We/I cant go anywhere without people coming out with cameras and cell phones to take pictures of my truck. On the sweeping floors it may be profitable. Thats code word for farmers. (Ever the penny-pinchers, they opted to apply the same logo stickers to the trucks as they did to their boats.). Perhaps even these Jeeps were big trucks in a past life. These gems were a challenge to drive without power steering. The big windshields and door glass gave a full view of the road. Its grainy and basically useless, but unless I find the others, that may well be all that remains of these rigs. As far as I know this is a Bedford KM, the heavy-duty TK. I cant say I have a soft spot for Brigadiers. The sleeper provided ample room and comfort, and air conditioning
Every once in awhile Ill see one sitting on a back lot. Despite everyones best efforts, the business finally went under in 2013. The white cabooses weve seen are made of metal. They were quite popular, particularly with fleets. Cabover interiors are all essentially the same but they all have a few differences. The GMC Astro (also known as the Chevrolet Titan) is a heavy-duty cabover truck that was manufactured by the GMC Truck and Coach Division of General Motors from the 1969 to 1987 model years. They were OK trucks in their day, not bad to work on generally. A few words about their personal connection and memories of cabovers. 1986 GMC Astro cabover day cab. Throughout the entire production run, the trucks were assembled in Pontiac, Michigan by the Pontiac Central Assembly facility. Interesting hearing about truck models from the mechanics perspective. Some truckers wore full length snowmobile suits in them, just to stay warm! Could be theres more badges these wore. You could get Cummins and later the 3406 Cat, but the vast majority had 71 and 92 series Jimmys in them. Restoration completed recently. The truck was still in warranty, the service rep didnt want to replace all the parts we planned on replacing. Astro featured many things that made it popular and innovative at the
This was also used in the prototype
Updated: Sat, April 10, 2021 5:09 PM Get Shipping Quotes - (Opens in a new tab) Apply for Financing - (Opens in a new tab) No image. Dents and rust throughout, interior dirty and worn. They would haul trailer loads of potatoes in from Idaho with these rigs. email me. A cabover interior is a very useful tool in that it can make sure that the contents of the car is hidden to anyone who might be looking. But somewhere down the line (perhaps in the early eighties) they acquired another line of business: building pontoon boats. Gauges for the trailer air supply and pressure were
Too bad they were unable to weather the recession. Thanks for the history of the company. Heres a few pics of its predecessors. There are a few reasons this might happen: To regain access, please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page. Welcome to TruckTube!!! at the Hollywood Park Truck Show in Ingleside, CA in 1969. These Astro cabs had (exterior) styling far ahead of their time, especially the ones with the smaller grille. Planning to exit the medium-duty truck market, General Motors canceled the production in 2009. My son and I still drive this truck and trailer every week from San Diego California, to LA. I knew a guy who worked in the service department at a Caterpillar dealer, and he said that some of his customers wouldnt hesitate to come right over his desk if they got the slightest inkling that he might be causing some delay in getting their equipment back into use. Updated: Mon, Nov 14, 2022 1:32 PM Get Shipping Quotes - (Opens in a new tab) Apply for Financing - (Opens in a new tab) No image. 1900. We take a look at the exterior and interior of the vehicle, so you can receive a general idea and appreciation of a certain brand or model.Our coverage is from Truck, Auto and Commercial Vehicle Shows in USA, Europe and Canada.Thanks for watching!! Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: Yugo When Was The Last Time You Saw One? My good friend and photography mentor loves them. The location makes sense. The cabovers were nice for doing a lot of repairs although I hated pulling radiators. As a result, I finally got a chance to get up close and personal with their fleet of trucks. Especially love the old Kenworth K100E Aerodyne. Nine89-2five4-eight20eight Report Last Updated on: February 28, 2023 with 1979 GMC Astro Cabover - $4000 This truck had plenty of power and I was able to easily beat a friend on mine driving the International cabover out of a toll plaza. Overspray bedamned, Ill take it! It had chrome bumpers, a chrome grille, and a single chrome exhaust stack, but the gas tank was steel, as were the wheels. This 1974 model was one of the last trucks to travel down the assembly line before the company went bankrupt in late 1974. Also in common with GM products of the day Astros didnt age well, particularly inside the cab. I was only supposed to keep the Titan until the Astro was fixed but I couldnt go back to that noisy sweat box now. Their sales as a result, started to dwindle, as a conventional style rig was almost the same price as these flat nose trucks, and they were considerably more comfortable. The cabooses