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D. Brian Smith

Recent Posts by D. Brian Smith:

Dodge Truck History: Early Years Through the D Series / W Series / Ram

The Dodge division of Chrysler has produced quite a stable of rugged, fast, sleek, and innovative 1/2-ton trucks through the years. Classic Industries has also become a leading supplier of Mopar restoration and performance parts, especially for 1960-76 A, B, and E-body muscle cars. There's a constant clamoring from our customer base for Classic Industries to sell parts for Dodge trucks as well. In fact, the Dodge D Series and W Series pickups from 1961-1993 are being restored and customized in ever-increasing numbers. Accordingly, more and more components are becoming available for these pickup trucks. Read on as we take a look back at Dodge truck history from the 1920s through the 1990s.

Cheech Marin's 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible

Have you ever owned a car that was a true "chick magnet?" That term is not politically correct, but it most accurately describes my first car, a '55 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible. Whenever I drove it, girls would follow me around and honk their horns at me. Some would pull alongside my cool ride and want to race. If you saw this machine at the time, you might be surprised that I got such a reaction from so many women. Let's just say this Tri-Five was far removed from concours condition.

Classic Industries' Supplier OER Wins 2 SEMA 2022 Global Media Awards!

OER, one of Classic Industries’ premier product suppliers, took home two Global Media Awards at the 2022 SEMA Show. OER won the two SEMA Global Media Awards for two separate products, from two different publications, located in two different countries! The SEMA Global Media Awards Program recognizes that automotive restoration, personalization, and customization is taking place, and expanding, on a global level. Classic Industries has been aware of this for quite some time, as we've been supplying American muscle car and truck parts and accessories to distant parts of the globe for many years.

Gallery: A Few of Our Favorite American Cars from Movies & TV Shows

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.

1960-1972 Chevy Truck Parts: Lighting Up Your Truck's Cab

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.

PLYMOUTH - The History of Chrysler's Plymouth Car Brand Name

Grill's Up! New Grill & Grill Kits for the 1973-74 Dodge Dart

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.

Returning Your 1978-81 Chevrolet Camaro’s Tail End to Tantalizing Once Again

If you drive your second generation 1978-81 Chevrolet Camaro a fair amount, there’s a great chance that other motorists are going to be staring at your muscle car’s tail end quite a bit. Should your baby be a strong runner, other drivers will have a hard time keeping pace. They’ll be admiring that terrific styling and engineering that went into creating the entire vehicle but especially the tail.

New & Improved! Online Order Cancelling

​​Have you ever submitted an order on ClassicIndustries.com and then realized you had selected the wrong part? In the past, you had to contact us by phone or via email to void an order. Our website’s new feature can now save you the time and energy of calling us or sending us an email. Within a 30-minute window of time, you can now cancel the order yourself in five easy steps. Read on to see how you can do-it-yourself with just a few clicks.

A Restomod Built Right - 1967 Camaro RS/SS

Most old car projects involve many obstacles and challenges along the way that wind up making the completed build that much more satisfying when the finish line is successfully crossed. On some occasions, there are daunting and unexpected build problems that occur right from the start. That’s the sort of fork in the road where some car caretakers might just scrap a project and sell the car down the road before they barely get started.