A low 10 second street/strip is certainly doable, the hard part is gathering all the parts. I didn't read through the whole thread but read a few of them, some interesting replies for sure. My guess a lot of the guys who are telling how hard or how high maintenance they are have never built or owned a low 10 second street car.
My Dart is 3350# with me in it and has ran 6.40 @ 109 mph in the 1/8 and will run deep in the .30's. It has a full interior, heater, wipers, full factory wiring, heck even the map, ashtray and trunk lights are there and still work. The car does have a fiberglass hood and front bumper.
The Dart is powered by a 434" small block, solid roller and runs on pump 93 that I buy just down the road, no race gas needed. As far as maintenance goes I change the oil once a year, in the spring before I take it out for the first time. The valves are checked at the same time and not again until the next spring. In three years I've never found one off more than a couple thousandth. That's it, nothing more. The plugs haven't been out in two years.
We drive it to the track most of the time if I'm running some of the street car races. If it's bracket racing I haul it because the exhaust is removed and slicks put on. We also take it out and cruise, it never gets over 180°, in fact in the spring or fall it doesn't run much over the 160° thermostat. I spent a bunch of time tuning the carb so it cruises nice and clean and isn't cantankerous at all.
The front suspension is rebuilt stock with Strange brakes and Viking double adjustable shocks. It has Cal Tracs on the rear, mini tubbed with a 4.10 equipped Strange S-60 and a spool. Viking DA's in the rear too. The car has a 6 point roll bar.
If I were starting over I'd buy a Gen III Hemi, put a good set of rods and pistons along with a good cam, probably two turbos, 3.23 gears and go run low 10's or high 9's. It would be very street friendly and live a long happy life unless I did something stupid.
It isn't rocket science to run low 10's, you just need a plan that involves the right parts to make the power and a decent chassis. Yes it does take a pocket full of $$. IMO a turbo is the cheapest way.
