Every project has to start somewhere, and customers often tell us about the rough state their vehicles were in before restoration began. While we always enjoy hearing these stories and seeing the spotless completed projects, it's not often that we get to observe the starting point of these builds. But on rare occasions, rather than describing the unrestored condition of a car or truck, an owner will share some photos of exactly what it looked like on day one of ownership. Such is the story of this 1967 Chevy C10.

In 1967, General Motors introduced a complete redesign of its C/K pickup series. These new trucks featured elegant lines and an increased emphasis on features and comfort. Although they were still durable workhorses that could be used on-road, off-road, at farms or job sites, and around town, GM recognized that many truck buyers were looking for the sort of refinement normally found in cars. This trend was just beginning at the time, but has grown into a huge luxury-truck segment today.

Marking the first year of the first generation of the Chevrolet Camaro, 1967 was the year that started it all. More than 50 years later, the Camaro is still a legend, and the appearance of these early examples remains just as elegant as it was back then.

Although you may not think about it, the dashboard in your Camaro takes a beating. It's continually baking in brutal sunlight and heat focused through the windshield. The dash pad is expected to survive decades of continual UV exposure and heat cycles. The polymers used in modern cars are pretty resilient, but today's formulations are much more advanced than they were back in the 1960s and 1970s. This combination of harsh conditions and older polymer construction has led to an inevitable problem: dash pad deterioration. So, today we'll address how to replace a worn-out Camaro dash pad.

The term "shadetree mechanic" is used to refer to a do-it-yourselfer or tinkerer who works on vehicles, often at home in a driveway, garage, or literally under the shade of a tree. We've sometimes heard this term used with a negative connotation, implying that a hobbyist could be under-qualified and might be doing more harm than good by making repairs. However, we've seen firsthand that many of these so-called shadetree classic car restoration projects turn out great. In some cases, the care and attention to detail put into these home builds rivals the work produced by experienced professional shops.