The team at Premier Restorations lives up to that name with every build that comes out of their shop. From period correct original parts restorations to one-of-a-kind restomods, their build portfolio is impressive. We are extremely lucky to have the opportunity to work with the Premier Restoration team on our 1968 C10 Pickup Truck build. The donation of their team’s skill and time has helped make this build like no other truck on the road. Our thanks to the team at Premier Restorations!
Anyone who’s restored a classic car knows that more often than not rubber mouldings will need to be replaced. Metro Moulded Parts is a company that manufactures these hard to find pieces. Their business began back in 1918 manufacturing inner tubes, than shifted to making other specialized parts during World War II. But when the founder’s son began restoring an L29 Cord he realized how hard it was to find rubber parts for most classic cars. This realization spawned the creation of Metro Moulded Parts’ current catalogue of mouldings and other rubber parts. Metro has generously donated some of the badly needed rubber parts for the restoration of our 1968 C10 Chevy Pickup. If you are looking for new mouldings for your ride, make sure you check out Metro Moulded Parts!
Restoring the body of a classic car or truck takes a certain amount of experience, skill and patience – it’s as much an art from as it is a trade. As we began the process of restoring the cab of our ’68 C10 Pickup we were lucky enough to have the help of Vintage Autobody guide our students through the work. The valuable insights and hands on work session with the Pit Crew were a huge contribution to this build. We are thankful for the donation of their valuable time, resources and skill – our Pit Crew students learned skills that will last a lifetime. Thank you Team Vintage!
If you want to rebuild just about any truck piece by piece you should start with the LMC Truck catalogue. Their expansive inventory of original reproduction parts is mind blowing, and a great one-stop shop for any truck enthusiast. For our project LMC Truck was generous enough to donate fender panels to replace our original rusted parts, a new tailgate, a wood bed so our truck will have a custom look, and lots of other components we needed such as mounting piece and prep materials. The support from LMC Truck was a huge help to this project, and we are happy that LMC Truck is part of the Pit Crew team!
Classic Performance Products was started in 1991 by owner Jim Ries with the goal of providing high quality steering, brake and suspension components for the classic truck owner. After experiencing success in the performance truck realm the business was expanded to include classic car performance products. Whether it be car or truck components, superior customer service has always been a top priority at CPP. The Riding With Us Foundation is fortunate enough to be able to incorporate Classic Performance Product’s “Grand Slam Kit” into this restoration, enabling us to upgrade our truck’s suspension, slightly lower it, and include front disk brakes. We are so appreciative of CPP’s support on this build, and are excited that they have partnered with us!
For Edelbrock, customization in the name of performance began when Vic Edelbrock purchased his first hot rod in 1938. The design of his own aluminum intake manifold called the “Slingshot” began this company’s long history of “Proven Performance.” Since then their customization capabilities have expanded beyond manifolds, and include a variety of other products such as carburetors, fuel injection systems, cylinder heads, and even entire crate engines. Edelbrock was generous enough to donate a set of performance heads and a camshaft to be used in the rebuild of our Pickup’s 350 Chevy small block engine. We are proud to include these components in our project and grateful for Edelbrock’s partnership in this build!
It all started when Jim Oostdyk rolled his ’61 Jeep CJ-5 and was forced to rebuild it. When people saw the work he did they wanted him to put his skills to work on their trucks. OK 4 Wheel Drive was born soon after, and 35 years later it’s still going strong! Although their focus is trucks they sell tires and other parts for all types of rides. They have a knowledgeable staff and a great product selection. Our project truck will be rolling thanks to Jim’s generosity, he donated a set of 17” wheels that the Pit Crew selected. We are so thankful OK 4 Wheel Drive and Tire’s support!
Summit Racing Equipment started 40 years ago as a part-time, one-person operation based in Stow, Ohio. Since then the operation has become a parts mecca for the muscle car and hot rod enthusiast, with a nation-wide reach. In addition to their online catalogue of parts, they’ve expanded to three retail locations. Their knowledgeable staff and emphasis on customer service has played a major part in this growth.
They are also involved in the racing and aftermarket world. Summit Racing supports and sponsors events in the Mello Yellow Drag Series, as well as several professional race teams. Summit Racing is also an active member in the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), among others. We are excited about our partnership with Summit Racing Equipment and look forward to working with them through this restoration.
If you want to make a statement with your ride before you even get there a killer exhaust system is the way to go! Thanks to Magnaflow’s support our project truck will have a great sound to match the performance this build will provide. Magnaflow has been in the business for over 30 years and has helped auto enthusiasts incorporate their high standards of power and performance in their build. We’re glad Magnaflow is part of the team!
XXL Auto Body is an authorized LINE-X dealer, and donated an application of LINE-X protective coating for our project truck frame as well as transportation for our frame to and from their shop. The Pit Crew was also invited to try their hand at applying LINE-X in their shop! Many thanks to Keith and his staff for donating their time and sharing their insight with the students of Automotive.
LINE-X is a leading provider of spray-on protective coatings for a variety of applications. Their products can be used in commercial, industrial, agricultural, military and custom projects. In the automotive world many know LINE-X for their truck bed coatings, but this protective paint can be used many ways…as they demonstrated when they unveiled their custom Camaro project with West Coast Customs at the 2012 SEMA Show. We’re happy that our ’68 pickup will be protected with LINE-X.
Anyone familiar with auto restoration knows that media blasting is an important part of the body work. Originally sand was used, but when the Statue of Liberty was being restored they knew sand would damage this historic landmark. Eventually they figured out that baking soda would be a safe and effective substitute and soda blasting was born. Tri-State Soda Blasting uses several types of media and did an awesome job blasting away the old paint and bondo from our truck body panels. We are grateful for their work on this project and definitely recommend them for your blasting needs!
Optima Batteries has supplied our project truck with “The Ultimate Power Source” by donating one of their REDTOP batteries. Optima has been providing reliable battery power to hot rods, street cars, SUV’s and everything in between for the past 40 years with their Spiralcell Technology. These batteries are designed to give a strong burst of ignition power, even for the most tricked out rides! We are glad their battery will be there the first time we crank up our project truck, and many times after.
DMK Garage made the generous donation of this year’s project car, a 1968 Chevrolet C10 Pickup. The Riding With Us Foundation appreciates this local business’s support of this project! This truck will be given new life, and will help bring local students new opportunity.
Levi’s generously provided a $501 grant as part of their #GOFORTH campaign. This campaign is dedicated to support those who are “forging their own paths, creating new ways to experience the world and shaping others with their efforts.” These funds will be used in the restoration of our project truck, and we appreciate Levi’s support!