The sort of vehicles that we get exposed to in our upbringing can influence the kind of cars and trucks that we wish to own later in life. If the vehicle is old enough (and the car's would-be caretaker has sufficient spending cash), it could be the sort of car/truck that an auto enthusiast wishes to purchase as a project vehicle to maintain (if it's running), renovate, or resto-mod. The various forms of media — radio, TV, movies, the internet, video games, etc. — all can contribute in a big way to this sort of automotive exposure and influence. Today, we'll discuss a few of our favorite American classic cars from movies and TV shows.

"I have always wanted a Challenger," says Dylan McCool. "When I was a kid, I grew up with Dad having Challengers and 'Cudas around. I grew up watching Vanishing Point with the 4-speed, so my dream has always been to have a Challenger with a 4-speed in it. And now I have that! It's finally here." At Classic Industries, we love to see this level of enthusiasm and determination from young classic car owners like Dylan, so we were glad to help him get the restoration parts he needed to take his Challenger from a rusty yard ornament to a running, driving muscle car.

No designation is more directly tied to the history of muscle cars than the term V8. Although not every V8-powered car was a muscle car, every one of the most famous American muscle cars offered at least one V8 engine option. From the 318 to the 383, and the 440 to the legendary 426 Hemi, Dodge and Plymouth offered a fantastic selection of V8 engines during the late '60s and early '70s. Classic Industries recently unveiled a new product for owners of vehicles powered by these Mopar V8s: OER's authentic reproduction of the 1966-70 Dodge and Plymouth V8 fender emblem.

Whether you're building a show truck, a daily-driven workhorse, or an occasional-use weekend cruiser, it's sometimes challenging to find all the 1960-1972 Chevy truck parts and accessories that will finish off your ride. Even if they're small and inexpensive components, because of their engineering, design, function, fit, and finish, they can form the basis for items that are categorized as must-have automotive jewelry. Something as prominent as a Bow Tie or GMC emblem that adorns the center of your pickup's nose would be a glaring example of such an exquisite sort of trinket. However, some C10 restoration parts are easier to overlook at first glance.

We always enjoy helping customers restore their classic cars, but it's especially fun when we get to see the results firsthand. So, when the TV production team for HISTORY channel's "Fully Torqued" reached out to us for some help with a local 1966 Impala restoration project, we were glad to assist. The episode, which recently aired, shows how new bumpers, trim, and other parts from the Classic Industries Impala/Full Size Chevy catalog revitalized this '66 Impala convertible.

Automotive designers and automotive aficionados around the world know that the most dramatic and important feature to a car’s overall look is the grill or the nose. Of course, every aspect of a car’s design has to form an overall cohesive design aesthetic for the automobile to have a chance at being a winner in terms of units produced and sold. What’s more, the car has to be well engineered and comprised of quality components for it to be considered a success while it’s being sold and when it gets collected and chronicled in American pony and muscle car history.

The first-generation Pontiac Firebird is a vehicle that experienced some substantial changes over its three-year production run, and the 1969 model is immediately recognizable as a result. It features an aerodynamic bumper and grill design that's unique to this model year, new front fenders with recessed fender ornaments, and eye-catching details such as bird-shaped side markers on the rear quarter panels. There were also some updates inside the Firebird, including a new dash carrier that contained the gauges, air vents, and radio. Classic Industries is excited to announce the availability of a new OER reproduction dash carrier assembly for the 1969 Firebird and Trans Am.