What can I do, I have diesel in my veins and Detroits in my heart. I know the mechanics at the garbage company in Truckee/N. But they are still the gold standard in Europe, Australia and Japan. But the pontoon-hauler wasnt quite as fancy as this one. Cabover interiors use a different system from other car interiors in the same way that a car interior uses a different system. An uncomplicated and clean design, thats what makes a design timeless. In the late 1960s, as American truck manufacturers introduced updated designs for cabover trucks, design work began on an all-new Class 8 cabover. A larger cab provided more interior space and greater comfort for the driver, and larger windows allowed for better driver visibility. Old Dutch plant located in Minneapolis. Recommended Company Sponsored Schools, Requirements, pros + cons, what to expect from company-sponsored cdl training programs. Heres a few pics of its predecessors. Truck has dual power windows tilt wheel, extra gages. That thing is so deliciously 80s. Its a FACTORY double bunk. Much different then cars boats are still a little bit in the wild west of manufacturing. The cabover is made of metal and the interior is black. The doors were a little wider on the Astro than the International and I thought the Astro was easier to get into and out of. 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. Additional information is available in this. Please email None were roadworthy, only one was able to be started, and perhaps worst of all, no titles could be produced for any of them. Some truckers wore full length snowmobile suits in them, just to stay warm! Add To Cart. (Ever the penny-pinchers, they opted to apply the same logo stickers to the trucks as they did to their boats.). The only other cabovers weve seen have a black, red, and blue interior. It was hell. there is no reaching into the sleeper to grab something, when sitting in the drivers seat! She carries weight between 93-105,000+lb loads. He believes that Content and Social Media Marketing are the strongest forms of marketing nowadays. Buyer's premium included in price USD $458. These continued to remain as GMC's main class MN. We can order those things? What a mess. The different cabooses are designed to look different colors and to be able to transition from one color to another. Tires are good. I dont think Id ever consider trying to restore one. GM engineers began working on a new truck that would meet I thought the International Cabover was somewhat claustrophobic. Nothing else you could do there anyway. Sometimes you needed a prybar to get the rear cab mounts back into there saddles. GMC Astro cabs were built almost entirely out of aluminum, with SMC fiberglass-reinforced plastic doors, and were offered in three lengths: the short 55-inch non-sleeper cab, a 75-inch sleeper cab and an 87-inch sleeper cab. In North America its the other way around. Those old White Freightliners would just rattle all the time. As the trucks aged the cab had a tendency to shift to the right as it lifted, older ones would snag the safety hook. Super-detailed engine, chassis and interior; CB radio and dual antennas; Astro . However, due to it's Oddly enough they still use what cabovers are left for boat transport. But as you can imagine, by this time there wasnt much left of them. It did the job but no one ever confused it with a Peterbilt or a Kenworth. Upgrades to the truck's suspension improved its handling and ride, as well. Previews will consist of visual inspection, and vehicle can be started. The trucks, however, were not so lucky. There were approximately seven built, all told; they were prototypes for a new line that never got off the ground. They are also becoming wildly popular at truck shows. Radhe Gupta is an Indian business blogger. Out here, the farmers still run Brigadiers, Generals, and Ford Louisvilles. The left front cab mount failed, the cab has swung around to the right some and landed on the motor. Here are some comments sent in from truckers. White trailers with a big "Food Lion" graphic. Drivers didnt worry about head on collisions. 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. Definitely a product of White Motor Company or one of its spin offs. As I left the yard that day, I watched as the dilapidated Astrowas being hacked apart by a small herd of torch jockeys. 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. with Rudkin-Wiley Airshield. We have everything you need to maintain your GMC in top condition to avoid truck breakdowns and get it operating properly again. Astro featured many things that made it popular and innovative at the The faster you repair your semi-truck, the faster it gets on the road and keeps on moving your business forward. Item:24627543 Spencer, IA $242.00. And when I came on in 2006, things werent looking pretty. Even the old freight shaker cabovers! During WWII, GM supplied the US Army with more than 600,000 GMC trucks. The Sleeper Bunk. Given the design and material information I hung onto from earlier, I expect to be able to finish their construction fairly easily. They were quite popular, particularly with fleets. Comfort is a big issue especially for long haul trucking. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Im very familiar with both the Astro and the Transtar. 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. I drove one in 71 for two years, with a V12 Detroit engine. The new model featured better visibility and improved driver ergonomics. [1] In an option that became standard a year later, in 1979, GMC and Chevrolet offered the SS (Special Series) package. Id been itching to make a deal ever since I became aware of their presence in the back of the warehouse some years ago, but my offers to buy had always fallen on deaf ears. The cabovers were nice for doing a lot of repairs although I hated pulling radiators. This retro truck style is rising to the surface once again for particular working applications. It seemed the final nail in their coffin might have been the failure of a large chain of boat dealers, which happened to be one of their biggest distributors. 