25th Anniversary Retrospective Like a tree falling in the middle of a forest, Seth Doulton's sale of his first truck part in 1973 went pretty much unnoticed. The aftermath of the next 25 years has been heard all over the world. Seth purchased a 1956 big block Omaha Orange big window Chevy truck in the early 70's and was in pursuit of a few of the missing pieces to finish it. At the time, Seth was working full time for the Flying U Rodeo Company as a clown and bullfighter. He also acted as rodeo arena director, chute boss, truck driver and rodeo public relations director. These responsibilities kept him travelling throughout the western states and gave him plenty of opportunities to scrounge around junk yards and GM dealerships.
Back in the early 70's it was not uncommon to find a pickup load of truck parts in a Chevy dealership. The first part needed for the 56 was also the first part Seth ever sold. He picked up a rear bumper for the truck and brought it home. Before he could put it on the truck, someone bought it from him. Next weekend he brought six more bumpers home and they were gone before he could even put one on his own truck. Within six months, Seth's garage was overflowing with truck parts. People started asking him for a catalog. Seth obliged. He put together a list of the hard-to-find parts he had gathered and mixed in some other much needed odds and ends. The first catalog was typed by his mom with the simple title, "Parts for a 55,56,57 Chevy Pickup.
Seth went to the first Pomona swap meet when it had only two rows of sellers. He ran out of catalogs on Saturday and drove three hours back to Santa Barbara to make more copies for Sunday. It became obvious a name was needed for this blossoming company. Golden State Pickup Parts was born. Twenty five years ago there weren't any other companies specializing in Chevy and GMC truck parts. When Seth first ran an ad in Truckin’ Magazine, it changed Golden State's history forever. Gone was the garage, and the typewritten catalog went to a printed book. employees were hired and a baffling continual growth began that still ensues today after twenty five years. After all these years, Golden State still sends out over a thousand catalogs each week to new customers. Golden State's customer base has grown in numbers as well as the year groups it represents and services. They started out with only three years of truck parts (55-57) but quickly grew to carry parts for '58 and ‘59 trucks. The next expansion was all the way through the 1966 line of parts. For the past twelve years, the company has been supplying parts for forty-one years of trucks, 1947 through 1987 Chevy and GMC pickups. In 1980, R.K. Smith, then with Truckin' Magazine, suggested that Golden State Pickup Parts produce a truck show. Seth's instant reply was, "No problem!" The first Chevy/GMC Truckin' Nationals was initiated. In 1982, R.K. Smith and his wife Catherine suggested., "'Why don't you open up a retail store in the Los Angeles area?" Seth's comeback was, "Who will manage the store?" Catherine shot back, "I will" What began as a one thousand square foot catalog showroom in 1982 has now grown into a ten thousand square foot showroom with a full inventory of Golden State's vast parts selection.
First Retail location in LA
When R.K. Smith interviewed Seth back in 1979, four principles were conceived that have become Golden State's philosophies. Number one: "If we dont have the part, we will find it for you." Over the 25 years, Golden State has constantly been adding new parts to their line so they remain the world's most complete supplier of parts. Speaking of world, they ship daily to virtually every corner of the globe. Number two: "Reproduction parts are our future as the N.O.S. parts are dying up." In 1979, GSPP was still selling N.O.S. door latches, outside sun visors, vent door assemblies, and many other parts. At that same time, the company had already remanufactured three hard-to-find parts (1955-59 vent door rubber, gas tank grommets and outside mirror brackets).
Seth inspecting a door seal
Twenty-five years later and over nine hundred projects hence, GSPP has worked closely with General Motors to produce many parts right off the original tooling. Golden State pioneered this concept in 1986 and today persists to be the only truck parts company doing this. Number three: "Golden State Pickup Parts will always be in the restoration business." That's what started the whole thing: restoring the 1956 truck. Since then, Golden State has a fully staffed restoration shop. I'm sure you've seen one of the many magazine projects with which they have been involved from start to finish. The restoration shop's purpose is not only to restore trucks but to rebuild and restore components like impossible-to-find gauges, speedos, heaters, hood hinges, door hinges and dozens of other parts which some day will be remanufactured when their number comes up. Number four: is the lifetime guarantee that comes with every part that Golden State sells, and it looks like they will be around for a few lifetimes.
When Seth Doulton started producing another truck show called "CHEVY MADNESS" in 1981, he looked to KRLA Radio, an oldies mix station in Los Angeles, for sponsorship. What he also got was a partnership for life. Not just from KRLA but with their Vice President of Marketing as well. "The day I met Meridith May, I knew she was the one that could carry projects and promotions through for the company." For a couple of years they began a promotional business together and eventually Meridith became a full partner in Golden State Pickup Parts. Meridith was just the shot in the bumper that Golden State needed to keep up with its rapid growth. With her marketing and promotional background, it was a natural for her to take over public relations and advertising. One of the major marketing plans was put into effect in 1985 when they began their "take the parts to the customers" tour. Each year, Meridith and Seth personally head up an excursion of close to thirty auto shows where one of three rigs crisscross the U.S.A. and set up a one-hundred-foot mobile showroom.
Golden State brings close to $200,000 worth of parts to these shows and deliver special orders to customers who have called in ahead. Meeting up with Golden State's customers face to face has always been Seth & Meridith's way of doing business. It gives them a nice sense of the industry as well as a great outlook on the future. You will always find them in the booth helping customers. "With the trucks getting older, there are hundreds of parts that need to be made," says Seth. "Close contact with the industry and our customers helps me decide which projects to tackle first." With forty to sixty new parts introduced each year, you want to make sure they are the most needed and that there's a market for them. For the past eighteen years, Seth has been writing columns for Truckin`, Chevy Truckin' and Classic Trucks Magazines. Chevy Corner and Bowtie Bulletin have been his monthly link to readers, sharing his Chevy/GMC knowledge and answering questions from readers. There's no doubt that 25 years is a long time. Just pick up some old car publication from 1973 and you'll see for yourself. There were not even any truck sections in "parts for sale." For the first four to five years of their existence, Golden State Pickup Parts ran ads in the "Chevrolet parts for sale" section until some of the magazines added a truck section. No one else was selling truck parts at that time. It sure made it easier for buying truck parts / To put it all in perspective, when Golden State was conceived in 1973, you could go down to your local dealer and buy anything brand new over the counter for your 1972 Cheyenne Super short bed, and the showrooms were, full of 1973 trucks. Today, Golden State Pickup Parts sells hard-to-find parts for both those years and handles parts for trucks all the way up to 1987.
What does the future hold for Golden State? Well, this should give you some idea. Seth's daughter Alexis is carrying out the family tradition by driving the original orange 56 pickup with the 427 and has been working on the phones at GSPP as one of their top sales reps. With the Doulton family at the helm and forty-five dedicated employees at both the Santa Fe Springs Southern California store and the Santa Ynez warehouse, the business runs like a well-oiled train.
Chuck Stanley helping one of our good customers
But it's the customers who have helped us grow and stay on our feet. Seth and Meridith put their customers first and without them they could not and would not put such energy into the company. The Truckin' Nationals and the Chevy Madness Shows have always been a way for them to say "thank you" to their customers.