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Back in July of 2014 we announced that Original Parts Group, Inc. (OPGI) was producing complete center console reproduction kits to fit the 1966 to 1972 Chevelle and El Camino. At the same time, OPGI also began offering complete center console reproduction kits for the 1970 to 1972 Monte Carlo. Read more ›
A worn or damaged tail lamp lens can really ruin the appearance of an otherwise excellently restored classic car like the big 1963 Cadillacs. Original General Motors (GM) 1963 tail lamp lenses are not easily restored, and they are not easily replaced either, as new old stock factory parts are simply not available. Read more ›
Back in November at the most recent SEMA Show, we learned something new about Chevelles. It was at the Show that our staff discovered Dave Harter’s ’70 Chevelle SS and learned of its’ history as a General Motors Pilot Car, built for pre-production testing, product development and promotional purposes, and never intended to be sold to the public. Apparently all Pilot Cars were supposed to be crushed when their testing and development lives were over. Pilot Cars were hand-built, non-numbers-matching vehicles and none would have normal build sheets because they were assembled outside of the actual production line. Read more ›
The New Year has arrived and Original Parts Group, Inc. (OPGI) would like to wish all of our customers a Happy New Year! It looks like 2017 will be a very good year for the classic car restoration industry and hobby. The recent proliferation of so many new classic car events, auctions, TV shows, along with rising classic car values, all show that America’s love affair with classic automobiles has not waned. Read more ›
Once again it is time to take a look at another Original Parts Group, Inc. (OPGI) employee–owned GM classic car seen at OPGI’s Seal Beach, California headquarters. This clean red 1969 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 convertible belongs to OPGI Showroom Representative and Huntington Beach resident, David Salisbury. Working in the front showroom, Dave is well-known to many of our local customers. Although he doesn’t drive his ’69 Olds to work every day, he does drive it often enough that most of our Oldsmobile aficionado customers are familiar with both Dave and his car. The car may also be somewhat familiar to Seal Beach residents too, as it was recently pressed into service hauling several local celebrities around in the annual Seal Beach Christmas Parade.
As with many GM classics, Dave’s 4-4-2 has a bit of family history behind it. This car has been in Dave’s family since it was new, and it has always been treasured and taken care of as it passed from generation to generation. Instead of retelling the story we’ve heard, we’ll let Dave tell you about it in his own words:
“I am the proud third-generation owner of this 1969 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 convertible. The car was built in Fremont, California and has been lucky enough to spend its whole life on the West Coast, as it was originally purchased new by my grandfather in 1969 at an Oldsmobile dealership in Los Angeles. It has a 400 engine, power top, power windows, power disc brakes and factory air conditioning. It even came with a cool vacuum operated trunk release that was an uncommon option in 1969.
After many years of faithful service in its original configuration, my grandfather passed away and my father and I inherited it. My father and I then decided to start replacing some things, and first up was a Stage 4 Interior kit from Original Parts Group. With little issue, everything in the interior kit went in and fit great. Next we turned our attention to the exterior and started replacing things like moldings, bumpers, and other trim items along with most of the brake lights and side markers.
This is obviously a numbers matching car, and we wanted to keep it that way. My dad and I went through the engine back in 1990, and when we tore it down, we found that the block was in such good shape, we did not even have to bore it. We had the crank turned, honed the block, put in some new pistons, added a new cam and buttoned her back up. We rebuilt the transmission a few years later, but the rear end has never been touched and is still going strong. The most recent work we’ve done was to replace all the weatherstripping on the car.
Overall, I’d have to say that I’ve been very blessed to be able to work at a business that has everything I need for my car. However, in some ways all those available parts are a temptation that can also be a curse. I do know that my grandpa is smiling down on me for keeping the car as original as possible, though. I have a lot of fond memories of my grandpa and my dad driving this car. It was the first car I ever drove when I was six-years-old sitting on my dad’s lap. It is also the first car I drove by myself when I was 13. Some people may say that a car is just a car, but for me, this car is a family heirloom and will always be a part of me and my family.”
– David Salisbury
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Original Parts Group Inc. (OPGI) has announced the availability of new RESTOPARTS® brand Bed Surround Molding Kits for 1968-72 Chevrolet El Caminos. Although GM no longer offers replacements for these highly visible El Camino exterior trim components, Original Parts Group, Inc. has come to the rescue with brand new and complete Bed Surround Molding Kits. Each Deluxe kit is identical to the original GM factory equipment and is manufactured specifically for 1968-72 Chevrolet El Caminos.