1975 GMC Astro Cabover Truck - AS-IS. From the second picture on, I knew it would be enjoyable! Of the three trucks in the fleet, there were two Internationals and one GMC. It doesnt have the sunshade, but otherwise it is a dead ringer. 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. This merger formed the basis of the General Motors Truck Company giving the GMC brand name for their trucks. (The folks in their marketing department had a thing for using staff, friends, and family in their promotional photos. However, Ive noticed a resurgence of interest in cabover trucks recently. My Dad drove so many of these, his knees still rattle and shake! was loved by owners and operators alike. The white cabooses may be aluminum, but the black caboose is made of metal. And so came the companys latest investment, circa 1987: a fleet of new-to-them tractors with brand-new trailers. The Only Old School Cabover Truck Guide Youll Ever Need, Old School Cabover Truck Photo Collection, The Clifford Truck Show Best Cabover Collection EVER, What It Was Like to Drive the Older Model Rigs, Trucker Culture and Professionalism A Salute to the Professionals That Move Us, 1980 International Transtar Eagle Model Review, The Peterbilt Cabover Truck Photo Collection, The 5 Best Semi Trucks of All Times A Trip Down Memory Lane. From what I have seen, Its been stretched, and also has a tag axle. What was always fun was tilting any of these cabovers to there full tilt range. Some models had quite large sleeper berths. 1974 Diamond Reo Cabover An early model of COE style rig American made. Browse the best December 2022 deals on Chevrolet Astro vehicles for sale in Provo, UT. Broken lights and lenses throughout. But, with surprising candor, he began to lament his purchase of the truck having now done the math, he was expecting to take a big hit on it, and several other things hed won at that auction. The truck only racked up 85,000 miles in that entire time and the engine only has 2,500 hours on it. GMC's Astro story originally begins in the early I thought the truck fit me perfectly and I became a part of it whenever we were on the road. In fact they were as cold as hell! Also in common with GM products of the day Astros didnt age well, particularly inside the cab. (Powerliner). of these honorable trucks on the road today. Cabover interior is the way that the caboose opens. Dan is hoping to use this truck in the summer to haul hay. You've disabled cookies in your web browser. Discover (and save!) 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. This is not one of them. I might have even worked on this one. Its Hall-Scott gas engine was still running well, but the truck just was too slow to be competitive in the late 1960s, and it was actually driven to its resting place in the woods at the local wrecking yard, where it sat for years before being scrapped. After a couple years of testing the idea was dropped due to the turbines poor fuel consumption. Its too bad they dont make them like that any more. Our goal is to support you and your business. It could go maybe 65 mph tops. At the time I was trying to obscure the trucks location to prevent unwelcome tourists (as I commonly did with any roadside pics). Thanks for the history of the company. The truck and trailer were plainly visible from the road. My boss arranged to swap out the General with an older model 1975 Astro 95. I noticed and like the 92 Dark Cherry Metallic Chevy Caprice in the background of the third picture from the bottom. Enjoy our hassle-free online checkout or call to speak to an expert. He told me that when he purchased one in the mid 70s he test drove a Pete 352 (COE) and got the impression that it had inferior build quality to the Astro. They were great for maneuvering in tight spots, but not so great to live in for long time periods for over the road trucking. Some articles may contain affiliate links. Is this the same model International Transtar? The driver would be the first guy at the scene of a head on accident. Drove these trucks for years. Instruction, clear advice, videos and photos for truck driver skills, maneuvers and information for all professional truck drivers. The sleeper was scaled like the cab and was roomy and comfortable. It was easy for the younger drivers, but not quite so easy for the older truckers! 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. ), But they couldnt just let the boats pile upthey had to get them out to the dealers somehow. 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. My Red and White Astro 95 being an older truck was pretty well broken in and she was hot (A/C permanently broke) and noisy to be in 10 to 12 or more hours a day. 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. Related > What It Was Like to Drive the Older Model Rigs. In the shuffle, Ercoa managed to grab the pontoon business and run with it. Needless to say, everyone there knew their products VERY well. The neighbor has one Brigadier- a 1979 thats on its last legs. The cabooses are all designed with different colors, textures, and materials. Gmc ASTRO Cab, Misc. They were mostly Astros, these older small-grille versions, in dark blue. Since the length laws have changed so much to allow longer units on the roads, there are no longer the same advantages to this style of truck. Since 1966, General Motors has been manufacturing a line of buses based on a traditional cowled chassis. Drive Side. TGH928V900010. My extended family has owned and used that exact model of paddleboat on various lakes in Minnesota for close to four decades. If every driver of EVERY vehicle on the road followed these safety tips, our roads would be SO much safer. 