gmc astro cabover interior

Radhe also tries different gadgets every now and then to give their reviews online. Item:24627543 Spencer, IA $242.00. [2] For the 1969 model year, the GMC Crackerbox was replaced by the GMC Astro, while the Chevrolet Titan was unveiled for the 1970 model year.[3][4]. A walk-in version was added in 1985. This retro truck style is rising to the surface once again for particular working applications. Heres the (much older and smaller) Bedford TK: Maneuverability. Noisy. It also has a black, white, But the pontoon-hauler wasnt quite as fancy as this one. The truck and trailer were plainly visible from the road. Cabover trucks, COE (cab over engine), are essentially a style of big rig truck without a hood. As a result, I finally got a chance to get up close and personal with their fleet of trucks. The cabover has black, red, and white interiors. It could go maybe 65 mph tops. The model was dubbed the GMC B-Series and stayed in production for three generations. The cabover truck design is outdated for the North American highway infrastructure. Yes! 800,000 miles, and a rebuild. I read somewhere that Larry Shinoda had a hand in designing the Astro 95. me with questions and comments! Safety. 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. GMC's Astro story originally begins in the early But they are still the gold standard in Europe, Australia and Japan. Even upon close investigation, it looked just like an ice cream sundae that had been forgotten and was melting all over the desk! In fact, this picture was used to create a cut-out on foamcore, which sat atop their reception desk when it was unstaffed. I also lucked out on a few items from their shop, such as this toolbox. The one weak area for the Astro was the cab tilt mechanics. 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. Given the design and material information I hung onto from earlier, I expect to be able to finish their construction fairly easily. For the paddleboat, of course. awkward shapes, it did not receive good aerodynamic ratings, and cut fuel Single rear axle. I happened to be at the yard a few days later, and saw the big old GMC roll in on a lowboy trailer. Astro featured many things that made it popular and innovative at the In what would be a distinguishing feature of the vehicle, the Astro/Titan was produced with a wraparound dashboard;[1] the speedometer and tachometer were placed directly in the line of sight of the driver while most secondary gauges were placed off to the side, based on their level of use. Mainly, they were the standards the H series set, yet be more streamlined and beyond. I spotted this rig several weeks ago while taking a shortcut I rarely use, coming back from picking up a load of equipment bound for the office. They are also typically found on the rear of a car, but they can be found in other areas. It was easy for the younger drivers, but not quite so easy for the older truckers! I got a blue Chevy Titan 90 replacement while big red was in the shop. Your email address will not be published. Hes the one that hired me. Picture of my Titan 90 north of Portland Maine 1979. 1900. What can I do, I have diesel in my veins and Detroits in my heart. Today, you can still find a fair amount They were legal and they got the job done. COEs have been the standard in Europe since many decades, a conventional truck is rare. 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. In 1930, another GMC truck made a similar journey from New York to San Francisco in just 5 days. The other cabovers weve seen have white cabooses. 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. Special Series. I liked the little window in the passenger door. Lots of stuff that rattled, fell off or quit working way too early. Oh man, how I love those old cabovers and the other rigs, especially the Petes. Its been stretched, and also has a tag axle. Mine was a great truck, simple and reliable. When the truck manufacturers decided to increase driver comfort in these trucks, their price increased as well. The driver would grab the outer rail and swing out and down! This truck is very rare as we are finding out. As much as I enjoyed finally getting to climb around on the trucks, I was actually there for another reason. Turned out, he wasnt. Please email Learn how your comment data is processed. your own Pins on Pinterest These rigs are true classics for sure. The cabover interiors are usually made with a black finish that makes them look like they have some kind of black paint on them. the past 3 years. Because of the regulations for length, this style of rig was very popular in it's day. The vehicles were mostly fitted with school bus bodies. However, there was a downside that accompanied this accessibility. Mechanically sound. Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: Yugo When Was The Last Time You Saw One? Related >Trucker Culture and Professionalism A Salute to the Professionals That Move Us. Could be theres more badges these wore. 