Although January 2015 finds much of the nation still covered in freezing temps and snow, the inclement weather will soon give way to the warmer months of spring and summer and many of the classic cars that have been in hibernation over the winter will start hitting the roads again. The warmer months are also prime time for car shows around the country. In some areas the car show season will be upon us in just a few months, as…
[gallery ids="1085,1086,1087,1088,1089"] OPGI Customer Garth Rolfe of Carlsbad, California held a special regard for the Pontiac Grand Prix cars since their original introduction back in 1962. That’s why he jumped on this immaculately restored ’62 Grand Prix when it became available in 2010. Garth purchased the car after a complete frame-off restoration had been performed by the previous owner who just happened to be a professional body and paint specialist. (more…)
[gallery ids="1071,1072,1073,1074,1075"] OPGI Customer JR Wildermuth of Atwood, California is the fourth generation of five generations of Cadillac, Oldsmobile and Buick owners. His family has shared a fondness for classic GM vehicles over the years and JR keeps “70 years of pictures and info of my relatives proudly displaying their vehicles at different times in their lives and glimpses of experiences they had and how it related to the passion of these vehicles from our personal family history.” (more…)
The recently improved prospect of normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba has the potential for many different ramifications across a broad range of cultural and financial issues for both Cubans and Americans. For classic auto enthusiasts however, it is the legend of a large number of vintage American vehicles in Cuba that stirs the most interest. Unfortunately, the dream of bringing a pristine Chevy Bel Air back to the U.S. from Cuba is far more of a myth…
[gallery ids="1060,1055,1056,1057,1058"] OPGI Customer Kenneth Paul Strawser of Downey, California purchased this classic big-block 1970 Monte Carlo SS in 2010 with the intention of building a fully restored show car. About two years and $30,000 later, his goal was met. Today, Paul’s Monte Carlo can often be seen on the streets and is a regular at various shows in the Southern California region. (more…)
The General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, was recently honored as a National Historic Landmark by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis. The National Historic Landmarks Program was established in 1935 to recognize sites that are important to the nation as a whole and this latest designation puts the Tech Center in an exclusive group of around 2,500 U.S. National Historic Landmarks nationwide. (more…)
Although the U. S. is the undisputed center of the classic car market as more vintage vehicles find new owners here each year than anywhere else on the planet, a healthy market for classic, collectible and historic vehicles outside of the USA does exist today, with a large part of that activity taking place in Great Britain. Granted, the classic car scene in the UK sees a lot more Jaguars and Ferraris and far fewer U.S. muscle cars crossing the…
Although most classic car aficionados know there can be big differences between regular daily driver insurance and classic car insurance when it comes to settling a claim correctly after an accident, insurance statistics from around the country seem to indicate that fewer than half of the classic vehicles on the road today are actually insured by proper classic and collector car insurance programs. An insurance policy created specifically for classic cars will provide more than just comprehensive coverage, as it…
[gallery ids="1015,1016,1017,1018,1020,1019,1021,1022,1024,1011,1025,1026,1028"] The story behind Shannon Foster’s immaculate 1965 Chevelle SS might be titled “A Tale of Two Family Projects,” but that would be inaccurate, as only one Foster family project (the car) was ever really completed and the other project (kitchen remodel) is still ongoing. As Shannon tells the story, he once had a different '65 Chevelle Malibu SS back in 1979 when he and his future wife were first dating in his high school days. “Life happened”…
It’s no secret that the future of this hobby/sport/profession/obsession can be viewed as a bit uncertain. Times change, products change, but most of all people change, and when the current auto enthusiast community looks ahead, many enthusiasts are becoming a bit concerned about keeping the current passion for classic automobiles alive. Many of those concerns seem to center on building the next generation of vintage auto collectors and restorers as younger generations of drivers come of age. What is certain…
