I also lucked out on a few items from their shop, such as this toolbox. Thats code word for farmers. These gems were a challenge to drive without power steering. 800,000 miles, and a rebuild. Downtime means lost income. Chevy Turbo Titan III. Especially love the old Kenworth K100E Aerodyne. Drivers didnt worry about head on collisions. Copyright 2011 - 2023 Curbside Classics. later dropped from the lineup. No; the Astro was unique to GMC and Chevrolet (Titan). It did the job but no one ever confused it with a Peterbilt or a Kenworth. 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. I could have sworn I took several of the truck Ill be attempting to feature below, but for some reason I am unable to find them. It is a medium-duty truck commonly used as a basis for dump trucks, cargo haulers, and other commercial or industrial purposes. 1986 GMC Astro cabover day cab. Back in the 70s when I started selling parts I had a few customers that ran the BowTie versions called the Titan and Bruin. It's flush glass and smooth exterior surfaces As of current production, GM has not marketed another Class 8 cabover truck (as the configuration has effectively ended production in North America). As I left the yard that day, I watched as the dilapidated Astrowas being hacked apart by a small herd of torch jockeys. Super trucks for local work, but not well suited for long haul trucking. The The Kenworths had dog houses big enough to sleep on. 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. I dont think Id ever consider trying to restore one. It is a full size cab with a single axel. Learn the dangers of a truck driver encounters when driving an Australian road train in the barren Outback and how trucking in Australia is so different from North America. They were also louder than long hood rigs, as the driver was sitting right above the engine! Any way it was big. Its grainy and basically useless, but unless I find the others, that may well be all that remains of these rigs. My Grandpa and my Dad owned several of them. They have a special look. 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. 1982 Marmon COE A 110P, with the rare option of a V-grill and V-bumper, which is known as the VIP package. [1] Featuring a (much) larger radiator grille, improvements to exterior and interior trim, the SS package was meant to market the Astro/Titan towards owner-operators. I love my truck and it will be around for a long time to come. A 60 Detroit and a 10 speed trannie under the hood. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Theirs was an Astro 95, of course; a 1978, if I recall. Related > Classic TrucksFrom the Golden Years of Trucking. Guess I did a better job than necessary, in this case! After its discontinuation, GM exited the heavy-duty truck market. None of this stuff is even broken in! We have everything you need to maintain your GMC in top condition to avoid truck breakdowns and get it operating properly again. The driver would be the first guy at the scene of a head on accident. (c) 2000, Evan McCausland. The base engine was the Detroit Diesel 6-71N, with the Detroit 8V71 and Cummins N-Series diesel engines as options. 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. It represents the days of trucking we all long for, in todays world of trucking, that is so muddled up and complex with its mounds of unnecessary rules, regs and guidelines. Truck had more than a few dents! The gmc astro cabover features a black interior with a white caboose. I thought the truck fit me perfectly and I became a part of it whenever we were on the road. GMC Astro 95 Cabover T/A Road Tractor, ; Vin# TGH928V900010, Special Plate- AC122503, Manual Trans.- NO TITLE Sold By: J.G. convenince and comfort, and safety for operators. I drove one in 71 for two years, with a V12 Detroit engine. You can read the full disclosure policy, which is pretty dull, but here it is. A lot of the later Astro 95s were Cummins powered. Heres the (much older and smaller) Bedford TK: To draw attention to the brand, GMC launched the promotional campaign using several country cross-overs. They would haul trailer loads of potatoes in from Idaho with these rigs. cylinder engines, and Cummins power was available. In 1987, GM ended the production of the GMC General. This 1974 model was one of the last trucks to travel down the assembly line before the company went bankrupt in late 1974. Of the seven, five were sixteen feet long, and two were seventeen feet. Please email mewith questions and comments! Unless some ambitious individual comes along, chances are their next trip out will be their last. If these were being built in the late 70s, they werent that much before my time yet I cant remember ever seeing one. So the length issue wasnt so important anymore. The best trucks ever. Super-detailed engine, chassis and interior; CB radio and dual antennas; Astro . Drivers had to be careful of foot placement, or else theyd end up falling on the ground! The interior is ruff, Dan is rebuilding the engine so as to keep it orignal. Cabovers had great visibility and they had the look of highway trucks, due to their sheer height. Visit our site at any time to acquire GMC semi truck accessories and parts needed for your restoration or upgrade project. But, unfortunately, its also the one big truck for which Im most starved for pictures. But no more please, too uncomfortable. Did find the high-res original of that pic, but alas, no GPS information or other pictures for context. Apparently, many was the visitor who attempted to dip their fingers into it! It seemed certain that these once-proud rigs would be fed to the crusher soon. CC Outtake: 1975 Austin 1300 MK3 Please Do Not Adjust Your Set, Curbside Classic: 1978 Oldsmobile Omega Grandmas BMW, Streetside Classic: 1974 El Cherito GMs BTV Dreams Project, In-Motion Classic: 1970 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible Hot Mustard. I happened to be at the yard a few days later, and saw the big old GMC roll in on a lowboy trailer. The one weak area for the Astro was the cab tilt mechanics. The vehicles were mostly fitted with school bus bodies. The white cabooses weve seen are made of metal. I liked the little window in the passenger door. model in the middle of 1949. The cabover interior is unique because it is the only one that has a caboose. For the paddleboat, of course. That picture is pretty much a more modern version of what they were running. 