Recently, a company approached me with a unique project: improving reproduction gauge decal sets for Chevrolet and GMC round body trucks. Until then, I hadn’t heard of them, but once I took a closer look, I quickly understood why so many restorers felt frustrated. The company had poorly designed the reproduction kit, yet it remained the only option on the market.
After I bought a set myself, the issues jumped out immediately. The sheet looked disorganized, the backing paper overlapped many decal edges, and removing them often caused the edges to lift and lose adhesion. Even worse, most of the graphics sat noticeably off-center. Anyone striving for a perfect Chevrolet or GMC round body truck restoration would feel disappointed the moment they assembled the gauges.
Redesigning the Classic Truck Gauge Decals
I decided to fix these problems head-on. I recaptured the shapes, numbers, and graphics to make sure every line looked sharp, straight, and correctly aligned. I also lightened the colors slightly so they stand out better under incandescent lighting at night, I refined the cut lines for a cleaner, and more professional finish.
Their original kit also caused headaches with shipping. This vendor packaged the decals on a large sheet, which forced buyers to pay for oversized envelopes. That approach raised shipping costs and increased the risk of bent or folded decals during delivery—something postal services seem to mishandle more and more each year.
Our Improved Decal Kit Design
To solve these problems, we created a fully pre-cut decal set, which delivers two big advantages:
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Smaller packaging and lower shipping costs – No oversized envelopes and no unnecessary risk of damage.
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Easier installation – Each decal includes a scored backing. Peel one corner and used the side with the backing to align the decal perfectly before committing. Once it looks straight, peel away the rest of the backing and press it down. This method makes installation simple for beginners and smooth for experienced restorers.
Only Buy the Decals You Need
The old kit forced buyers to pay for decals they didn’t need. We saw no reason for that. Our kit lets you choose only the decals specific to your Chevrolet or GMC truck. You get exactly what you need, and nothing goes to waste.
What’s Next?
We feel proud of how this first decal set turned out. Next, we’ll release the 1947–1954 Chevrolet truck gauge decal set, which we’re currently refining. Our kits will also include odometer decals once we complete the final design. Find yourself in need one before the official release, just reach out—we’ll help.
If you’re restoring a Chevrolet or GMC round body truck and want accurate, easy-to-install, professionally finished gauge decals, our new set gives you the quality restoration parts your project deserves.
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