[1]Classic Industries is well known for their array of parts catalogs that spans back to the 1950s for some cars, and that alone has helped many people to complete their build or restoration. But there’s one catalog that goes back even further and that’s Classic Industries’ truck catalog – coverage for these goes all the way back to 1947 for GMC and Chevrolet.
We’ve seen some very cool cars in the Classic Industries booth over the years, but one build that partnered with Classic Industries was found in another part of the SEMA Show this year, and that was at the Griffin Radiators booth. We stopped by to talk to Chris Womack of CW Restoration Shop, and to find out more about this build.
The vehicle is one of the rare Cameo Pickups, which is a typical pickup from the cab forward, but becomes a Cameo from the cab back. Without the help of Classic Industries and their extensive parts and restoration coverage, this build may have take a lot longer, and could have been far more difficult to complete.
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Womack told us, “This truck took us two years to complete, but when we got it, it was full of rust. If it had not been a Cameo, we might not have wanted to restore it.” Being a special truck is one thing, but this truck had a little bit more to it than just a rusty pile of metal. Owner Dick Armstrong stopped by and we talked to him, too.
[7]Armstrong has owned the truck for about 30 years, and it sat for about 20 years while he collected parts for it. He knew that CW Restoration Shop could handle the build, but there were a lot of parts that needed to be replaced. Womack was grateful for his partnership with Classic Industries, because the extent of the rust meant that fenders, doors and bed needed to be replaced. Womack also stated that nearly all of the trim on the cab, and a lot of the interior trim – from the ignition to the dome lamp – also needed replacement.
If not for the parts coverage from Classic Industries, it’s hard to tell where this build could have ended up, but the one thing that most anyone would agree on is that this truck looks better than it ever did – and Armstrong says he plans to drive it regularly.
So if you see a bright red 1957 Cameo cruising around, chances are it’s Armstrong’s truck and that it was restored with parts that you, too, can find in the Classic Industries GMC/Chevrolet parts catalog. You can find out more at their web site, and if you’ve go another Chevrolet that needs parts, check them out and see what they have for you.
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