1985 Cabover Kenworth, K100 This Aerodyne model of COE, was one of the best looking of the cabovers. Manytruckers complained that the ride was pretty rough, mostly due to the shortened wheelbase. One of my most exciting or tense days involved a White Road Commander. When I was bob tailing, and would hit a bump, Id have a new dent in the headliner. That was all there was to drive at one time. Related >Trucker Culture and Professionalism A Salute to the Professionals That Move Us. This is not one of them. Class 8 cabover highway trucks are still manufactured at a plant in North Carolina. What was always fun was tilting any of these cabovers to there full tilt range. 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. And 35 years ago no computerized support systems. Highly inconvenient. I would bet my paycheck that the truck and trailer were originally owner by Old Dutch Potato Chip Company. When backing in to loading docks and winding through heavy traffic, nothing can compare with a cabover truck! He believes that Content and Social Media Marketing are the strongest forms of marketing nowadays. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. (Powerliner). This is a highly detailed restoration of the exterior and the interior. Nothing else you could do there anyway. Some models had quite large sleeper berths. 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. My client roster once included a manufacturing firm called Ercoa. The total length of the cab was a mere 48 . Cabover interiors are all essentially the same but they all have a few differences. [2] Along with single or tandem axle configurations, the GMC Crackerbox was available with a sleeper cab. 94, with LT1 power, velour seating, and a trunk rack. Its the only one of the three weve seen that has a black, red, and blue interior. 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.". USD $3,300 . Visibility was not very good and made life tough in some of the tight spots in the old cities and towns I delivered to. EnterpriseVander Haags Inc Sp Spencer IA. 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 understood that much of the interior and the dashboard were designed by a woman named Martha Jayne Van Alstyne, who also worked on the interior of the 68 Corvette. And so it went. It was hell. 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. The GMC Astro 95 was introduced The new model has replaced the line of C/M 90/9500 trucks. Comfort is a big issue especially for long haul trucking. 1968 GMC ASTRO For Sale in Madison, Minnesota at TractorHouse.com. Postal Code: 7 LOT #: 10062 Save 1986 GMC ASTRO Sleeper Trucks Buyer's premium included in price USD $120.00 GMC COE single axle. It featured an all-aluminum cab with a 108-inch or 116-inch hood. My Astro had an 8V71 Detroit and a 13 speed Roadranger. In 1981, General Motors ended sales of heavy trucks by the Chevrolet Division, leading to the cancellation of the Chevrolet Bruin, Bison, and Titan. 15,875 views May 7, 2017 158 Dislike Share Hunzolee 1.37K subscribers 1986 GMC Astro cabover day cab at. After completing the CAPTCHA below, you will immediately regain access to the site again. A cabover rig isnt as safe as a long hood rig, in the event of an accident, as there just isnt any protection for the driver. There was no coming back after that. Maneuverability. We have large over head hoists and we can slip a second trolley hoist onto the beam from the next hoist over. It used a single hyd cylinder on the right hand side of the frame. 1974 Diamond Reo Cabover An early model of COE style rig American made. Tahoe where I used to work had a tough time getting to stuff on our Pete 320 LCFs. By the time you had everything jacked up and secured you could barely work the transmission out of the narrow frame rails. GMC. The cabovers black interior is also the most unique. In 1909, GM purchased the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company founded by Max Grabowsky in 1901 that designed some of the first ever commercial vehicles. The truck had plenty of power and did a good job on the New England highways that I drove on. awkward shapes, it did not receive good aerodynamic ratings, and cut fuel I was really taken with the Astro cab. Discover (and save!) Most kids wanted to go to the beach, but my favourite thing was to head for a truck stop! And you see a lot of Brigadiers out here too. Astro model, go see the. $182.00 . Save $2,894 right now on a Chevrolet Astro on CarGurus. 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. with Rudkin-Wiley Airshield. The owner has done a terrific job in restoring the unit to its original condition. Company owners said should just have to put new batteries in and change the fluids and should start up. Additional information is available in this. The new model featured better visibility and improved driver ergonomics. The GMC truck in the fourth photo immediately reminded me of the cigarette truck barelling down the streets of Detroit in Beverly Hills Cop to the Neutron Dance soundtrack by the Pointer Sisters. The wrap around dash was a natural because it sits on top of the engine. Shopping with us, you get parts and accessories that work hard just like you, built tough just like your vehicle. Generals were actually a pretty good truck, at least competitive with the Transtar 4200/4300 and better than the various Loiusvilles from Ford. Description. for it was optional. USD $1,018 . This interior is one of the highlights of my apartment. The H model was a redesign of the semi-cabover design, with a more rounded look as the GMCs at the Parts Side Vent W/ Inside Cover, Needs Seal, Cab Over. 