Anyone into the big motored, wildly painted, fat tire’d pro street scene of the ’80s and ’90s knows that the movement lived a strong and happy first life throughout the United States, but it was also all the rage in Canada, too. You couldn’t hit any event in the country and not find a solid group of friendly Canucks touring the fairgrounds, mixing it up on the streets or getting into some action at the dragstrip beside their American counterparts. Maybe the timing of the first wave of pro street’s calming was for a reason, as it seems that most of the folks building and driving these loud, brightly painted, overpowered monsters back in the day were just about ready to settle down (a bit anyway) and raise a family or focus on a career. Now, with the resurgence of the movement that, as we’ve pointed out, never really died, back in full swing these same people who were wildly sowing their oats as adolescents through their pro street rides are the ones with the money and time to take a second crack at it! Just like Norman Berk, who has found the itch, time, and funds to build the pro streeter he had always wanted, until growing up got in the way.
“This Firebird was the second car I’ve ever owned,” tells Berk. “I was just turning 18 when my father said I should consider buying a nicer car. He said he had a connection at a leasing company and I could get a good deal… and my choices at the time were a Mustang II, a Chrysler Cordoba, or this Firebird Formula. Well, how hard a choice was that for an 18 year old! I just about fell over when he told me that it was $6,300 dollars, though! But, I put a down payment on it and took the rest in a loan from my dad to buy the car that I cherished, cleaned and polished for many years to follow.”…
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