Draw the Line

Mild to wild, take your pick. Wild will bring in the attention, but will it grow old? These questions can be applied to pretty much any aspect of rods or customs, but today let’s dig into a lesser-explored (yet very critical) element of every project—the interior.

Just like the outside, there’s a science to picking out the inside. It’s a multi-stage project that encompasses everything from the steering wheel to the instrumentation (that is, if you choose to run any at all). Most of the time I’m a firm believer in a simple, subdued patterns and materials that reflect the era of the build. But there are those unique instances where the interior puts it all on the line and pulls it off. Case in point, Bucky Ketcherside’s 1957 Chevrolet.

In the early-’60s, Bucky’s interests were shifting from building construction to automotive customization. Starting with a fairly new sedan, he treated the body to a few mild custom touches, the most noticeable being the reworked hood, bumper and tube grille. Note that the door handles and side trim remained intact. He did, however, strategically form metal mesh on the inside of the headlight coves and splice pieces of ’58 Ford grille into the taillight lenses. The car was lowered and a fuel-injected 327 Chevy made its way beneath the hood. Everything that could be removed was chromed and polished to the max.

Then we have the interior. Yards upon yards of candy-striped red and white tuck and roll. There’s mother of pearl, candy and a mix of horizontal and vertical pleats. Does the trunk match? You bet. It’s kitschy. It’s cool. And for me, it’s the highlight of this mild custom Chevy. When it comes to wild interiors, where do you draw the line?

—Joey Ukrop

Photos by Donald G. Klumpp, Popular Hot Rodding, October 1963