INTELLITRONIX BLOG

COVID-19 Creates Time for Classic Car Restoration

Covid-19 has come with some hardships for businesses and people lately. However, there has been some positive news to come out from this pandemic. We are finally get a much-needed break from our 9-5 jobs to work on our project cars. That means more production than ever for Intellitronix and our car gauges. We are excited and humbled to continue offering quality and affordable digital car gauges during this sad and tragic crisis.

Posted: July 27, 2020

Why I fell in love with Classic Cars

The year was 1973 and I was a young man experiencing the bright lights of the drive-in movie theater for the first time. The atmosphere was electric and neon. People all over our county drove in showing off their cars as we watched the movie American Graffiti. I sat there in my dad’s 1973 ford truck enjoying every moment of that film. Watching Harrison Ford and Ron Howard screech their tires and rev their supped-up hot rods made me instantly hooked into the car world.

Once I turned 16, I got my first car. A 4-speed 1978 silver corvette with a 140-mph read on the dash. Man, this thing was fast! I remember looking down at my gauges and seeing speeds well over 100 MPH. This car made me feel invincible, but little did I know my love and need for speed would soon come to end.

Posted: July 29, 2020

First Time being stopped by the police

One Summer day, I was heading to a car show with my first girlfriend riding shotgun. She was a blonde bombshell that I desperately wanted to impress. We were heading down Route 66, and the roads were empty. I looked at her, she looked at me and she knew exactly what I was going to do. I slam my foot on the gas pedal and my silver 1978 Corvette takes off like a bat out of hell itself.

Only a few moments later I hear the faint noise of a police siren. At first glance in my mirror, I didn’t see any lights. However, on the second glance, I can see the blue and red lights flashing behind me struggling to keep up. Now, in this moment you have two choices. Keep going and risk going to jail, or slow down and take your ticket like a man. That is exactly what I did.

Posted: July 31, 2020

If you’ve read the last blog, you’d know that I love speed. I love the wind racing through my hair as I zip throughout the streets and roads. I love when the RPM begins tipping down on my gauges as my engine roars. However, my love and need for speed would soon turn into a bad habit.

Summit Racing Changes the After-Market Car Game

Before the internet, people had to physically go to after-market stores to get auto-parts they needed to customize their car or truck. Ultimately, this was expensive to the average consumer and rarely did they have in-stock items. Then, in 1968 Summit Racing Equipment was founded. They began as a small part-time company out of Stow, Ohio. Word of Summit Racing’s auto parts great prices began to spread alongside their popularity as well. Before they knew it, they needed a bigger building and decided to expand their business to Akron, Ohio.

A few years later in 1974, Summit Racing decided to create and distribute its first once a year mail-order catalogue. Two years later they went from a small company to employing its first full-time phone sales and customer service staff in order to handle the additional volume of product orders. A little over 10 years later in 1987, Summit Racing went from a once-a-year catalog to a six-times-a-year publication so its customers can see more products with up-to-date pricing. They single handedly made it easier to buy car parts and after-market parts like car gauges.

I watched my father go through Summit Racing’s catalogue and order parts for his 1973 truck. I remember specifically holding the flashlight and getting yelled out for not holding it right as he installed the parts himself. However, all the yelling was worth it in the end when we sat in his newly modded truck.

Moment’s like these lead to pure happiness in my household and are the real reasons why I got into inventing quality and affordable car gauges and digital dashboards for Intellitronix. Today, Summit Racing Equipment is one Intellitronix distributors for classic car and truck gauges.

Posted: August 3, 2020

How to restore the interior of a 1978 Corvette

First determine the exterior body damage. Look for rust marks, wear-and-tear, and collision damage. Check to see if your new corvette has been painted over by opening the door and looking on the inside of the door. An undercoat with a different color is a sign that it has been repainted.

Now take a look at the interior. In my experience, the door panels usually remain in shape. If that’s the case, a nice Turtle Wax interior cleaner will do the job just right. Next, check the interior carpet.

A tell-tale sign that it has been replaced is that it does not fit right and has overlapping edges on the side panels. I experienced this with my Corvette and went directly to the manufacturer to replace it with carpet that was a perfect fit.

