Akihide’s Farm Truck Turned Cruiser C-10

While sitting around with friends, swapping stories of trucks we once had or dream of building, you’ve probably also heard the envy-provoking tale of the barn find. We’ve all heard every variation of it: guy was driving on a back road and saw the truck in a barn, or this old lady posted a for-sale ad for her deceased husband’s junk that’s in the garage and must go Now, of course, some of us in cities don’t ever have such luck, and surely most of us think that a story like that wouldn’t come from the land of the rising sun, Japan! But, unbelievably, such was the case for Akihide ˝Hide˝ Sakamoto. Hide is from Kyoto, Japan, and unlike the big city of Tokyo, Kyoto is a more rural area full of hills and sprawling farms, perfect for finding a farm truck, but unfortunately most are Japanese mini-trucks.

Nevertheless, Hide truly lucked out when he came across an orange ‘68 Chevrolet C-10 short bed. An older farmer had bought the truck many years ago to use around his homestead. Unlike most U.S. imports that are sent overseas to be customized, this orange C-10 was destined to be a farm truck in the Kyoto mountains. Luckily for Hide, the farmer decided to sell the C-10 thinking it had seen better days because moisture had wreaked havoc on the original orange paint and rust had begun to eat away at the chassis and most body panels, plus it had quit running more than 10 years ago. But Hide knew all too well that the farmer’s junk would be his future custom show truck. Hide had been following the emerging trend of “shop trucks” and “patina” so he was excited to put his fabrication skills to good use on his new/old truck.

Hide had the C-10 towed home on a flat bed to his shop, Garage Kartel, where he used his fabrication skills to bring the old farm truck back to life. Hide’s plans were to completely dismantle the truck by removing the cab and the bed from the chassis. Then he removed the drivetrain from the frame, leaving a bare frame the he would use as a template to create a new, hand-built version. He used the stock front frame rails, but he customized the upper and lower control arms and installed some Slam Specialties ‘bags and Toxic shocks. Hide finished the front by installing 1964 Chevrolet Impala steering components. For the rear, he fabricated his own 4-link with the ‘bags mounted on the link bars and a panhard bar. He made custom bed and cab mounts out of tube steel and finished off the chassis and suspension by painting them burgundy and cream.

Next he wanted to make sure his truck could handle long road trips to shows throughout Japan, so he rebuilt the dead 350 small-block using a GM rebuild kit, and he installed an Edelbrock intake manifold and carburetor as well as all new engine components and accessories. Then he painted a lot of the parts in the same colors as the frame. The stock 350 automatic three-speed transmission was replaced with a four-speed for better highway cruising.

Now that the frame, suspension and motor were all finished it was time to remount the cab and the bed. Hide was happy with the natural patina that the C-10 had, so he just made sure that all of the panels aligned properly and that the trim was straight. Once he got his new mild exhaust installed, new fuel lines plumbed and new fuel pump mounted on the frame, it was time to fire up the old farm truck. It started right up!

Final touches were a set of 14-inch steelies with wide white-wall tires for the classic hot rod look and a floor-mounted shifter topped with an American Shifter Company orange shift knob. He also installed an Alpine and Kicker sound system so that he can enjoy tunes when he takes the truck on some of the 80-plus-hour road trips to car shows. His future plans for the truck are 20-inch Centerline smoothie billet wheels and more patina. As incredible as the barn find story is, it’s also incredible that he completed his truck in two months while working on it part-time during a cold Kyoto winter with temperatures in negative digits. ST

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AKIHIDE ”HIDE” SAKAMOTO
1968 CHEVROLET C-10
KYOTO, JAPAN
RELAXED ATMOSPHERE

TRUCK SPECS

ENGINE

• 350 SBC
• EDELBROCK CARBURETOR
• FOUR-SPEED TRANSMISSION

SUSPENSION

• CUSTOM CONTROL ARMS
• CUSTOM 4-LINK
• SLAM SPECIALTIES AIRBAGS

BODY

• FARM TRUCK PATINA

WHEELS

• 14-INCH STEELIE WHEELS
• WIDE WHITE WALL TIRES

INTERIOR

• AMERICAN SHIFTER CO. SHIFTER
• ALPINE AND KICKER SOUND SYSTEM

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