ow that our 1968 C10 project is through the arduous rust repair, bodywork, and paint, we’re down to the last few details as we approach our SEMA deadline. If you recall, our truck didn’t have much of an interior when we got it. Most anything of any value had been carted off over the years to keep other trucks alive, so there wasn’t much left. That meant we would be relying heavily on Speedway Motors’ inventory of C10 interior parts to furnish our cab.

The relative simplicity of a classic truck interior generally makes for a more budget-friendly project when compared to a car. A C10 was designed for utility, so we decided to lean into that bare-bones aesthetic inside our truck, a theme that matches our philosophy throughout the project. Our goal from the beginning has been to create a nice driver that retains the spirit of an old truck, so stock-style trimmings with some tasteful upgrades would be our interior strategy.

Before we finished out the body, we did a little test-fitting to make sure that a Speedway Motors Universal Tilt Steering Column would fit with minimal work. We were surprised to find that it bolted in using all the stock mounting hardware just as though it was designed to be there. When we started final assembly, that column was topped with a downsized reproduction of the stock three-spoke 1967-1968 C10 steering wheel.

Before we rolled out the black reproduction carpet kit, we covered the floor, footwell, cab back, and inside the doors with Hushmat. Installation was easy since the panel is cut with scissors and were truly “peel and stick,” requiring no separate adhesives or fancy washes. We can also tell you that it made a big difference to the experience of the finished truck when compared to other trucks in our fleet with no sound or thermal insulation. The doors shut with a satisfying “thunk,” and the exhaust doesn’t drone out on the road.

To keep tabs on our speed as well as the junkyard 5.3 underhood, we fitted a set of gauges from New Vintage USA. There’s a wide variety of gauge faces available in these kits to match just about any interior style. There’s even one that closely resembles the stock C10 gauge faces, so why didn’t we choose that one? Well, we just fell in love with the design of these “1967 Series” gauges. Something about the vintage font wrapping around the gauge really seemed to match the character of our retro muscle truck. This set features an electronic speedo, tach, volt, water temperature, and oil pressure gauges, and a 0- to 90-ohm fuel level gauge. They installed behind a reproduction bezel, required no modification to the stock dash, and look absolutely killer.

On the night before we loaded up for SEMA, our truck picked up one of its signature details. While we were planning our C10, Speedway Motors collaborated with Dixxon Flannel on a limited run of shirts in Speedway Motors colors. As soon as we saw the purple and yellow plaid pattern we just knew that we had to put our own spin on the classic C10 “Highlander” interior. So, a pair of Procar by Scat buckets were sent to the upholstery shop along with a few XXL flannels and we couldn’t be happier with the result. To get our custom seats bolted in, we used a Speedway Motors Seat and Console Mount, which is basically a steel frame that not only mounts Procar by Scat bucket seats but also a stock-style console. The result approximates those hard-to-find stock “buddy buckets” with a modern twist using off-the-shelf parts.

Though we were still turning wrenches on the interior until seconds before the truck went into the trailer, we’re happy to report that our project C10 made it to SEMA. Stay tuned next month for a full feature on our freshly finished truck!