The next step is to take a look up at the halo panels. Most of the time they need replacing. Again, I recommend going to the manufacturer or finding scrap parts from a non-restorable Corvette. As for the seats, mine came with the 80-82 corvette seats. I decided that they look good as is and kept them the way they were.

Your last step is to check the speedometer. Most of the time the needle is broken. I don’t really know how people break the needle on their car gauges, but it is something that I frequently run into. It is semi-easy to replace, but I prefer modern gauges and digital dashboards in classic vehicles to get accurate reads on my tachometers and speedometers. Check out Intellitronix website to find the right fit for your Corvette’s car gauges at an affordable price.

Posted: August 6, 2020

Intellitronix Receives Large Order for New Power Saving Device for the RV Industry

RV manufacturers only benefit from lower manufacturing costs, but they may also profit from two units incorporated into a single multifunctional unit. Intellitronix latest state-of-the-art technology using its proprietary power saving and protection system was specifically developed for recreational vehicles and marine vessels.

Intellitronix designs multi-functional energy management systems for the Recreational Vehicle (RV) industry with built-in circuit breaker panels and load shedder capabilities.

Posted: August 19, 2020

Intellitronix new load shedding product won a large order from a major recreational vehicle (RV) distributor.

Classic Chevy Truck Restoration Project

Checklist for restoring your classic Chevy Truck

After searching high and low you finally found that perfect classic 1967 Chevy Truck. It runs, but it is not in the best shape. However, the next several months of restoration will be worth it, and so will the final product. Here is a quick check list of the things you need to do to restore your Classic Chevy Truck.

Locate the Owner's Manual

The owner's manual is one of the most important tools to have when restoring your Chevy Truck. It helps you understand what comes with the truck and how it operates, both inside and out. Most of the time you can locate one with a simple Google search using the make and model of your truck, or you can buy one through a Chevrolet website.

Look Over and Make Notes of the Interior Damage

Grab your notebook and pen. Make a detailed list of the damages you find. This is so you have a checklist of what you need to do to make your ride stand out. Also, make sure you check for broken, missing, and rusted parts.

Strip the Interior of the Truck

Now it is time to do some hard labor work. Take off the front seat, driver seat and remove the dashboard and steering wheel. If you have found rust, make sure you sand that down. When replacing broken or missing parts, I recommend you check out Facebook Marketplace or Offer Up. These channels make it easier to find the parts you need at an affordable price. If you are not sure about buying from one of these sites, then simply purchase new parts from an accredited online store.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD3Kug76sUI

Add New Intellitronix Gauges to your Chevy Truck

Your Chevy Truck interior is not complete without a nice set of digital gauges. I prefer the look of the LED digital gauges over analog gauges, because they contrast the classic feel of the truck giving it a modern-day look. If you prefer analog gauges, check out Intellitronix to see if they manufacture analog gauges for your year, make and model of Chevy Truck.

https://intellitronixgauges.com/1967-1972-chevy-truck-led-digital-gauge-panel/

Photo courtesy of Al Stacko.

Take it Down to the Frame

Now it is time to check over the exterior of your Chevy Truck. Nine times out of ten you need to strip the exterior to the frame. I recommend using a sandblaster to get rid of any rust. Hand sanding could take days or even weeks depending on the amount of rust.

What's Under Your Hood?

If you have access to an engine hoist, begin by removing the engine. Your Chevy Truck User Manual can help identify missing parts. Next repair all broken parts and then clean the engine. I used the brand Gunk for my 1967 Chevy Truck, and it worked perfectly. Here is a link to help you clean your engine.

,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrLEOeSV3aY

Paint Job

My favorite part of restoring a classic car is the paint job. For this you have two options. You could stay with its original color or you could paint it the color you prefer. You could buy paint from any online marketplace that sells car parts or go to the manufacturer, if you want to go with the original paint color. I love to paint, so painting the Chevy Truck body comes easy for me. However, if you prefer you may want to get it professionally painted. Below is a link to get an idea of what you'll be getting into when painting your Chevy Truck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dKDQGGym9E

Now that your Truck is in top shape it’s time to Sit back, have a Drink, and Admire your Work!

Posted: August 31, 2020