13Sep 2016
By opgiAuthor no comments Buick Chevy Industry News Oldsmobile Pontiac Tech Tips

Decoding General Motors Body Style Designations

*Back by popular demand: This article is a re-post from May of 2013. It seems that some of our readers are confused by General Motors’ use of alphabetic codes to designate the many different GM vehicle “families,” so we thought it would be a good time to present this information once again. General Motors vehicles have long been produced on shared platforms with each platform or body type fitting into designated GM vehicle “families” that use alphabet letters to separate…

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28Jul 2016
By opgiAuthor no comments Industry News

Mid-Engine Corvette in 2018?

Although the rumors of a mid-engine Corvette have been circulating for years, General Motors (GM) has recently let new clues slip that point more directly to the possibility of seeing the rumored car become an actual production vehicle by 2018. With the recent revival of Ford’s GT supercar at Le Mans, it makes sense that GM would want to have something that would be able to compete with it in their lineup. Given the Corvette’s very successful racing history so…

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27May 2016
By opgiAuthor no comments Industry News Pontiac

Polymer Power

  For the past century automobile engines have mostly been made of iron, aluminum and steel. However, these days, many new lightweight materials like carbon fiber and thermoplastics are finding their way into new cars. For some, the ultimate use of those weight-saving, yet strong plastic materials would be the ability to build an internal combustion engine almost entirely out of plastic. Now, it looks like that milestone may be rapidly approaching. Composite Castings LLC and Solvay Specialty Polymers have…

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17May 2016
By opgiAuthor no comments Chevy Industry News

Chevrolet’s Small Plans

It is no secret that General Motors (GM) recognizes the need to cultivate the next generation of automotive enthusiasts as covered previously in this blog (GM Works to Ensure the Future of Restoration), now the Chevrolet arm of the company is directly engaging those younger buyers with the launch of a new website focused on the three smallest cars it offers. The website is called ChevySmallCars.com, and it highlights the virtues of the Spark, Sonic and Trax subcompact cars while…

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4Apr 2016
By opgiAuthor no comments Buick Chevy Featured Products Industry News OPGI News Pontiac

The Buick Nailhead

Buick’s legendary V-8 engine from the mid-fifties to the mid-sixties is often called the “nailhead” motor due to its long, thin-stemmed valves with small diameter heads that resemble vertical rows of nails. The first Buick nailhead engines (debuting in 1953) had a 1.75″ intake and a 1.25″ exhaust valve, and even the later Wildcat 401 nailhead V-8s from the mid-sixties had valves that were much smaller than those used in Chevrolet engines at the time. However, the new Buick V-8…

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23Feb 2016
By opgiAuthor no comments Events & Appearances Industry News

EPA Proposal to Prohibit the Conversion of Vehicles into Racecars

Word of a new threat to auto racing enthusiasts from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) swept across the Internet and media outlets last week as the details of a 629-page EPA proposal titled “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles – Phase 2” came to light. The Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) warned that the proposal could have a massive negative impact on the $36-billion aftermarket parts industry by outlawing the removal of…

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18Nov 2015
By opgiAuthor no comments Events & Appearances Industry News OPGI News

OPGI Named Business of the Year

Original Parts Group Inc. (OPGI) has been named 2015 Business of the Year by the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO), a council of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). The ARMO Business of the Year award is presented annually to one company who has demonstrated exceptional contributions to the restoration industry and has sought to make a difference and improve the automotive hobby and industry during the past year. Award winners are selected by votes from the SEMA membership council…

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8Oct 2015
By opgiAuthor no comments Chevy Events & Appearances Featured Products Industry News OPGI News

The ZZ6: A New Crate Engine on the 60th Anniversary of the Small-Block

About twenty-five years ago the era of modern crate engines began with General Motors (GM) release of the “H.O. 350,” an all-new, high-performance small-block engine assembly that blended the best of old and new technologies through the use of hydraulic-roller cams and aluminum cylinder-heads. For perhaps the first time, the “ZZZ” stamped blocks made it as cost-effective to buy a fully assembled crate engine as to build an equivalent engine from speed shop parts. In 1990, those first ZZZ crate…

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16Sep 2015
By opgiAuthor no comments Buick Cadillac Chevy Featured Products Industry News Oldsmobile OPGI News Pontiac

RESTOPARTS®: OPGI’s In House Brand

If you are reading this blog, you are already familiar with Original Parts Group. For nearly 40 years OPGI has been the supplier of restoration and high-performance parts for GM classic cars. But did you know that in addition to OPGI supplying the best parts sourced from the best names in the automotive industry, OPGI also manufactures its own line of high-quality restoration parts called RESTOPARTS®? (more…)

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3Aug 2015
By opgiAuthor no comments Industry News

Classic Cars as Investments

Classic car prices have obviously risen over the last decade, and even though there are currently more buyers than sellers, many financial advisors consider investing in classic cars a complex pursuit. The demand for good classic cars has grown due to several different factors including a global increase in wealth, the growth of the Internet and more collectors' oriented publications. Another factor in favor of classic cars as investments is the fact that they can also be easily transported to…

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