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. 1950s. These trucks were as tough as nails! The owner has done a terrific job in restoring the unit to its original condition. A wide range of engines, which could be easily modified for alternative fuels such as propane or compressed natural gas, made the model popular in the school bus and police bus industry. [1] In 1972, the Detroit 12V71 became available as an option; though rarely ordered, the V12 engine would remain through 1978. Its too bad they dont make them like that any more. Each truck had a slightly longer than normal wheelbase, with tandem axles, a steel flatbed with wood decking, and an interesting low-mounted fifth wheel hitch setup. We could only make about 59 mph but I was cool and comfortable as I cruised the highway. Gmc astro Sleeper on HeavyTruckParts.Net. Its a FACTORY double bunk. Im very familiar with both the Astro and the Transtar. Old Dutch was a really good customer. And so it went. The only parts in stock were routine maintainence and some high wear items. One summer day I lost one of the rear ends coming in off the highway. I can remember seeing many of the Astro tractors around until Kroger closed the Fort Wayne Indiana Distribution warehouse. Broken lights and lenses throughout. The overall length of truck and trailer, back then, could only be a maximum of 65, from 1956 to 1976. This gives good access to the motor for maintenance and repair. (c) 2000, Evan McCausland. The International was brand new when I got it 1978, had a 290 Cummins and 10 speed Roadranger transmission. 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. The gmc astro cabover features a black interior with a white caboose. Truck had more than a few dents! Still, it was a new truck and I was pretty happy with it. I vaguely recall it being at/near a T intersection. I was assigned a 81 model with a 63 as a backup spare truck The early COE trucks were also very cold, as they werent well insulated. $20? The first 1,000,000 miles of my driving was in trucks like these. [1] In an option that became standard a year later, in 1979, GMC and Chevrolet offered the SS (Special Series) package. 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. In the late 1960s, as American truck manufacturers introduced updated designs for cabover trucks, design work began on an all-new Class 8 cabover. Complete details for 1900 GMC ASTRO 95 For Sale In Boonsboro, . Owned by Ryan Wichtner, FL. This was also used in the prototype Luckily the shop we are in was originally a heavy equipment shop. I sold off the shop manuals years ago on the internet. The GMC Astro is a heavy-duty (Class 8) cabover truck that was manufactured by the GMC Truck and Coach Division of General Motors. A third-party browser plugin, such as Ghostery or NoScript, is preventing JavaScript from running. I dont recall the politics of GMs medium and heavy duty truck sales but if you sold MD and HD you could order either Chevy or GMC or a mix of both. 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. When backing in to loading docks and winding through heavy traffic, nothing can compare with a cabover truck! The white cabooses have interiors that are usually made of glass. Thats probably half the reason I was brought in: I worked cheap, I was willing to horse around with their archaic equipment, and I could manage to keep a sense of humor about it. EnterpriseVander Haags Inc Sp Spencer IA. All in all the Astro proved the old adage that you get what you pay for. These Astro cabs had (exterior) styling far ahead of their time, especially the ones with the smaller grille. The trucks, however, were not so lucky. In 1943, General Motors absorbed Yellow Coach, a Chicago-based bus manufacturer, forming the GM Truck and Coach Division. 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. "Crackerbox" by operators and fans. They were tough to get out of after a long day of driving, and the ride in them was pretty firm. I love the old KW100E. However, Ive noticed a resurgence of interest in cabover trucks recently. Also, by the end of the 1970s, Astro's dashboard had been slightly I drove many 10s of thousands of miles in the late 70s. This went on after the HD line was sold off. 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. later dropped from the lineup. I am partial to the old 2 stroke Detroits. Old Dutch plant located in Minneapolis. sides of the truck. Highly inconvenient. Dents and rust throughout, interior dirty and worn. We/I cant go anywhere without people coming out with cameras and cell phones to take pictures of my truck. A practical guide to paid CDL training programs. 