Table of contents for Summer 2024 in C10 Builder's Guide

THIS ISSUE IS near and dear to me. After first meeting Bailey Mckeska and her dad, I knew that they absolutely MEANT WHAT THEY SAID! Then only 16 (now 17 years old), Bailey shook my hand and promised that she would build a truck worthy of an appearance at SEMA. Well, clearly Bailey did just that—AND MUCH MORE! As you can see, she landed herself the cover spot here on our C10 BG cover and inspired this issue’s very special theme. Honoring the women in our automotive industry this month, we wanted to do something a bit different to show our appreciation. It’s no secret that the custom automotive aftermarket is a “man’s world,” and it’s true that ego and testosterone abound. Sure, this can be intimidating for some, but…

THE WORLD’S LARGEST gathering of automotive excellence takes place annually in the Las Vegas Convention Center around Halloween (first week of November), which is quite a crazy time to be in Sin City. But that’s not the main spectacle for us gearheads who make the pilgrimage each and every year. SEMA has grown into the world’s stage for debuting some of the wildest custom builds, the best new products, and catching up with friends and industry partners from all corners of the globe. For us C10 enthusiasts, there was a HUGE turnout (as you can see through these pages), but ALSO we had a special debut in our Motortopia/Engaged Media booth. The staff has been hard at work behind the scenes (while also creating a ton of content), and the…

EVERY CUSTOM automotive shop needs a mascot, and what better brand ambassador is there than an old Chevy pickup? It’s a great start for sure, but to increase the stakes dramatically, slamming the suspension, throwing on a set of 22-inch wheels, and prepping a patina-clad finish with hand-painted artwork is a surefire way to get it noticed. An advertising tool like this would surely get loads of attention, and in theory, should lead to a sharp spike in brand awareness from its targeted audience. This approach of street-level of marketing is just as effective as the most strategic, corporate-strength ad campaigns. Cruising around in a rolling piece of truck-shaped ad signage would undoubtedly turn more heads on the streets than the most acrobatic of sign twirlers. Sonny Warner of Sonny’s…

THE ONLY THING hotter than an Atlanta summer is the car scene, and possibly one of the fastest growing downtown shows—C10s in the City. Chances are you’ve seen the coverage right here in these very pages, but how much do you know about the team behind it? Sarah Boim and her partner Rick Cheesemen (@sqrbdy_c10) love all kinds of rides, but they have a deep passion for all things GM. Living in Georgia and hitting all the local shows give them the fix of catching rides from all over. But not all of the trucks they’ve seen in the city were meeting up at the same spots, so in July 2021 they started the first C10s in the City in East Atlanta with 60 trucks registered. Last year’s 2023 show…

Direct-Fit Dash Kit for ’67-’72 Chevy Trucks AUTO METER’S KIT FOR C10 PICKUPS PROVIDES A CUSTOM performance gauge solution without a custom fabrication price tag. This easy-to-install package includes a set of iconic Sport Comp II gauges, a precision-engineered panel and a universal wire harness and senders. Simplify gauge installation while providing a clean timeless look inside the cab of your truck. The Direct-Fit gauge dash panel is machined from billet aluminum in a polished finish with ball-milled details and replaces all original instruments in ’67-’72 Chevy pickups. Auto Meter 866-248-6356 www.autometer.com SuperKool Condenser Assembly DESIGNED TO fit ’73-’80 and ’81-’87 Chevy trucks, the SuperKool assembly is compatible with the factory in-dash A/C unit when installing aftermarket compressor upgrades or popular engine swaps. The condenser mounts to the core support…

YOU’RE NEVER TOO YOUNG TO GET INTO building custom trucks – just ask 17-year-old Bailey Mckeska, a.k.a. “Boneyard Bailey” of Amanda, Ohio. Growing up in an automotive-minded family, Bailey has been around custom vehicles all her life. But it wasn’t until recently that she took the reins and built her own – a 1976 Chevrolet C10. As if that’s not impressive enough, this gorgeous ride also debuted at none other than the 2023 SEMA show, front and center in the Air Lift Performance booth. How’s that for an impressive accomplishment for someone who’s not even out of high school yet? Built with the help of her father Mike, a talented fabricator and classic car fan who owns the local salvage yard, Bailey’s truck is the epitome of sleek and simple.…