These ultra-high quality kits include stainless steel rails and die-cast zinc and chrome-plated corner pieces. Factory-style mounting clips and screws are included to make every installation user friendly. The Deluxe kit also includes both the left and right corner-to-taillight moldings. Chrome-plated and polished to a high luster, the taillight moldings are also available in pairs or individually, separate from the Deluxe Bed Surround Molding Kit.
The complete Deluxe 1968-72 El Camino Bed Surround Molding Kit is sold under OPGI part # BK1029 for $439.99. The Corner Tail Light Moldings are included in the Deluxe kit, but are also available in separate pairs under OPGI part # PZ00205-PR for $50.89. (Visit OPGI.com or contact an OPGI Sales Representative for more details on separate Corner Tail Light Moldings part numbers). For more information, visit OPGI.com or call toll free: 1-800-243-8355.
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To say there were a lot of cool GM cars at the 2016 SEMA Show would bit a bit of an understatement. It seemed there were nice GM classics of all descriptions everywhere you turned. Many of them were built using OPGI parts, too. Here’s a look at just a few of the many clean vintage GM cars that stood out at the Show this year.
Hector Cisneros (Owner) and his crew at Bill Dunn One Stop Shop, located in Huntington Beach, completely overhauled this 1964 Pontiac LeMans; from exterior to interior!
Coker Tire president and COO Wade Kawasaki’s popular 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge was back at the Show a second time after its debut in 2015. The Coker GTO features a complete restoration using OPGI parts – performed by Bodie Stroud Restorations.
Chris Ayres brought his OPGI-sponsored “Rogue 66” 1966 Chevelle to be part of SEMA’s Featured Vehicle Presentation.
Reiss Racing in Escondido, California used OPGI parts to build its very clean and very high-powered 1972 Chevelle SS.
Dave Harter’s ’70 Chevelle SS is one of a rare few GM pilot cars in existence. A “pilot car” is a car assembled by the factory in front of the regular run of production cars. They were designed for pre-production testing and development and were hand-built, non-numbers-matching vehicles. Dave Harter’s Chevelle SS is one of just 49 pilot Chevelles built for the 1970 model year. It is estimated that out of the 49 cars built, Dave’s is one of a scant dozen that were made available to the public after testing. Some have theorized that Dave’s Chevelle could be the only SS Pilot Car left in existence, and that makes it pretty rare!
Chevrolet Chevrolet Performance built this clean Chevelle featuring an LT376 engine, which is a crate version of the 2017 Camaro’s LT1. The engine is rated at 535 hp and is backed by a Chevrolet Performance 4L75E four-speed automatic transmission.
The 1965 Buick Riviera in the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) booth is powered by a Chevrolet 502 powerplant backed by a Tremec 5-speed transmission. Other notable features include an Art Morrison front clip, Currie Enterprises rear control arms and rear end, and Alloway custom 5-spoke wheels by Billet Specialties.
Justin Carrillo of Vision Rods and Customs in Visalia, CA built this clean, full-custom 2-Door 1960 Cadillac Convertible displayed at the Ron Francis Wiring booth.
Many of OPGI’s aftermarket vendors and suppliers were also at the SEMA Show this year and had their own displays. OPGI’s General Manager of Operations, Corey Reuter, was on hand to meet with suppliers in the booth. Below Corey is shown with representatives from Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc. (RPUI) discussing the Trim Parts, PUI and SoffSeal lines carried by OPGI.
Here is a shot of the pulleys, brackets and serpentine systems on display at the March Performance booth.
Classic Performance Products (CPP) was also on hand and displayed their “Week to Wicked” 1967 project Chevelle that went from stock to a full-on pro-touring car in just one week.
Celebrating over 35 years in the business of manufacturing and retailing GM restoration parts and accessories, Original Parts Group, Inc. (OPGI) once again made its presence known at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show held each November in Las Vegas, Nevada.