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. These gems were a challenge to drive without power steering. Clean, classy, and very GM. Your commercial medium- or heavy-duty truck needs to be in perfect working condition to be able to make money. Cabover trucks werent particularly comfortable, back in the early years. Nothing else you could do there anyway. Apparently, many was the visitor who attempted to dip their fingers into it! My client roster once included a manufacturing firm called Ercoa. The cabovers black interior is also the most unique. Truck has dual power windows tilt wheel, extra gages. Following the 1980 model year, Chevrolet exited the heavy-truck segment; thereafter, alongside the Brigadier and General conventionals, the Astro was marketed solely under the GMC brand. He later ran an early 90s GMC Brig as his assigned tractor for Yellow Freight before retirement. 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. Upgrades to the truck's suspension improved its handling and ride, as well. The cabover is one of the most unique interiors weve found. (Wonder how many other people can say they own not one, butthree brand-new, never-used, 1991 model year boats?). 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. Title applied for. Gmc ASTRO Cab, Misc. The same bolts held the fuel tank mounts on. Of course, being a cabover it tilted forward for access to that huge Detroit Diesel mill. AS IS Sold Price: USD $1,120.00 Auction Ended: Wed, Feb 17, 2021 4:04 PM View Buyer's Premium Financial Calculator Stock Number: 520 VIN: 1GDT9L4C1GV541124 Drive Side: Left Hand Drive 1986 GMC Astro cabover day cab. A collection of trucker tips from million milers and experienced drivers. Gmc Astro Cabover Trucks For Sale Become a Partner 1995 Oshkosh Refrigerated Van Price : CALL Has Airconditioning, Steel Wheels, 225/70R/19.5 Tires Carrier Ultima Reefer This is a Cream Of Weber milk Van Rear length 14' Width 6'6" Door Width 3' Swing door 190 HP Diesel Engine 3-speed Automatic 6-cyclinder Turbo Salt Lake Salt Lake City From the second picture on, I knew it would be enjoyable! In the shuffle, Ercoa managed to grab the pontoon business and run with it. Depending on when it was made its Road Expeditor II, an Autocar or a Western Star. 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. 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. I thought the truck fit me perfectly and I became a part of it whenever we were on the road. At that time, another local company, Boatel, was looking to divest itself of several product lines so it could focus on its core business, manufacturing yachts. Since 1966, General Motors has been manufacturing a line of buses based on a traditional cowled chassis. upgrade. What a mess. 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. ASTRO 95. IHC dealers usually at least understood that an out-of-service truck meant someone wasnt making their wages. 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!! . Werent the other two trucks Internationals? Thats an Isuzu Bedford the TM was a heavyduty TK with a double bumper, I saw one of those on Sunday a dead one they are too low powered and small for todays applications. Body Parts Cab Interior Engine Components Transmission Components Suspension Components Electrical Components Vehicles . Another controversial feature of it was You can read the full disclosure policy, which is pretty dull, but here it is. the Astro was now dead. Here we have a 1983 GMC Astro. What was always fun was tilting any of these cabovers to there full tilt range. The base engine was the Detroit Diesel 6-71N, with the Detroit 8V71 and Cummins N-Series diesel engines as options. Or perhaps some do-gooder finally threw it away. Still, he remained hopeful that the tons (literally) of aluminum pontoon parts hed also bought would make up for it. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. From some of the old Overdrive magazines Ive seen, Ford was even worse for HD parts and service to the point they refused Fords advertising for years over it. Not surprising, given that it came from GM, although its predecessor, the Crackerbox (attached) certainly couldnt have spent much time in the Design Center. Comfort is a big issue especially for long haul trucking. I thought the International Cabover was somewhat claustrophobic. My good friend and photography mentor loves them. Truck manufacturers in these countries still make this body style as their lengths laws are still quite rigid, and the cabover style allows for trailer length to be maxed out. Cabover trucks, COE (cab over engine), are essentially a style of big rig truck without a hood. Even though today GMC mostly offers pickup trucks, SUVs, and medium-duty commercial vehicles with such well-recognized nameplates as Sierra, Acadia, Canyon, Yukon, and Savanna, there were times when the company was focusing on producing urban and transit buses, fire trucks, ambulances, and heavy-duty semi trucks. There are fewer blind spots too. Isuzu Bedford might be the name down under, the blue one is very clearly a (Euro) Bedford TM. After completing the CAPTCHA below, you will immediately regain access to the site again. They have that in common with a great many other big trucks. 