are all designed with different colors, textures, and materials. Used. Useful articles fast to read and guides easy to understand written by mechanics and car enthusiasts to turn your shopping experience with TRUCKiD into a pleasure. I have a 1983 GMC Astro cabover I had for a few years and slowly fixing it up when I have time to. The GMC Astro is a heavy-duty (Class 8) cabover truck that was manufactured by the GMC Truck and Coach Division of General Motors. Nothing on earth sounds as good to me as a screamin Jimmy Diesel. The Kenworths had dog houses big enough to sleep on. Radhe also tries different gadgets every now and then to give their reviews online. ), But they couldnt just let the boats pile upthey had to get them out to the dealers somehow. At the time I was trying to obscure the trucks location to prevent unwelcome tourists (as I commonly did with any roadside pics). This gives good access to the motor for maintenance and repair. Cabover interiors are always black and have that kind of chrome finish that makes them look menacing and slightly menacing. ASTRO 95. They are very similar at a glance. Visibility. Cabover interiors use a different system from other car interiors in the same way that a car interior uses a different system. Cabover trucks werent particularly comfortable, back in the early years. One of my old neighbors was one of the mechanics that worked there until retiring shortly before the warehouse closed.. (I think the warehouse closed during the early 1990s) If I remember right, he told me most of the ones at Fort Wayne were Detroit powered, although there was some Cummins powered as well, with 7 speeds. It was a nice truck but harder to get into tight spots and I was partial to the cabovers. Chevy Turbo Titan III. Who knows? But every end is merely a new beginning. As much as I enjoyed finally getting to climb around on the trucks, I was actually there for another reason. To draw attention to the brand, GMC launched the promotional campaign using several country cross-overs. Gmc ASTRO Cab, Misc. But the pontoon-hauler wasnt quite as fancy as this one. There are distinct niches in the trucking industry where trucker pay is above the average wages paid. Just like this big Bedford and the Astro. My boss arranged to swap out the General with an older model 1975 Astro 95. The ultimate custom truck show and big rig event schedule for U.S. and Canada. All rights reserved. My Mom ran a truck leasing operation in the 70s-90s (NationalLease/LendLease) and back in the 70s when the 95 came out it was a VERY big deal. Another controversial feature of it was
Must have been a big Chevy truck dealer out there. Related > What It Was Like to Drive the Older Model Rigs. Is this the same model International Transtar? You wanted to be sure you had your pants on when you rolled out of the sleeper! 118" WB, 104" cab to rear, 184" overall. The only parts in stock were routine maintainence and some high wear items. Oddly enough they still use what cabovers are left for boat transport. My Dad drove so many of these, his knees still rattle and shake! I actually had to call Ercoa once working a claim on a boat. It's flush glass and smooth exterior surfaces
Mechanically sound. We like the way they roll. Today, it is one of the most recognizable marques in the industry. Special Series. The wrap around dash and placement of the controls and instruments was perfect. Given the paint scheme, it seems fairly likely this tractor and trailer spent at least part of their lives together. The nose of the semi is flat and the truck cab sits on top of the diesel engine and steering axle. Even the old freight shaker cabovers! 1975 GMC Astro Cabover Truck - AS-IS. 1995 Freightliner C.O.E. I love the old KW100E. They are also usually found on the back of a car, but they can be found in other areas as well. Additional information is available in this. Drivers didnt worry about head on collisions. When backing in to loading docks and winding through heavy traffic, nothing can compare with a cabover truck! The truck and trailer were plainly visible from the road. [1] Although Detroit Diesel had developed a gas-turbine version of the GMC Astro in the early 1970s, fuel-economy concerns would keep it out of production. [1] In 1977, the Cummins KT450 and Caterpillar 3406 became options; the larger engines required the addition of a larger radiator. We could only make about 59 mph but I was cool and comfortable as I cruised the highway. Class 8 cabover highway trucks are still manufactured at a plant in North Carolina. The only GM heavy truck that was built after the merger was the Brigadier, and it lasted until the Pontiac heavy truck plant closed in late 1989. There are fewer blind spots too. The same bolts held the fuel tank mounts on. These continued to remain as GMC's main class
. Thanks for visiting my page! Guess I did a better job than necessary, in this case! But as you can imagine, by this time there wasnt much left of them. What a mess. The GMC Astro is a heavy-duty class 8 cabover truck that was unveiled in 1969 as the replacement for the GMC cabover semi truck produced during 1960-1968 that received the nickname Crackerbox for its boxy-shaped cabin. $4,000.00 1979 GMC Astro cabover semi tractor Detroit 892v 13 speed 54,276 actual mileage 2,324 hours Starts and runs great. American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others, Tractors, Lawn Mowers, Off-Road Equipment, Big Truck Outtake: GMC Astro 95 It Makes Me Want To Go Boating. It also has a black, white, and red interior. It could go maybe 65 mph tops. The GMC Astro 95 was introduced
