Smp/standard Th37t Throttle Position Sensor-throttle Position Sensor (tps) on 2040-parts.com

Duo of Chevrolet NAPCO 4x4 trucks to cross the block

Interest in classic pickup trucks has been surging in the past few years, introducing car collectors to a whole new world of desirable vehicles. And while the "rules" are still being written when it comes to what's acceptable in a restoration, there are clear favorites, with austerity and originality typically valued over luxury. As nostalgia for the trucks of the 1950s increases, so do the amounts collectors are willing to pay for the workhorses of yesteryear.

Build your Mini Cooper Hardtop

We suspect that your initial inclination upon the discovery of a new model's configurator is to throw gobs and gobs of equipment at a car to see just how high the price will go. After all, that's what we tend to do. It's especially satisfying with German automakers — notably Porsche and BMW — who seem to have turned option pricing into something bordering on absurdist theatre.

Concept Car of the Week: Oldsmobile Aerotech (1987)

In late 1984, Oldsmobile management had so much confidence in the potential of its new inline four-cylinder engine Quad 4, that a small team was assigned to the creation of the Aerotech, a research vehicle designed to demonstrate the engine's performance by setting a new world speed record. Ed Welburn, then assistant chief designer, was mostly working on the 1988 Cutlass Supreme but his passion for race cars made him the ideal candidate to be handed the assignment by Oldsmobile 2 studio's chief David North. Inspired by Le Mans racers such as the Porsche 917LH and Jim Hall's Chaparrals, he designed a long, flowing car that immediately seduced design director Chuck Jordan and GM management.