Installing a Custom Autosound Stereo Into A Vintage Chevy C10

There are only a few things in this world that really get us going. A few of them are auto related, but one of the things we love most is music. As far as we’re concerned, the only thing better than tooling down the highway in our hot rod truck is tooling down the highway in our hot rod truck while listening to music. 

Cars and music have been so intertwined in our culture that the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean virtually made their careers out of combining the two—well, these two things and a pretty girl, anyway. 

While we love classic vehicles, there are some aspects that have to be upgraded for life in the here and now—or make that the hear and now. Though a sound system that provides the capabilities of modern vehicles may not be on a par with upgraded safety features such as disc brakes, it sure does make life better to our ears, anyway.

We like the looks of the classic dashes in early pickups. We did not want to cut up the dash in order to install a new stereo system. Thanks to the folks at Custom Autosound those days are over, and have been for some time, as they’ve seen to it that nearly anyone can install a custom sound system in his or her vintage ride without having to do any damage to it, or without the need to be an electrical engineer. 

Since 1979, Custom Autosound has been producing state-of-the-art stereo systems that fit the stock radio opening. Custom Autosound owner Carl Sprague originally designed a unit that would fit into his ’63 Corvette without having to alter the stock console. Since then, he and his crew have expanded the products they offer to encompass systems for more than 400 different makes and models, ranging in years from the 1940s through the 1980s. 

In this article we’re chronicling the installation of a Custom Autosound USA-5 unit into a 1972 Chevy C10. The installation of the Custom Autosound unit is fairly straightforward, one that most folks with a base knowledge of their vehicle’s electrical system and stereo-based electronics can do at home. It just requires some basic understanding, and the ability to bolt things together and run some wiring.

Custom Autosound has units that can control the CD changer but do not have a cassette player. It also has a Secretaudio unit, which has a small and very thin faceplate that can be mounted in a visor or a center console while still being able to control a remote-mounted CD changer. The Secretaudio system is perfect for those who want to smooth the dash on their pickups.