This is a highly detailed restoration of the exterior and the interior. The base engine was the Detroit Diesel 6-71N, with the Detroit 8V71 and Cummins N-Series diesel engines as options. Much different then cars boats are still a little bit in the wild west of manufacturing. Beat me to itthe White was clearly an Astro rip-off, although there isnt exactly a lot of leeway with big COE trucks in making them look distinctive, at least in the idiom of that time. In a surprise win, I ended up with both the seventeen-footers and one of the two unfinished sixteens for just a few hundred dollars. The Great Lakes Truck Club hosts the Clifford Truck Show, featuring a hot line-up of cabovers, Macks and older model rigs. A practical guide to paid CDL training programs. All orignal. Cabovers werent necessary dangerously. Save $2,894 right now on a Chevrolet Astro on CarGurus. Any way it was big. Every downturn claims some, Boats and RVs are big discrentionary extras subject to consumer confidence. Cabover trucks, COE (cab over engine), are essentially a style of big rig truck without a hood. With that in mind, we have gathered high-quality GMC parts and accessories that work the first time, every time. The GMC Astro was offered in single or double rear axle configurations. 1987 GMC Astro 95
Their heyday may have started in the mid 80s, but those boom years were fading away by the early 00s. You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed. This model was designed to have a higher cab, bigger rad, and a larger engine, than its predecessor. In addition to light trucks, this meant a potential GMC franchise needed the ability to support medium-duty trucks, heavy-duty commercial trucks, the GMC motorhome, P-chassis, and school bus chassis. The cabovers black interior is also the most unique. You had to jack the front of the cab up to get the valve cover off. It takes only one quick glance at a side view, above, to see how the F-Model GMC tilt-cab trucks and tractors of 1959-68 deserved the name "Crackerbox.". Clifford, ON, comes alive on the Canada Day long weekend. For a typical dealership, this meant dedicating profitable space that would have otherwise gone to selling passenger cars. I vaguely recall it being at/near a T intersection. 1976 GMC Astro day cab over semi, Big Cam 350 Cummins eng., 13 spd., 11R24.5, spring ride, sliding hitch, 711,344 miles, VIN TDC926V578511 - new batteries Carlisle, Iowa. The new model has replaced the line of C/M 90/9500 trucks. Recommended Company Sponsored Schools, Requirements, pros + cons, what to expect from company-sponsored cdl training programs. Theybring back good memories from the past from the days when theindustry paid truckers what they were worth and the professional driver was respected by the public. (Wonder how many other people can say they own not one, butthree brand-new, never-used, 1991 model year boats?). There was also the memorable wrap-around dashboard, all decked out in woodgrain. Guess which one I was most interested in? Theres something very nostalgic about seeing these rigs on the road today. The TM had 4 head lights and double bumpers to differentiate it and they had larger more powerfull engines than the TK range but the cab was shared. William C. Durant established General Motors (GM) as the holding company for Buick on September 16, 1908. In contrast to the Crackerbox, the cab of the Astro was lengthened nearly six inches into a 54-inch BBC length with two sleeper cab configurations available. I liked the little window in the passenger door. Cabover interiors are usually found in the back of a car, and they are usually made of steel rather than plastic. USED - Door side vent, Does not include interior trim, Needs seal, Cab over. Expanding the product line to the Chevrolet brand, the replacement for the GMC Crackerbox sought to expand interior space, visibility, and driver ergonomics. When I was a kid, my parents would drive me to the nearest truck stop, so I could take pictures of the big rigs, and talk to the truck drivers. This truck is very rare as we are finding out. Ford made a big cabover on air bag suspension that leaned in the corners and felt like it was going to tip over sideways when the driver climbed in or out. Not surprising, given that it came from GM, although its predecessor, the Crackerbox (attached) certainly couldnt have spent much time in the Design Center. cylinder engines, and Cummins power was available. The reason? $182.00 . Picture of my Titan 90 north of Portland Maine 1979. They were deadly in a head on crash. I would bet my paycheck that the truck and trailer were originally owner by Old Dutch Potato Chip Company. Upgrades to the truck's suspension improved its handling and ride, as well. The last GMC B-Series left the assembly line in 2003. Model. Shopping with us, you get parts and accessories that work hard just like you, built tough just like your vehicle. Comfort. They all share a few very obvious features that make them stand out, like a small seat in the middle that has a handle, a small door that is made of glass, and a small door that is made of plastic. Super trucks for local work, but not well suited for long haul trucking. Great truck and photo. was a radical departure for GMC-it was completely cab-over engine, and
