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If you want to see what it looks like when you combine American muscle with a classic Chevy hauler, look no further than Andre Harness’ 1968 C10 pickup. The late-‘60s were a time when you couldn’t go wrong with Chevy, everything on the lot was a good looking vehicle.
These older trucks are a great medium between functionality and musclecar looks. They have the same hard lines and all-steel construction, but they're a little taller and more functional.
In fact, there’s not one car on the roster for the ’68 Chevy team that isn’t considered desirable today. This ’68 C10 is a prime example as to why. Even with simple utility, Chevy went all-out on design and made it look good. Andre just improved on the design and added a few features of his own.
Andre, a resident of Port Orchard, Washington, has had this C10 truck for four years, and it’s been a demanding project. “I started with a frame, a cab, and two fenders,” Andre explained. “I’ve been through about three trucks to build this one.” It takes a lot of parts vehicles to rebuild a truck that started as an incomplete project.
A lot of work has to go into a vehicle when you start with something that is missing a lot of parts.
Andre did all the work himself, save the paint, body, and upholstery work. And, he did a great job putting together a really impressive build. It’s got a relatively simple, and near bulletproof drivetrain, with a small-block 350 cubic-inch engine, 700R4 automatic transmission, and the stock rearend with positraction.
It's cool the way the older throttle-body stuff so closely resembles a carburetor setup. It keeps the classic look, but ads modern functionality and reliability.
Andre did away with the outdated carburetor and installed an early-model GM throttle body fuel injection system. He also set the C10 on an air-ride system by Ridetech for control and cruising comfort. To keep the look of the truck somewhat consistent with the factory appearance, Andre raised the bed floor 3 inches to fit the rearend and everything underneath with the lowered ride height.
The C10’s interior has been tastefully upgraded, while still retaining the same style that draws us all into the classic Chevrolet vehicles. He kept the stock gauges, but added white faces, giving them a higher contrast and more modern look. He also added a Vintage Air A/C system for climate control. He also has Custom Autosound belching out the tunes and custom upholstery.
We love the look of the upgraded, stock instruments. They're clean, clear, and classically styled.
The green color that Andre chose for this C10 is a ‘90s GM color. “It’s really similar to the factory olive green,” Andre explained, “but just a notch above. I wanted something with just a little more flair.” The bed is also a little different, and instead of oak, he opted for stained redwood.
The stained redwood looks really nice with the chrome bed-strips.
The build sits on a set of 20-inch American Racing wheels unsuccessfully hiding disc brakes all around. The wheels give it a really modern look, while the brakes give it the modern stopping power that these older trucks often lack.
We’ve been seeing more and more trucks rebuilt with a muscle look in mind, rather than the all-too-common rugged, off road look. The straight body lines, bright colors, and smooth wheels are a welcome change to the style of classic trucks.
What do you think of the muscle-truck craze? It’s taken the hobby by storm, and we love it. If you’ve got a nice, older truck your taking out for cruise nights, let us know. Send us a few pictures and a little information, and we’ll consider it for our Home-Built Heros segment.
The dashpad is also a really nice touch.