After several very successful decades as a displaying manufacturer, OPGI marked this year’s attendance with an all-new, upgraded presence for 2016 and beyond. OPGI returned to Las Vegas this year with hundreds of the most popular General Motors restoration parts, including dozens of new entries from OPGI’s RESTOPARTS® proprietary line of ultra-high quality restoration parts. Specifically engineered to meet the growing demands of the automotive restoration market, the RESTOPARTS entries included numerous high-demand interior and exterior components as well as a selection of emblems, mirrors, door handles and other hard-to-find, factory accurate reproduction parts sought by vintage GM enthusiasts.
As befitting the premier retailer and manufacturer of General Motors restoration parts, OPGI showed up in style at this year’s Show with a distinctive 1,200 square foot, two-story display booth in the Main Hall. The display highlighted both the new products and existing inventory inside OPGI’s ten different Restoration and High-Performance Parts and Accessories catalogs that cover everything needed to restore a classic Chevelle, El Camino, Monte Carlo, GTO, Grand Prix, Cutlass, Skylark, Riviera, Grand National, or Cadillac.
Following a long-standing tradition, OPGI always brings along a couple of newly restored classic GM cars to display at the annual Show. All of OPGI’s display cars are known for their extensive use of OPGI parts and they are always completely restored to the highest degree of original authenticity. This year did not disappoint, and an ultra-clean 1968 Cadillac Coupe De Ville and an immaculate 1970 Chevelle SS shared space in the booth.
While the long, Baroque Gold ’68 Coupe De Ville on display was a straight-up, 100% factory-stock restoration, the ’70 Chevelle departed from that formula with a dose of modern performance, power and handling under the skin through the use of aftermarket performance products and accessories from the OPGI catalog. Dubbed “The Executive,” the Chevelle SS was built as a tribute to a similar Chevelle that OPGI CEO Dave Leonard used to drive years ago. Read more ›
Although recent statistics show the United States does have some very dangerous and crowded highways, the U.S. is not number one when it comes to the most congested roadways in the world. In fact, the U.S. doesn’t even rank in the top ten places with the worst traffic in the world.
According to the Numbeo research firm, Kenya actually has the worst traffic in the world. Numbeo compiled data from 88 countries in order to come up with a “traffic index” used for ranking the time consumed in traffic due to job commute, estimation of time consumption dissatisfaction, and overall inefficiencies in a traffic system. Given those factors, Kenya ranked the highest on the Numbeo Traffic Index with a score of 317. What were the rest of the top ten countries with the worst traffic? Here’s how they ranked:
Worst Traffic in the World –
However, as any urban American knows, the U.S. does have its’ fair share of clogged roadways. The traffic navigation firm TomTom recently found that of the list of U.S. cities with the most crowded roads is topped by those not-so-lucky commuters driving in Los Angeles. The top ten list of the most congested roadways in the U.S. shakes out like this:
U.S. Cities with the Worst Traffic –
All that traffic makes for very unhappy drivers, and if they get unhappy enough, their mild discomfort can turn into maximum road rage. More traffic seems to equal more road rage, as a recent survey concluded that the number-one road rage city in America is Los Angeles. Additional data from the Auto Insurance Center shows that drivers experience the most incidents of road rage during the month of August. As the summer months usually have more cars on the road, July is ranked as the second-most road-ragious month for American drivers, followed by October and March, which tied for third place. Which U.S. cities are afflicted with the most road rage? Here’s the top six:
U.S. Cities with the Most Road Rage –
Congested roads full of angry drivers can make driving a dangerous proposition. The danger can easily be seen when looking at the huge numbers of traffic accidents that occur each year in this country. The worst accidents are those that result in fatalities of course, and The U.S. Department of Transportation recently determined that traffic fatalities in the U.S. increased 10.4 percent during the first six months of 2016 compared to the same time period in 2015.
The increase could be the result of lower gas prices and more drivers on the road. However, considering the fact that a recent study found that 61 percent of U.S. drivers use their cell phones while driving, the increase in fatalities is likely due to more distracted driving. Distracted driving is at epidemic proportions in America these days, and it has caused some of our highways to become truly deadly.
