STROPE: When I didn’t have any money -- and I still don’t -- when I had nothing and was at home building in my Aunt’s garage, all I had was creativity. I went to the Super Nationals and I’d look at my hero, Scott Sullivan’s cars. I’d look at Matt and Debbie Hay, and Rick Dobbertin, and Mark Grimes, and all those kings of the Pro Street. “Look at these ideas, these are so cool. I couldn’t afford that, but I bet I could make one of my own kind of like that,” I’d say. It inspired me to come up with things to do. Take their idea and put my own spin on it. If everybody showed up in a plain Jane car with a plain Jane paint and a rebuilt suspension, where would the creativity go? Where would it spark new growth? You can’t get it. So, a magazine full of plain Jane everyday cars, why am I buying this magazine? I can go to my local cruise-in and see the same thirty cars every Friday night. I want to see the coolest thing ever, in the world. That’s my problem with people that complain about [in a corny announcer voice] “high dollar pro rides.” Dude, take something from it. Learn something from it. Learn at the very least the art of really awesome execution. Even if you want to execute your bone stock restoration. At least go “Wow – this guy’s got details down to the nook. This is awesome!”
There’s something for everybody even if you don’t want a wildly modified car. I just don’t understand that mentality. The Pro Touring I see as having the possibility of blowing up in
its own face. That was the anti-backlash against Pro Street. It’s unusable! It’s ridiculous! It’s too expensive! Pro Touring is a little better, but the basis behind that is supposed to be usability. Safer, better to drive. And it’s gone off on its own thing of almost a race car now. Almost a track day car for some people. It started with Jeff Smith. He coined the term Pro Touring. It started as we’re going to have a car, say a Camaro. It’s going to handle a lot safer and brake a lot safer. Not necessarily a “We’re going to do a 1G on the skidpad,” but handle at least as good as a modern car. It’s going to stop, steer, and do what it’s supposed to. AC unit. Power windows. A usuable, super muscle car. That was, unless I misunderstood the beginnings, where it came from. It spawned amazingly great things for the industry. It begs the question of where does it go now? The Pro Street obviously came from our drag racing heritage. Pro Touring came out of the need of “We want a usuable super cool muscle car!” So now what? It’s a very open ended question.
MM: How do you think that feeds into the fact that some of these muscle cars are selling for a million dollars now?
STROPE: I think the Barrett-Jacksons of the world helped and hurt. I think they brought all new excitement, brought people back into it, introduced new people to it, and built a hype around the American muscle car, like it’s never been. On the flip side, it’s made even the Duster an expensive thing for a kid to buy now. I see a lot of mid- to late-’70s Malibus coming up. I see smog years going to have to be used. I see a lot of alternative body styles going to have to be used. And maybe that usage, of completely different body styles, may force a new look. Who knows? It may come out of necessity because of the finances or availability of finances.
MM: What’s your favorite cartoon?
STROPE: Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Earthworm Jim. Animaniacs were very funny. There’s a lot of one-shots aimed at adults. There was another one that was very funny called The Tick that I enjoy. As a kid I was an absolute sucker for Bugs Bunny, Roadrunner, Flintstones, the standard issue ones that I grew up with. I loved the Disney movies like Jungle Book and that kind of stuff.
MM: You’re married and have a daughter?
STROPE: Yes, I am married and I have a step-son, Seth, who is working on his black belt right now. I have a new baby girl who is about 14 months old and her name is Camber.
MM: What's your wife's name?
STROPE: Allison. I am very, very fortunate. I have a beautiful family, a beautiful daughter and a beautiful wife.
Pure Vision can be found online at: http://www.purevisiondesign.com