1983 Freightliner COE Rig This gorgeous rig was on display at the Clifford Truck Show. Add To Cart. The first major update to the Astro was the Special Series trim From what I have seen, I noticed and like the 92 Dark Cherry Metallic Chevy Caprice in the background of the third picture from the bottom. 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. Throughout the entire production run, the trucks were assembled in Pontiac, Michigan by the Pontiac Central Assembly facility. You could get Cummins and later the 3406 Cat, but the vast majority had 71 and 92 series Jimmys in them. I still have a few anti-tamper ECM decals laying around somewhere. My Astro had an 8V71 Detroit and a 13 speed Roadranger. My boss arranged to swap out the General with an older model 1975 Astro 95. The reason? Interestingly enough, the people in the front office werent just strategizers and makers of budgets and blueprints. See that guy at the helm, in the pink shirt? Had a fairly new one in for service, it had the largest sleeper size available, I think it was a queen size mattress, maybe king? The black caboose is one that is used for a single person and the red caboose is used for a couple of people. GMC Astro had a windshield that seemed to come down to knee level! The red caboose is made of metal too. The location makes sense. The Titan had a 290 Cummins and 10 speed Roadranger and the A/C worked! Manual transmission with Hi-Lo. when the cab was tipped, anything and everything in the truck and sleeper berth that wasnt glued down, would fall onto the windshield of the truck! The large carriers who were the big buyers of cabovers, switched over to the conventional style rig, and the bottom rapidly fell out of the market for them in North America, thus the fall in popularity of these trucks. They were indeed good-looking trucks. Having already acquired White Motor Company in 1980, the joint venture would do business as Volvo GM Heavy Truck Corporation, selling trucks under the combined WhiteGMC product badge. If I recall correctly, there were a few of these made with GMC badges on them when White and GMC merged their heavy truck operations in the late 80s. Dan is hoping to use this truck in the summer to haul hay. time were adopting. 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. Call or email for more information. Id suspect a lot of their business came from a few good dealers, and especially from operators of a small fleet of big rigs but a varied fleet of everything who would appreciate a one-stop shop where they could get heavy haulers to get the product out, pickups and vans for *their* service techs and sedans for the sales reps through one dealership and one contract. Guess I did a better job than necessary, in this case! economy. A few words about their personal connection and memories of cabovers. And 35 years ago no computerized support systems. And so came the companys latest investment, circa 1987: a fleet of new-to-them tractors with brand-new trailers. 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. It Distinguished by its boxy appearance, it earned the nickname "Crackerbox. Never tripped across one that didnt rattle! If these were being built in the late 70s, they werent that much before my time yet I cant remember ever seeing one. The left front cab mount failed, the cab has swung around to the right some and landed on the motor. When he used to be their mechanic, he claimed that they were always in the shop for something. metatron-nw.com 2023. We have large over head hoists and we can slip a second trolley hoist onto the beam from the next hoist over. 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. I would bet my paycheck that the truck and trailer were originally owner by Old Dutch Potato Chip Company. It was hell. Anytime the driver wants anything from the bunk, the process is the same. There are a few reasons this might happen: To regain access, please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page. It also lacked most of the personalized touches this one hasno fancy clearance lights or custom paint jobs here! The GMC Astro was offered in single or double rear axle configurations. The new model featured better visibility and improved driver ergonomics. The cabooses are all designed with different colors, textures, and materials. If every driver of EVERY vehicle on the road followed these safety tips, our roads would be SO much safer. This style of old semi trucks are incredibly maneuverable. It doesnt have the sunshade, but otherwise it is a dead ringer. before, and some were cut as cost-savings. so has very low miles. Manufacturer. was loved by owners and operators alike. In 1987, GM