In the 1960s, American automakers were laying the groundwork for a new type of vehicle: the SUV. The popularity of the Jeep CJ-5 revealed that buyers liked the idea of a small off-road capable 4x4, and the International Scout and Ford Bronco showed that buyers also wanted a 4x4 that was more comfortable and practical. After studying this emerging market and seeing the success of its own Chevy Suburban, General Motors decided to throw its hat in the ring with the release of the legendary K5 Blazer in 1969. The Blazer was larger, more refined on paved roads, and kept costs low by sharing parts with GM's C/K series trucks, but it could still hold its own on rough off-road trails.

Few automobiles invite closer inspection than a 1963-1967 Chevrolet Corvette. Open the hood at a Corvette show, auction, or Saturday-morning cars-and-coffee gathering, and it probably won't be long before someone leans over the passenger-side fender and starts looking for numbers.

There's a good reason.

For Corvette C1 enthusiasts, a string of letters and numbers can reveal the beginning of a car's story.

Is that Corvette really a 1957? Where was it assembled? What does the VIN say about that 1955 Corvette's original engine?

Roadster Shop is one of the forerunners of the pro touring movement within the classic car world. Their low-slung, aggressive, high-horsepower builds have pushed the boundaries of performance by matching or exceeding the capabilities of brand-new supercars. So, when we look at this 1969 Camaro, it's hard to believe that it was built nearly 12 years ago. It has clearly aged well and seems like it'd fit right in at a SEMA Show exhibit today. Roadster Shop even claims it has the first supercharged 650-horsepower LT4 crate motor under its hood.

Every August, the Monterey Peninsula becomes the center of the collector-car universe.

For a few glorious days, seemingly every road connecting Monterey, Carmel, Pebble Beach and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca become an impromptu rolling car show. Ferraris mingle with Porsches. Prewar classics cruise alongside modern hypercars. Vintage racers thunder through the hills, and automobiles carrying seven- and eight-figure valuations suddenly seem almost commonplace.

Few things can spoil a drive in a classic Corvette faster than watching the temperature gauge climb toward the danger zone. That concern becomes even more important when there’s a heat-producing Chevrolet 427 big-block packed beneath the hood.

Some enthusiasts have a hard enough time keeping one classic Chevrolet in the garage. Mark King of Mattoon, Illinois, has two—and each offers its own interpretation of vintage Chevy performance. His 1967 Camaro SS and 1966 Chevy II SS combine classic Chevrolet styling with small-block V8 power and a handful of carefully chosen upgrades.

Some classic cars are bought because they’re valuable. Others are chosen because they’re fast, rare, or simply the car someone has dreamed about owning since childhood. Then there are cars whose value can’t really be measured in dollars at all.

Charles J. Williams’ 1968 Chevrolet Camaro falls squarely into that last category.

Some classic cars spend their lives traveling from the garage to the show field and back again. Bob Bates’ 1956 Chevy 210 Delray isn’t one of them. This '56 was built to cover miles, and with six trips down historic Route 66 already under its belt, it has certainly lived up to that purpose.

Upgrading the front suspension can make a big difference when building a classic performance vehicle. The CPP Totally Tubular™ Upper and Lower Control Arm Set, Part # TCA6774B, offers a complete suspension upgrade for 1967-69 Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird models, as well as 1968-74 Chevrolet Nova models.