WHEN IT COMES TO GM-only shows, the first one that comes to most people’s minds is Dino’s Git Down in Glendale, Arizona. Even though there are a ton of GMor even C10-specific shows around the country, Dino and his crew put on the largest GM event and it’s technically not even a “show.” There is zero spectator fee and zero registration fee. Just show up, park, and enjoy a ton of cool trucks and vendors. No judging and no awards means a weekend of hanging out and not worrying about competing, which is why we all got into this custom truck scene to begin with. The 2023 event was held Nov. 10-11, which as usual, is the week after SEMA and allows several of the big industry players to hang…

SERGEANT SQUARE hit an all new level of custom with the installation of our custom interior from Fesler USA. This carefully curated interior is designed for 1973-1987 Chevy trucks, and not only raises the quality of the build, but it also dramatically increases the value of this truck, which will raise more money for the amazing charity we are dedicated to helping. After choosing black leather with gray and black plaid inserts, we knew Sergeant Square’s interior would combine amazing style with extreme comfort. Fesler USA offers a wide array of materials, allowing enthusiasts to customize their interiors to their specific tastes. In a purposeful touch, Chris Fesler, the creative force behind Fesler USA, incorporated metal Mission 22 badges into the styling of the interior. These subtle yet impactful details…

WE ALL HAVE THOSE PLANS: THE ONES WE are absolutely going to stick by—that is until something changes. Nebo, North Carolina, resident Dale Lunsford knows this all too well. Owner of this gorgeous 1968 Chevrolet C10 cover model dubbed Fireball, Dale never intended for his truck to be so nice, at least not initially. But thanks to some inspiration from the pages of C10 Builder’s Guide, what was going to be a somewhat simple errand-running truck quickly snowballed into a full-fledged custom build! “My wife wanted an old Chevy patina truck, just to drive around, eat french fries in, haul trash off, transport large items in, etc,” Dale told us about the reason for building his C10. “So, after looking at several trucks, I found one with no rust in…

WHEN WE started planning and putting together this special issue to highlight some of the mighty women in our automotive industry, Emma Sauve was one of the first to come to mind. She is a staple in our industry and travels the country creating amazing content for Detroit Steel Wheels/Mobsteel. Emma grew up immersed in automotive culture as she helped her dad with his Sauve Art Foundation projects at Mobsteel and observed what Adam and his team would create year after year all throughout her childhood. Working with her dad instilled a value for hard work, especially with the influences and the culture at Mobsteel. She found a passion in graphic design and obtained her bachelor’s degree in advertising from Michigan State University. With Mobsteel airing on NBCSN, she took…

WE ARE EXCITED TO unveil one of the most innovative additions to our military charity truck build known as Sergeant Square. Engineered by LS Fabrication, this custom gas door filler is a masterfully designed game-changer, seamlessly blending functionality with originality. At the forefront of the 1973-1991 Squarebody Chevy/GMC taillight fuel filler kits, LS Fabrication has crafted a solution that redefines gas cap relocation without the need for repainting. This product is a testament to LS Fabrication’s dedication to precision and superior design, utilizing cutting-edge 3D scan and CAD design technology to create a part that’s not only highly accurate but also seamlessly integrated into the truck’s design. The installation process was as smooth as it gets. Placed directly behind the driver’s side taillight, the custom gas door filler ensures a…

WHEN YOU START YOUR OWN BUSINESS, the first thing you want to do is land on your brand. What’s the identity? How can it apply to the services you’ll offer? For Jarrod Chesser, he took his love of restomods and paired it with damn near one of the catchiest business names I’ve ever heard of for a plumbing company—SO GOOD! Stumbling upon this “work truck” out at Lone Star Throwdown was the perfect venue to take in all that Jarrod accomplished. For me, heading to Texas from Detroit at the end of February usually means shorts and a thick layer of sunscreen, but this was the year I was scooping up swag and sweatshirts at every stop to get some circulation back into my gloveless camera hands. It goes without…