It was a family business dad, son, and grandson could all be found down the same hallway. But now a sighting of a working cabover truck on the road is more rare. Company owners said should just have to put new batteries in and change the fluids and should start up. My extended family has owned and used that exact model of paddleboat on various lakes in Minnesota for close to four decades. custom built, and that GMC had been experiencing slightly slumping sales during
The first 1,000,000 miles of my driving was in trucks like these. The Sleeper Bunk. Didnt most of these Astro / Titan trucks use Detroit Diesel power? The owner has done a terrific job in restoring the unit to its original condition. Discover (and save!) The early COE trucks were also very cold, as they werent well insulated. I still think about those days and whenever I see a picture of an Astro 95/ Chevy Titan 90 I know first hand they were one of the best designed and nicest looking trucks on the road. The new model featured better visibility and improved driver ergonomics. The cabover style of truck took full advantage of the trucking industry length laws, in effect at the time. Never tripped across one that didnt rattle! The California Air Recourses Board made me put a 2002 N-14 engine in it and a super large catalytic converter/particulate filter, but it dynoed super clean and the Astro 95 can be used until 2027. The Astro 95 was the best-styled truck of its time, and one of the best ever. It doesnt have the sunshade, but otherwise it is a dead ringer. 1972 GMC Astro Cabover Truck - Walkaround Exterior Interior Tour - 2021 Clifford Truck Show 4,021 views Sep 9, 2021 109 Dislike Share Save TruckTube 186K subscribers Welcome to TruckTube!! She carries weight between 93-105,000+lb loads. The top speed was right around 60 mph, the speed limit those days was 55 mph so many trucks were geared to keep the top speed down. The replacement for the F/D-series "Crackerbox" COEs, the Astro was marketed by Chevrolet as the Titan, serving as the largest cabover trucks ever produced by General Motors. Drive Side. I had lots of scares over the years but that one was probably the most tense because it took a quite of bit of time to pull this off and get that cab sitting back down on its mounts. They were tough to get out of after a long day of driving, and the ride in them was pretty firm. The trailers, each one brand-new and built to their specifications, were a sort of light-duty lowboy that attached to this odd hitch, upon which the boats could be stacked two high along their entire length of forty-some feet. So they dumped their interests in such things as snowmobiles and recreational craft, going hard after that one market they felt was most lucrative. Succeeding the F/D-series "Crackerbox" cabovers, the Astro was marketed by Chevrolet as the Titan, serving as the largest cabover trucks ever produced by General Motors. Theirs was an Astro 95, of course; a 1978, if I recall. A few fleet delivery customers but mostly farmers who only used the trucks come harvest time. The plastic type is often found in the back of a truck, but it can be found in a few other areas as well. Cab is up in the air, a crack noise followed by some crunching sounds. The Titan had a 290 Cummins and 10 speed Roadranger and the A/C worked! In fact they were as cold as hell! Oh man, how I love those old cabovers and the other rigs, especially the Petes. None of the seventeen-footers were ever completed. model in the middle of 1949. Dan is hoping to use this truck in the summer to haul hay. A larger cab provided more interior space and greater comfort for the driver, and larger windows allowed for better driver visibility. So an auction was scheduled, and the companys assets were bagged, tagged, and sold to the highest bidder. The new model featured better visibility and improved driver ergonomics. Clean, classy, and very GM. Also, by the end of the 1970s, Astro's dashboard had been slightly
I may well have been the only guy in the Yellow Pages who knew what they meant by thickwire.. To get out, the trucker had to more or less, back out of the cab door, while hanging onto a railing on the door. All were late 70s vintage cabovers with sleepers and rooftop air deflectors, painted white, with the obligatorylogo on the door. Of the seven, five were sixteen feet long, and two were seventeen feet. Condition. metatron-nw.com 2023. i have being looking for a astro or titan would you be interested in selling one. They also all open in a certain way (although they differ in this area). All Rights Reserved. Among their factory leftovers was a small group of V-bottom boats. The faster you repair your semi-truck, the faster it gets on the road and keeps on moving your business forward. Needless to say, everyone there knew their products VERY well. From the second