For many car enthusiasts, there’s always that one car—the one that stays in your mind, tied to memories of youth, grit, and a little bit of heartbreak. For Fernando Martinez, that car was a 1985 Chevrolet Corvette. His journey with this iconic piece of American engineering spans decades, marked by passion, perseverance, and a powerful sense of coming full circle.

The 1960s and 1970s were transformative decades for the automotive world. The post-WWII boom had led to the birth of a new era of car design, and designers were pushing the boundaries of what was possible in terms of style, innovation, and performance. This was a time when cars were not just modes of transportation—they were symbols of status, freedom, and a rapidly evolving culture. From sleek muscle cars to futuristic concepts, the contributions of key automotive designers during these two decades shaped the vehicles we know today. Below are some of the most influential and visionary designers of the 1960s and 1970s.

Held on Saturday, August 17, 2024 towards the end of Monterey Car Week, Concorso Italiano celebrated all things Italian, especially pertaining to Italian automobiles and the Italian way of life. For 2024 as with in many other years of the Concorso, non-Italian marques were also invited to attend. There was a smattering of American, British, and German vehicles also on exhibit, as if to provide a contrast to the numerous artful Italian automobiles that comprised a commanding presence at this year's event. Indeed, the Concorso Italiano media team even invited Classic Industries to partake in covering this longstanding Italian-themed super car and vintage iconic Italian marques celebration.

Pebble. This one word has abundant meaning for avid golfers. The same is true for those who have a passion for vintage automobiles. The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is the pre-eminent concours vintage car show on this great planet that we somehow manage to cohabitate. Classic Industries was at this prestigious event this year to cover all of the glorious action for the 73rd celebration on Sunday, August 18, 2024.

Classic Industries was at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to witness and celebrate 50 years of vintage auto racing history with the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2024. When Classic Industries' humble scribe (namely me) learned about this vintage racing extravaganza, he knew where he wanted to be from August 14 through August 17, 2024.

Though we spend our five- and six-day work weeks catering to the needs of our honored customers who own and are working on, driving, showing, and enjoying American muscle machines, many Classic Industries employees are wrenching away, driving, and enjoying our own vintage vehicles in our free time. Some of us drive our old cars daily. 

Author's Note: This is a Classic Industries team member's car. As of this writing, we've logged over 900 miles on our Factory Five Racing Mk4 Cobra roadster replica. Since this is the very same sports car that is the subject of the book that I wrote, How To Build Cobra Kit Cars + Buying Used, we thought you would enjoy reading about our first test drive of the FFR Mk4 after Dad and I constructed this little road burner.

Imagine finding a 1966 Corvette coupe that has its original L72, 427-cubic inch big-block V8 engine, the engine that was conservatively rated at 425-horsepower, and the Sting Ray has 66,000 original miles! If you were a Country Music artist like say David Ball, you'd write a song about such an incredible find. Maybe you'd have the creativity to call the song, "Riding with Private Malone."

A large number of vintage Chevrolet Corvette enthusiasts admire the 1963-1967 Corvette C2's the most of all the eight generations of the Corvette from 1953 to the present. There are many reasons why the C2 Corvette is so sought after. If you're unfamiliar with the 1963-1967 Corvette, you can learn all about the C2 by reading this article: 1963-67 C2 Corvette: History, Prices, Engine Options, & Production Numbers.

This article's topic may be a sore subject for some readers. There are likely to be several gotchas in this list, where a gearhead or two (or several thousand for that matter) might have rushed headlong into purchasing and starting a classic car renewal project that goes awry and is hopelessly stalled. It's not something to beat yourself up about. It's called being human and making mistakes. Don't let the fear of making a boo boo or two get in your way of reading this article for some helpful hints on getting your old car project going or restarted. If you keep these muscle car restoration mistakes in mind, you won't fall victim to them in the future.

Our lead photo of a restored Lemon Twist yellow 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda is courtesy of Mecum Auctions.

The Most Common Muscle Car Restoration Mistakes