Although you may not think about it, the dashboard in your vehicle takes a beating. It's continually baking in brutal sunlight and building heat focused through the windshield making for a very harsh condition. The dash pad is expected to survive many years or even decades of continual UV exposure and heat cycles. The sophisticated polymers used in modern cars are pretty resilient, but exact formulations are a much more advanced science now than they were back in the 1960s and 1970s. This combination of harsh conditions and older polymer construction has led to an inevitable and very common problem: dash pad deterioration.

Back in the day, the station wagon was viewed as the king of the practical family vehicle segment. While this body style certainly meets that need, most vehicles in this category were soon replaced by larger minivans and SUVs. Unfortunately, it has become rare to see a wagon on the road anymore — but we think that exclusivity just makes the classic ones that much cooler.

Last week on The Parking Lot, we featured a beautiful 1969 Chevy C10 owned by Darin Smith of local restoration and performance shop DWS Classics. That truck was rescued from the desert and painstakingly rebuilt from the ground up. This week, we have another one of DWS Classics' creations: a 1964 GMC shortbed.

Like Darin's other truck, this GMC was found baking in the desert sun, and was purchased to undergo a full restoration. Fortunately, due to the low moisture of its surroundings, the truck stayed mostly rust-free. Darin stripped it down to the bare frame, and began a frame-off build.

In more ways than one, this Chevy C10 isn't what it seems. Glancing at the front end, you'll see cues that indicate it might be a 1967 or '68 model: the lower-profile hood, "Chevrolet" lettering, and grille style all match these earlier model years. The lack of side markers on the fenders and bedsides would make seem to indicate a '67 model, but the cab's large rear window says it's at least a '68 model, since 1967 trucks had a small rear window.

The owner of this truck — Darin Smith, of Huntington Beach, California — tells us it's actually a 1969 Chevy C10. Darin found the truck out in the California desert, and rebuilt it with a mixture of parts to achieve the look he wanted. He liked the appearance of the '68 front end, so he purchased a replacement hood, grille, and emblems for that model year. The fenders and bedsides bear no side markers, because he liked that clean appearance only found on the '67 trucks.

It’s every car enthusiast’s dream to participate in a barnfind. To discover a car of their childhood, a rare and highly sought after muscle car that had been stowed away in a garage (or front yard) for decades, or just a cool car that seems unloved and underappreciated.

Unfortunately, the reality is that regardless of the kind of car it is, or how rare it is, it’s still an old car. It’s been sitting in the same spot, languishing in someone’s garage or driveway, possibly for decades. So, what if you find one, and it looks good enough to drive? Muscle Car Review published an article outlining this very situation of finding a vehicle that’s been stowed away for decades, and what to do if you want to drive it.

The article really drives home the need for a plan:
“Start your path to revival by asking why the car was parked. Did it stop running or just get sidelined? Anything you can learn will help you fix the original problem. Beyond that, a host of things should be replaced before attempting to drive a barn find. Tires, fuel lines, and brakes need attention to make sure that your barn find doesn’t result in a junkyard donation.”

The term "rotisserie" is often used in a culinary context, such as the whole roasted chickens that you'll find under heat lamps at the grocery store. But you'll also hear the term in the automotive restoration industry. So what does this mean in the context of a classic car?

Fortunately, rotisserie restoration has nothing to do with skewering a car over an open flame — we shudder at the thought. As you may have guessed, rotisserie restoration involves suspending the front and rear of a car on a special rack, and rotating it to access every nook and cranny of the underbody. Short of disassembling and removing the body for a full frame-off restoration, it's one of the best ways to thoroughly restore a vehicle.

This 1967 Camaro SS belongs to Graeme Chapman, of Huntington Beach, California. Graeme bought the car in 2008, and proceeded with a full rotisserie restoration to achieve the stunning results seen here.

Classic Industries, the recognized leader in the restoration parts industry, has recently announced the addition of 1978-87 Buick Regals catalog line. From its aggressive design to the well-fortified option list; the 2^nd generation Buick Regal’s popularity has always been steady.

Whether it’s luxury homes, plush yachts, or one-of-a-kind supercars, the duPont Registry features the exclusive; the top of the heap, the crème de la crème. The Registry has featured SVE cars before, when the Yenko/SC^® 800hp Camaro was featured in the February 2017 issue of the duPont Registry, so, imagine seeing the Yenko/SC^® Corvette on the cover of such an august publication. Not that we’re surprised; because the Yenko/SC^® Corvette is a top-notch supercar, so it’s only fitting to be counted among such an elite class of vehicles, especially the ones on the cover—Dodge Demon, Plymouth Superbird, and Yenko/SC^® Corvette.

There have been many cars produced under the Yenko name: Camaro, Nova, Stinger (Corvair), but never an official Corvette. Yes, there have been many Corvettes sold through the Yenko dealership, and some may have even been specially tuned at that location, or may even sport a Yenko badge, but there has never been an official Yenko/SC^® Corvette ever produced, until now.

Mopar has partnered with Classic Industries to introduce a new Restoration Parts Web Portal that will allow customers to resource and buy Mopar-licensed restoration parts for classic Mopars. This is a most welcome resource, as searching for restoration parts that are high quality; authentically licensed products can be a challenge.The new Mopar restoration parts page, seen above, prominently features Classic Industries as the leading source for restoration parts and accessories. Users of this new site can download the latest Classic Industries Mopar parts catalog with a single click.

Classic Industries is growing fast, and the world is taking notice! From our extensive line of catalogs, including Buick Regal, Camaro, and Mopar, we offer a total of nine catalogs to date. From our humble beginnings of selling Camaro carpet kits, we've grown into the recognized leader in the restoration parts industry. We’ve come a long way in 40 years!