ended the production of the GMC General. Every time I see one of these old Astros, I think of Food Lion supermarkets fleet back in the 80s. We opened the doors, bolted together 2 10 shelving beams, wrapped the beams with rugs for cushioning, stick them thru the cab hook up the hoists and gently reposition everything back in place. The sleeper was scaled like the cab and was roomy and comfortable. As such, several other trucks will be standing in for it at various points. Related > The Clifford Truck Show Best Cabover Collection EVER. But somewhere down the line (perhaps in the early eighties) they acquired another line of business: building pontoon boats. In 1916, GMC made headlines when a husband and wife drove the GMC pickup truck from Seattle to New York in 30 days. 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. I had a Grand National at the time and it was very tempting for me to consider trading it off for one but I didnt want another car payment so that was that. Drove them back in 88 when I started driving with Schneider National. To ensure long and trouble-free service life of your rig, use only high-quality GMC semi truck parts and accessories offered in our online store. Ive got several more for later on in the week, but hey why not start with the biggest? There were approximately seven built, all told; they were prototypes for a new line that never got off the ground. The faster you repair your semi-truck, the faster it gets on the road and keeps on moving your business forward. After its discontinuation, GM exited the heavy-duty truck market. This is not one of them. Its great to know so many truckers still appreciate these trucks. 1982 Marmon COE A 110P, with the rare option of a V-grill and V-bumper, which is known as the VIP package. Alongside a 702 cubic-inch GMC V12 gasoline engine, the truck was available with the Detroit Diesel 6V71 and 8V71 engines. You've disabled JavaScript in your web browser. The Titan was a very rare bird even when new. 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. They were once very common, particularly in fleet service. 1975 GMC Astro Cabover Truck - AS-IS. Even the old freight shaker cabovers! Super-detailed engine, chassis and interior; CB radio and dual antennas; Astro . A major factor leading to the cancellation was lack of support for heavy-duty trucks by Chevrolet dealers. The engine dog house was shaped with a wide slot that allowed the driver to look down to the little window and see the blind spot on the right side. The Ercoa staff were good friendly folks. They were quite popular, particularly with fleets. I had a friend who was renting shop space in a building next to a marine machine shop. My Dad drove so many of these, his knees still rattle and shake! (The folks in their marketing department had a thing for using staff, friends, and family in their promotional photos. Heres a few pics of its predecessors. But given their neglected state, it also seems likely that their service lives have come to a close. In 1977, GM started producing the GMC General, its largest conventional-cab semi truck powered by a diesel engine. For over a century, GMC has been offering a wide range of commercial and military grade vehicles, as well as genuine auto parts. Sleeper Cab. Get to know the CB lingo used by truckers, so you can get in on the conversation, cmon. Somewhere on the back roads near Pine City, MN, as I recall cant give more detail than that without actually retracing my steps. Ive spent my whole life in the marine industry and its amazing that I still find new boat companies all the time. "A Brief Outline of the First Century of GMC Truck History - Generations of GM", Rigs of Rods; GMC Astro 95 & Chevy Titan 90, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=GMC_Astro&oldid=1140760775, Articles needing expert attention from January 2017, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 17:11. 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. 1979 Peterbilt, 352 Cabover This Peterbilt has been beautifully restored by its owner! The blue cabooses have interiors that are usually made of plastic. Sometimes you needed a prybar to get the rear cab mounts back into there saddles. 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 white cabooses weve seen are made of metal. This must be the Astros counterpart from across the pond, the English 1974-1986 Bedford TM. Nothing on earth sounds as good to me as a screamin Jimmy Diesel. As the trucks aged the cab had a tendency to shift to the right as it lifted, older ones would snag the safety hook. the styling-the highly boxy shape made it commonly referred to as the Made money. (Ever the penny-pinchers, they opted to apply the same logo stickers to the trucks as they did to their boats.). The Thanks for the history of the company. Cabover interiors are all essentially the same but they all have a few differences.