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.". Owned by Ryan Wichtner, FL. Downtime means lost income. By the mid eighties, they were doing pretty well for themselves: theyd moved into a big new facility, had expanded their lineup to include such things as portable ice houses and their trademark line of peddle-boats, and of course they were still cranking out pontoons left and right. They were once very common, particularly in fleet service. Somewhere on the back roads near Pine City, MN, as I recall cant give more detail than that without actually retracing my steps. 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. If anyone knows about these powerplants in They were spun-off from Volvo during the Mack acquisition as the combined company would have had to big a share of the Low Cab Forward Truck market. In 1916, GMC made headlines when a husband and wife drove the GMC pickup truck from Seattle to New York in 30 days. Placement of the truck cab over the motor saved some length. Just love the old school classics. Their heyday may have started in the mid 80s, but those boom years were fading away by the early 00s. We have large over head hoists and we can slip a second trolley hoist onto the beam from the next hoist over. Tahoe where I used to work had a tough time getting to stuff on our Pete 320 LCFs. Generals were actually a pretty good truck, at least competitive with the Transtar 4200/4300 and better than the various Loiusvilles from Ford. the Astro was now dead. The Astro offered many improvements over the "Crackerbox" trucks. Luckily the shop we are in was originally a heavy equipment shop. Cab is up in the air, a crack noise followed by some crunching sounds. One legacy of the Astro is the windshields. Its a working truck, too! 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. Truck has dual power windows tilt wheel, extra gages. Not surprising, given that it came from GM, although its predecessor, the Crackerbox (attached) certainly couldnt have spent much time in the Design Center. This must be the Astros counterpart from across the pond, the English 1974-1986 Bedford TM. Required fields are marked *. For example, if you were going to hide your wallet in the back seat of your car and dont want anyone to see it, you can create an interior that has a large panel that covers it up. I drove a COE for the first ten years or so of my driving career. Parts Side Vent W/ Inside Cover, Needs Seal, Cab Over. NO Despite everyones best efforts, the business finally went under in 2013. Isuzu Bedford might be the name down under, the blue one is very clearly a (Euro) Bedford TM. economy. If these were being built in the late 70s, they werent that much before my time yet I cant remember ever seeing one. The overall length of truck and trailer, back then, could only be a maximum of 65, from 1956 to 1976. The GMC Astro was offered in single or double rear axle configurations. I sold off the shop manuals years ago on the internet. The H model was a redesign of the semi-cabover design, with a more rounded look as the GMCs at the In contrast to other GM brands, a key requirement of GMC franchisees of the time was the ability to sell and service the entire GMC product line. Some of the time in a cabover International and the rest in an Astro 95 then a Chevy Titan 90. The Astro died honorably with cylinder engines, and Cummins power was available. Save $2,894 right now on a Chevrolet Astro on CarGurus. These two galsno idea who they aremade frequent appearances in company literature. They are all different shapes and sizes, and are also all designed to fit different people. Restoration completed recently. Your commercial medium- or heavy-duty truck needs to be in perfect working condition to be able to make money. USED - Door side vent, Does not include interior trim, Needs seal, Cab over. The one weak area for the Astro was the cab tilt mechanics. Great guy I understand hes still working on peddle-boat designs somewhere. It wasnt exactly a dignified end for such a long-lived piece of machinery. In 1959, GMC introduced its Class 8 cabover trucks, replacing the previous "Cannonball" fixed-cab cabovers. Copyright 2011 - 2023 Curbside Classics. your own Pins on Pinterest Three of the sixteen-footers were completed and used for testing and promotions; this catalog picture depicts the very same boat seen above, only twenty-two years earlier. But, unfortunately, its also the one big truck for which Im most starved for pictures. It also has a black, white, Model. Because of the regulations for length, this style of rig was very popular in it's day. So, in 1987, GMC sold the heavy duty operation to Volvo, and It is neither inferred nor implied that any item sold by TRUCKiD.com is a product authorized by or in any way connected with any vehicle manufacturers displayed on this page. If anyone out there knows of others or information on this truck please contact us. The Road Commander cab has certainly outlived the Astro, granted only tangentially as the White/WhiteGMC/Volvo/Autocar/etc Xpeditor, further modified as the modern day Autocar ACX. 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. Throughout the entire production run, the trucks were assembled in Pontiac, Michigan by the Pontiac Central Assembly facility. The nose of the semi is flat and the truck cab sits on top of the diesel engine and steering axle. Perhaps even these Jeeps were big trucks in a past life. Its grainy and basically useless, but unless I find the others, that may well be all that remains of these rigs. images may be used without permission except for personal viewing. 