The old car hobby is filled with great stories of father/son builds, family projects, and cars passed down from parents to kids. In many cases the vehicle that is passed down winds up becoming a mechanical member of the family. Old cars and trucks are much more than just family heirlooms. You can get in an automobile and have adventures in it. Take family trips. Even just take a jaunt to the grocery store for some milk and cookies. The family car is a trusty steed that you can rely upon to deliver freedom, adventure, and food for goodness sakes! It's no wonder then that when this trusty companion becomes time worn, the family wants to renew it and keep it on the road, as opposed to selling it off and abandoning it.
Amanda Matuz grew up around cars with her dad. "I always loved them but have grown to appreciate them more now that my dad has passed," she said. Her parents bought her little brother a beautiful red 1967 Dodge Coronet when he was 15 and used the Coronet as a "carrot on a stick." They told him that if he could keep his grades up and get the car running by his 16th birthday, he could keep the car. Amanda shared, "My brother never had a bigger motivation to do well in life. I told my dad I wanted to do the same thing with my kids one day."
Amanda is a Chevy girl. She decided that the old car project should be a classic Chevy truck. When her dad passed away, she realized she needed to put her parents' plan into action for her sons. So, she started searching for a project pickup. Her wish was to pass on both a love and appreciation for the old car hobby and ultimately a nicely renewed vintage Chevy truck to eventually give to her boys. Being a Huntington Beach resident, also known as Surf City USA, an old Chevy truck would be the perfect beach vehicle for going surfing with her husband and three boys.
Instead of "it's nice to have friends in high places," it's great to have a buddy who owns a hot rod shop. Amanda's buddy is Steve Pazmany. Steve is co-owner with his Uncle Bird of a shop called Fully Torqued that's also now a reality TV show on the History Channel. Steve and Bird not only helped Amanda find an old 1957 Chevy 3200 long bed that needed renovating; they performed all the work, with some help from another friend, one Chip Foose. Should you wish to see just how Amanda, her husband, and their sons' 1957 Chevy 3200 came back to life, you can subscribe to a streaming service that airs History Channel programs and search for season 2, episode 9 of Fully Torqued.
Whether you're restoring or customizing your vintage Chevy or GMC pickup, there's a great chance that Classic Industries has the components to get your truck to the finish line. You can find body panels, fasteners, wood bed kits, crate engines, suspension parts, and pretty much everything else you need by searching on the Classic Industries website or in our comprehensive GM Truck catalog. Simply click the button below to obtain your GM truck restoration parts catalog.