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Taking on Tesla One Bolt at a Time

Posted on February 12, 2015 by OPGI

General Motors (GM) is moving quickly toward an all-electric future with the introduction of its new Chevrolet Bolt concept car at the recent Detroit auto show. Called a “real game changer” by the automaker, the Bolt could turn out to be a serious competitor for the current leading all-electric brands Tesla and Nissan.

The Bolt differs from Chevy’s existing gas-electric hybrid Volt and other extended range electric vehicles on the market in that it will be a battery-powered sedan with an all-electric 200-mile range. The now-familiar Volt can travel 50 miles on the battery and achieve some 400 miles when the range-extending gasoline engine kicks in to recharge the battery during long trips. In contrast, GM says the new Bolt will deliver “range anxiety-free” performance since it doesn’t require a gasoline engine or a recharge for trips up to 200 miles.

Posted in Industry News Tagged with: Chevrolet Bolt

Chevy’s New Smart Lights

Posted on February 5, 2015 by OPGI

Most anyone who has driven a car knows that when the “idiot lights” on your dashboard light up, it is never a good thing. Although the “idiot lights” are designed to inform the driver that there is a problem with the car’s mechanical or electrical systems, when one or more such warning lamps actually do light up, the lamps do not give any data on exactly what the problem is. The “idiot light” that is probably the most familiar to most divers is the dreaded “check engine” light, and anyone who has experienced that particular warning knows that the lamp does not give the driver any specific information on what system might be faulty. The “check engine” light tells you that there is a problem somewhere, but it doesn’t tell you anything more than that, and by the time the light comes on there is a good chance that some damage to the vehicle has already occurred.

Posted in Chevy, Featured Products Tagged with: Chevy’s New Smart Lights

Back to the Pinnacle of Premium: Cadillac on the Move

Posted on January 28, 2015 by OPGI

Despite sagging Cadillac sales in the U.S. last year, General Motors (GM) is making some changes in order to improve the luxury brand and help it better compete with import rivals BMW and Mercedes. GM sold just 170,000 Cadillacs in 2014, a number that was down 6.5 percent from 2013, while BMW sales were up 10 percent and Mercedes grew 6.5 percent over the same period.

Posted in Cadillac, Industry News Tagged with: Cadillac CT6, Cadillac on the Move

OPGI Customer Car Spotlight: 1971 Chevrolet El Camino

Posted on January 21, 2015 by OPGI

General Motors enthusiast and OPGI Customer Erick Sanchez of Seal Beach, California lives very near the Original Parts Group headquarters, so it makes sense he would take advantage of that proximity when it came time to restore his 1971 El Camino. In Erick’s own words he admits that “OPGI parts made it all happen!” Erick purchased so many parts at OPGI so often that he nearly became a regular fixture in the showroom during the two years it took to complete the car. In the process, Erick also befriended Jorge Lopez, OPGI Sales Associate and Technician, who began advising Erick on how to best complete the work on his prized ’71 El Camino.

Posted in Car Spotlights, Chevy

Car Shows 2015

Posted on January 15, 2015 by OPGI

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 the show season starts early in the warmer states and the colder climates won’t be far behind. With the show season on the horizon, now is the time to start planning to attend a car show in your area.

Some of the warmest states like Arizona and Florida will begin hosting events as early as February and March this year, and by April and May there will be shows happening in nearly every area of the country. This means right now is the time to start making plans to attend a few car shows in your area. In order to help you to better plan your 2015 calendar, we have compiled a list of our favorite annual events that we already know will be held this year. This is a partial list, and certainly it does not contain every event that will be held in 2015, but it is a good place to start. To make your research easier, we have listed the shows by states and dates. Happy hunting!

ALABAMA Read more ›

Posted in Buick, Cadillac, Chevy, Events & Appearances, Oldsmobile, OPGI News, Pontiac Tagged with: 2015 Car Shows, 2015 Good Guys car show schedule, 2015 Super Chevy Show Schedule

OPGI Customer Car Spotlight: 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix

Posted on January 9, 2015 by OPGI

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.

OPGI Customer Car Spotlight: 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30

Posted on December 30, 2014 by OPGI

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.”

American Iron in Cuba – Myths and Realities

Posted on December 22, 2014 by OPGI

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 than it is a reality.

Posted in Industry News Tagged with: American Iron in Cuba – Myths and Realities, Classics in Cuba

OPGI Customer Car Spotlight: 1970 Monte Carlo 454 SS

Posted on December 17, 2014 by OPGI

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.

Posted in Car Spotlights, Chevy Tagged with: OPGI Customer Car Spotlight: 1970 Monte Carlo 454 SS

GM Tech Center Becomes a National Historic Landmark

Posted on December 8, 2014 by OPGI

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.

Taking on Tesla One Bolt at a Time

Chevy’s New Smart Lights

Back to the Pinnacle of Premium: Cadillac on the Move

OPGI Customer Car Spotlight: 1971 Chevrolet El Camino

Car Shows 2015

OPGI Customer Car Spotlight: 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix

OPGI Customer Car Spotlight: 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30

American Iron in Cuba – Myths and Realities

OPGI Customer Car Spotlight: 1970 Monte Carlo 454 SS

GM Tech Center Becomes a National Historic Landmark

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