1984 GMC ASTRO 9500 Sleeper Trucks For Sale Price: USD $23,500 Get Financing* Horsepower: 350 HP VIN: 1GDT9L4C0EV542424 Fuel Type: Gasoline Drive Side: Left Hand Drive Contact Us (573) 544-6500 Sold By: Pierson & Son Trucks New Florence, Missouri 63363 The GMC Astro 95 (1969-1987) For more information on the last new Astro model, go see the Other Astro Pictures -If you have any, please send them to me, and they will be posted! They are truly special trucks, and I think were going to see many more of them on the road, as truckers restore them to drive, to relive some of the past. It looked similar to the above shot when I last saw it, but I bet its cockpit was much more awe-inspiring in its younger days. awkward shapes, it did not receive good aerodynamic ratings, and cut fuel Unless some ambitious individual comes along, chances are their next trip out will be their last. The white cabooses have interiors that are usually made of glass. With that in mind, we have gathered high-quality GMC parts and accessories that work the first time, every time. Easily find what you need from 2,312,977 parts available. They were quite safe if they were driven with respect. For this reason, they are still popular in Europe, where the roadways are generally narrower, with tight clearances, and even more congested than in North America. I always wondered if the design of the original small grille on the Astro 95 was supposed to suggest an air intake rather than a radiator grille. The cabover interiors are usually made with a black finish that makes them look like they have some kind of black paint on them. My Grandpa and my Dad owned several of them. The cabover style of truck took full advantage of the trucking industry length laws, in effect at the time. 1979 Peterbilt, 352 Cabover This Peterbilt has been beautifully restored by its owner! USD $1,018 . 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. The yard owner and I were talking at the time, and I congratulated him on his win. These rigs are true classics for sure. I would sleep across the doghouse in my cabover. In 1987, GM ended the production of the GMC General. The sleeper seemed tight and on the same claustrophobic scale as the drivers side of the cab. GMC Astro had a windshield that seemed to come down to knee level! Although Volvo GM would continue sales of COE trucks under the White GMC and Western Star brands (the WhiteGMC WH and Western Star Cabover; both versions of the White Road Commander II), the GMC Astro was never directly replaced by Volvo GM, Volvo, or General Motors. No other semi had that much glass, and the fact it went down so far gave the driver better vision of things real close, like someone in a crosswalk, but it freaked some drivers out at first because you do feel exposed compared to say a Kenworth or Peterbuilt Cab over of the time. They would haul trailer loads of potatoes in from Idaho with these rigs. I have a 1983 GMC Astro cabover I had for a few years and slowly fixing it up when I have time to. A few words about their personal connection and memories of cabovers. 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. Van Alstyne was one of the female designers mentioned in the book, Damsels in Design, by Constance Smith which came out a couple of years ago and which was mentioned on this site and on others. To get in the sleeper bunk the driver of the rig must crawl through a hole. The truck had plenty of power and did a good job on the New England highways that I drove on. As much as I enjoyed finally getting to climb around on the trucks, I was actually there for another reason. wide panoramic glass provided excellent vision to the front and the Noisy. It also lacked most of the personalized touches this one hasno fancy clearance lights or custom paint jobs here! This 1974 model was one of the last trucks to travel down the assembly line before the company went bankrupt in late 1974. Werent the other two trucks Internationals? 1986 GMC Astro cabover day cab. My son and I still drive this truck and trailer every week from San Diego California, to LA. There are fewer blind spots too. This model was designed to have a higher cab, bigger rad, and a larger engine, than its predecessor. I was a little concerned about the pieces that were twisted on the right front, yea they looked fine but I couldnt see taking a chance on this happening again. Still, he remained hopeful that the tons (literally) of aluminum pontoon parts hed also bought would make up for it. All were late 70s vintage cabovers with sleepers and rooftop air deflectors, painted white, with the obligatorylogo on the door. This meant that there were less gauges on the wraparound part than I had a friend who was renting shop space in a building next to a marine machine shop. None of the seventeen-footers were ever completed. To draw attention to the brand, GMC launched the promotional campaign using several country cross-overs. They are very similar at a glance. Under the joint venture, GMC trucks were phased out in favor of White-designed Volvo GM products. Sleeper Type: CAB OVER: Part Info (877)238-5030 Request Info. In the period from 1978 to 1988, General Motors offered the GMC Brigadier, a heavy-duty class 7-8 short-hood truck available in straight-truck and semi-tractor configurations. Drove them back in 88 when I started driving with Schneider National. 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. Truck had more than a few dents! I love my truck and it will be around for a long time to come. This included special paint, a larger chromed front 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. And their parts guys knew the product a lot better. For a typical dealership, this meant dedicating profitable space that would have otherwise gone to selling passenger cars. model in the middle of 1949. The others weve seen feature yellow and blue interiors. (first posted 2/3/2014) As one of the people whod been rallying for a Big Truck Week, I suppose its only fitting that I step up and post some. Its interior became much more spacious due to an optional sleeper cab. All rights reserved. Title applied for. 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 the rest of the GMC heavy duty line in 1987. 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.
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