beach this weekend.
Sitting atop a Joe Gibbs NASCAR chassis, it was originally bodied as a Chevrolet. The Ford body was attached when the current owner had Magic Customs Inc, of Brook Park, Ohio perform a full restoration and the street-legal conversion process. Underneath the hood pins sits a carbureted 418 cubic-inch V8 connected to a Richmond Super T10 four-speed manual transmission—exactly like you’d find in the original. However, the clutch and gearing have been modified for better performance at the lower speeds of a public street.
Converting a NASCAR to be capable of grocery runs took a lot more than that. The company first cut into the newly adopted Ford body to add LED headlights and brake lights, along with reverse lights, turn signals, and parking lights. Then came the process of fitting a glass windshield and windshield-wiper assembly. Side mirrors were also added for better safety. The original Lexan rear window was also replaced with a glass unit, while Lexan side windows were added to enhance its overall drivability.
Obviously, NASCAR racing tires can’t be run on public streets due to a number of DoT laws. To keep the authenticity of the build, the street-legal racer uses a set of Aero Black 15-inch steel wheels shod with Goodyear Eagle treaded-NASCAR tires. Twin Butler aluminum bucket seats and Simpson racing harnesses keep both driver and passenger secure when the driver decides it’s time to re-enact the car’s glory days. A more heavily-boosted power steering unit and a Super Speedway four-wheel disc brake system finish the car off.
The current owner is said to have put around 1,600 miles on the NASCAR since its street-legal conversion, mainly to and from car shows. It was also recently serviced, so the car is ready to stop race fans, and likely your local law enforcement, right in their tracks. The only question is, are you finally ready to drive an honest-to-goodness race car to your local grocery store for a gallon of milk?
