For many of us, high school was an exciting time, thanks to the independence of finally being able to drive. There was no more requirement to ride a bike or beg friends and family to drop you off—with your first car, the world was your oyster.

For younger guys like Andres Vasquez, of Santa Ana, California, the rising value of classic muscle cars can make it difficult to find a project vehicle that's affordable. This is especially true of iconic models like the '70 Camaro Z28. Over the last few decades, the value of these cars has skyrocketed.

At first, silver and bright purple might sound like an unorthodox color combination, but Ricardo Ricci's 1968 Charger R/T proves that this head-turning palette can look great when applied tastefully. The metallic two-tone shines in the sun, and certainly caught our attention when it pulled into our parking lot.

Even if you're not familiar with auto racing or NASCAR, you've probably heard the name Richard Petty. The man nicknamed "The King" is a legend in motorsports, with 7 NASCAR championship wins and a record-breaking 200 career race wins.

Aside from his many personal achievements, Petty is known for something else: Petty blue paint. Rumors state that this iconic bright blue color was created when Petty didn't have enough white or dark blue paint to cover his #43 1970 Plymouth Superbird—so he mixed the two paints, resulting in light blue.

There's something special about classic Chevy trucks—these utilitarian vehicles were designed for an undignified life of hard work, dings, and dents. However, thanks to caring owners and meticulous restoration work, now they can live on in their original glory. Seeing a pickup that's more than 60-years-old shining in the California sun always makes us smile.

Here at the Classic Industries retail showroom, we're always on the lookout for cool customer cars that show up in our Parking Lot. Some are more subtle than others, but this 1969 Camaro resto mod was definitely hard to miss. Its eye-catching red paint, white stripes, and 18-inch chrome wheels immediately grabbed our attention, and we stepped outside to check it out.

We've said it before and we'll say it again: we love classic trucks because of their ability to combine function and form. Case in point is Eddie Portela's sparkling blue metallic 1969 Chevy C10. You might see this truck and think it's a show vehicle, but it's actually used day-in and day-out to haul equipment and supplies for Eddie's construction business in Orange, California. This restored work truck gets used, and the inside of the bed has the wear and tear to prove it.

In the early 1970s, the American muscle car had entered a dark time. The Clean Air Act of 1970 caused manufacturers to add smog controls to their vehicles, leading to reduced horsepower and a move toward smaller-displacement engines. Then, in 1973, the OPEC oil embargo caused fuel prices to skyrocket, and made supplying thirsty big-blocks a difficult task.

One of our favorite aspects of classic car restoration is the impact it has on families across generations. Vehicles are often passed down from father to son to grandson, developing a significance that far transcends the metal, rubber, fabric, and glass they're constructed from.

The following poem comes courtesy of Hemmings Daily reader Vance Mehlenbacher in Camrose, Alberta, Canada. We liked it so much, we wanted to share it with all of you. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!