Looking at the list of deadliest interstate highways in America (based on fatalities per mile) quickly shows that 132 miles of Interstate 4 in Florida, with 1.41 fatalities per mile in just the past six years, is the most dangerous interstate in the United States. Where are the rest of the most dangerous and deadly highways in the U.S.? Here is the top ten:
Deadliest Interstate Highways in America –
While the deadliest interstate highways are also some the busiest and most travelled routes in the country, it is clear that driving, anywhere, is becoming increasingly dangerous. Everyone who drives can take steps to help reduce the number of accidents, road rage incidents and ultimately, the number of fatalities out there on the roads today. So please drive safely and put down that cell phone!
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In response to the ongoing Customer Car Spotlight series on this blog, Original Parts Group Inc. (OPGI), Customer Mark Bernhardt sent in these great photos and a brief history of his own customer car, a stunning 1966 Chevelle SS. As you can see, the car is a clean interpretation of the pro-touring theme applied to a thoroughly restored ’66 Chevelle. The photos show there are many modifications underneath the skin of this numbers-matching SS car that aren’t immediately apparent at a first glance.
Mark modified his Chevelle from top to bottom starting with rebuilding the original-to-the-car 396 big-block and punching it out to 402 cubic inches. The rest of the drivetrain, as well as the suspension, exhaust system, and the wheel/tire selection all reflect the pro-touring approach, while the paint, body and interior were restored in the more traditional factory-stock way. We’d have to say that it looks like the results of Mark’s 10-year restoration project turned out absolutely perfect. The attention to detail and obvious high quality of his one-man, at-home restoration also proves that you don’t need a giant shop and a huge staff to build the car of your dreams.
Here is the story of Mark’s Chevelle in his own words:
My car is a numbers-matching 1966 Chevelle SS. I bought it in January of 2005 from a guy in Georgia and had it shipped out here to California. I am the third owner; the previous two owners lived right by the original dealership that first sold the car, Welborn Chevrolet in Rome, Georgia. The car had been parked since 1986 and was very badly rusted out. On the plus side, all the parts were there and all the numbers matched.
This was my first build, and it took me around 10 years from start to finish, but I’m proud I did most of it on my own. With the exception of the paint and body work, I did the complete restoration and rebuild at home in my garage. Due to rust issues, the body prep was extensive and I had American Rod and Auto in Los Banos, California do all of the body work. In fact, the only original sheet metal left now is the passenger fender, passenger door skin and the roof from the top of the sail panels up. All the other metal is new from OPGI.
I am still running the original 396 block, but it has been bored out to 402 cubic inches. Dave’s Performance in Fresno, California did all the machining on the engine. Dave’s a great guy, and as this was my first motor build, he let me come down and watch it get bored out and I got to help put one of the heads back together too. The heads were ported and polished and all new internals installed; roller rockers, hydraulic lifters, big Erson roller cam, Speed Pro pistons and a Billet Specialties Tru Trac serpentine pulley set up to finish it off.
Other modifications include:
Drive train – Muncie M20 wide ratio 4-speed transmission, 12-bolt rear-end out of a ’70 Chevelle. I cut the rear-end down 2-inches on each side, refabricated the shock mounts and rotated the caliper mounts down. I also installed Moser axles and Strange gears (4.32).
Suspension – In front in I used McGaughys upper and lower A-arms as well as 2-inch drop spindles along with QA1 adjustable coil-over shocks. In the rear I used McGaughys 1-inch lowering springs. There are no wheel tubs or frame mods.
Exhaust – The exhaust system is Stahl 2-piece, 1-7/8-inch headers stepped up to 2-inches and followed by a Pypes 3-inch polished stainless X-Change System complete with Pypes HVE10 electric cutouts. The system exits through Violator mufflers.
Wheels- The wheels are by Intro, in front -19×8 with 5½ inches of backspacing. In back – 20×10 with 4-1/4 inches of backspacing.
Tires – Nitto Tires 235/35 R19 in front and 285/30 R20 in back.
Interior – I restored the entire interior as close to stock as possible using better materials. The original bucket seat frames were wrapped in new TMI Sport seat covers and new foam was installed.
Other Notable Mods – Spectre Performance Air intake / Be Cool aluminum radiator & fan / American Autowire complete wiring harness / Classic Performance Show Stopper Hydraulic Brake Assist Kit / Dynamat from the firewall to the trunk, including the doors, roof and quarter panels.
Timeline –
January 2005: I bought the car and started tearing it down
April 2015: I fired the engine for the first time
August 2015: I drove her for the first time!
– Mark Bernhardt
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