picture on, I knew it would be enjoyable! The Pete 362 cabover launched in 1981 featured cab suspension as well as a wraparound dash that I worked on, which may have been subliminally inspired by the GMC. The best trucks ever. Postal Code: 7 LOT #: 10062 Save 1986 GMC ASTRO Sleeper Trucks Buyer's premium included in price USD $120.00 GMC COE single axle. I can remember the day we got in a shipment of tools and manuals for the 91 Syclone. I read somewhere that Larry Shinoda had a hand in designing the Astro 95. In 1987, GM ended the production of the GMC General. Thats a nice one! Box Truck - Straight Truck,Cabover Truck - COE Trucks For Sale in Provo, UT: 38 Box Truck - Straight Truck,Cabover Truck - COE Trucks Near You - Find Box Truck - Straight Truck,Cabover Truck - COE Trucks on Commercial Truck Trader. In 1943, General Motors absorbed Yellow Coach, a Chicago-based bus manufacturer, forming the GM Truck and Coach Division. One of my regrets is that I wasnt yet smart enough to try to figure out how to save my fathers old 1947 Autocar 10-wheeler dump truck from the scrap yard. economy. They have that in common with a great many other big trucks. wide panoramic glass provided excellent vision to the front and the
Truck had more than a few dents! I sold off the shop manuals years ago on the internet. Astro model, go see the. You can read the full disclosure policy, which is pretty dull, but here it is. One of the other farms runs a fleet thats all GMC on the older stuff. Visit our site at any time to acquire GMC semi truck accessories and parts needed for your restoration or upgrade project. As I recall they were much easier to deal with than most boat companies who prefer to use their dealers for all customer support. Search our large inventory of New/Used GMC ASTRO Cab, Misc Parts for sale. Ever since those got retired (replaced by conventional White-GMC or Volvo-White rigs) Ive seen few to no Astros. The extensive use or hauling heavy cargo takes its toll on the state of your vehicle, which means that sooner or later you will need some GMC semi truck accessories and parts. The total length of the cab was a mere 48 . All three are currently relaxing behind the shop until my project backlog is a bit shorter. Maneuvering a big trailer was a real workout. Equally memorable was a prop which sometimes sat near it: a Dixie cup which contained a spoon and was filled to overflowing with white glue, which had a bit of brown paint stirred in and was allowed to harden. I wouldnt be so quick to write the Road Commander off as an Astro copy, Larry Shinoda of Mustang and Corvette fame was the man behind the design. there is no reaching into the sleeper to grab something, when sitting in the drivers seat! Right on about the crappy service with GMC dealers. These rigs were once quite commonly seen rolling down the highways. The different cabooses are designed to look different colors and to be able to transition from one color to another. In contrast to the Crackerbox, the cab of the Astro was lengthened nearly six inches into a 54-inch BBC length with two sleeper cab configurations available. with Rudkin-Wiley Airshield. For the paddleboat, of course. It took a while for me to warm up to that oneI thought it was tacky when I first saw it, but apparently the secretaries got a kick out of watching peoples reactions. Its interior became much more spacious due to an optional sleeper cab. 1974 Diamond Reo Cabover An early model of COE style rig American made. Yes! Modern cabovers are built with more structural safety features to protect the driver in the event of a crash. And you see a lot of Brigadiers out here too. The sleeper was scaled like the cab and was roomy and comfortable. In 1976, another 9 of length was allowed, for a maximum 75 allowance. Its design was cleaner and slicker than the Transtar. Drivers had to be careful of foot placement, or else theyd end up falling on the ground! Cab Manufacturer: gmc Model: astro $2,000.00 1986 GMC ASTRO Cab Create Estimate Tag #: 25276546 VIN #: 1GDT9L4C5GV505534 *Brakes: AIR Engine: CUMMINS BCIII Type: SHELL Style: CABOVER SHELL CAB, COMPONENTS SOLD SEPARATE, ALLISON HT754CR Part Info (877)238-5030 Request Info Enterprise Vander Haags Inc Cb Council Bluffs IA $786.00 1983 GMC ASTRO Cab Copyright 2018-2023 TRUCKiD.com. Some articles may contain affiliate links. 1979 Peterbilt, 352 Cabover This Peterbilt has been beautifully restored by its owner! The Ercoa staff were good friendly folks. I am trying to see if by some chance this trailer is still in existence. It was supposedly a big advance in truck design for its time. We have large over head hoists and we can slip a second trolley hoist onto the beam from the next hoist over. I also have a soft spot for the Astro along with the Brigadeir and General. Manufacturer. Interestingly enough, the people in the front office werent just strategizers and makers of budgets and blueprints. [2] Along with single or tandem axle configurations, the GMC Crackerbox was available with a sleeper cab. I might have even worked on this one. The cabover is made of metal and the interior is black.
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Heart Warming Or Heartwarming, Camp For Sale Slippery Rock, Pa, Articles G