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. All orignal. It could go maybe 65 mph tops. Because of the regulations for length, this style of rig was very popular in its day. i have being looking for a astro or titan would you be interested in selling one. Diesel (unable to determine engine model, but based on serial number would have a Detroit 8v71). Hes the one that hired me. 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. Is this the same model International Transtar? When I worked at Peterbilt in the late 70s to early 80s, we definitely paid attention to some of the features of the Astro as well as Ford CL9000, especially the cab air suspension of the latter. At the time I was trying to obscure the trucks location to prevent unwelcome tourists (as I commonly did with any roadside pics). On the sweeping floors it may be profitable. Great truck and photo. My good friend and photography mentor loves them. They were mostly Astros, these older small-grille versions, in dark blue. Complete details for 1900 GMC ASTRO 95 For Sale In Boonsboro, . Much different then cars boats are still a little bit in the wild west of manufacturing. Numbers 1 and 2 could be done from the engine compartment. This is because they are usually made of steel, and they are also available in other materials, such as plastic. All Rights Reserved. Can anyone tell me where this picture was taken. The truck only racked up 85,000 miles in that entire time and the engine only has 2,500 hours on it. The Astro was available as a 58 in BBC Day Cab, and a 86 in BBC There are distinct niches in the trucking industry where trucker pay is above the average wages paid. We had to do allot of work to use it in the state of California. The other cabovers weve seen have white cabooses. The Internationals were good solid trucks. was loved by owners and operators alike. Luckily the shop we are in was originally a heavy equipment shop. Old Dutch plant located in Minneapolis. (The folks in their marketing department had a thing for using staff, friends, and family in their promotional photos. Gmc astro Sleeper on HeavyTruckParts.Net. The International was brand new when I got it 1978, had a 290 Cummins and 10 speed Roadranger transmission. I vaguely recall it being at/near a T intersection. You had to jack the front of the cab up to get the valve cover off. Enjoy our hassle-free online checkout or call to speak to an expert. Didnt most of these Astro / Titan trucks use Detroit Diesel power? The shortened wheelbase allows for this tight turning radius. 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. 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! The Astro was also GMs swan song in the big-truck sector, and it never sold in the numbers needed to keep GM truly viable. 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. 1978 GMC Astro 95 My boss arranged to swap out the General with an older model 1975 Astro 95. 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. These continued to remain as GMC's main class Depending on when it was made its Road Expeditor II, an Autocar or a Western Star. The one thing that cabover interiors are best known for is the way they can camouflage some of their interior panels. On our channel we upload daily, our original, walkaround videos of Trucks, Busses and Commercial Vehicles. 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. To get in the sleeper bunk the driver of the rig must crawl through a hole. The GMC Astro and Chevrolet Titan are Class 8 cabover-engine (COE) trucks, sold in both single and tandem rear axle configurations. As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. Throughout the entire production run, the trucks were assembled in Pontiac, Michigan by the Pontiac Central Assembly facility. A collection of trucker tips from million milers and experienced drivers. The cabover interiors are usually made with a black finish that makes them look like they have some kind of black paint on them. All three are currently relaxing behind the shop until my project backlog is a bit shorter. 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 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 different cabooses are designed to look different colors and to be able to transition from one color to another. and they will be posted! As a result, I finally got a chance to get up close and personal with their fleet of trucks. Model. Not running. Her fleet of 95s did cross country turnarounds with two drivers, Indiana to California and back in 5 days over the Rockies, the drivers loved them. custom built, and that GMC had been experiencing slightly slumping sales during 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. Those old White Freightliners would just rattle all the time. (Wonder how many other people can say they own not one, butthree brand-new, never-used, 1991 model year boats?). Aahhhh yes, I spent many a day in these. The Sleeper Bunk. Cabover interior is the way that the caboose opens. Never tripped across one that didnt rattle! Also, by the end of the 1970s, Astro's dashboard had been slightly The Freightliners could be as cold as the Arctic, even with the heaters on full! 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. 118" WB, 104" cab to rear, 184" overall. I was thinking WTF? You could get Cummins and later the 3406 Cat, but the vast majority had 71 and 92 series Jimmys in them. I can remember the day we got in a shipment of tools and manuals for the 91 Syclone. The location makes sense. made it able to slip through wind better than other COEs at the Given the paint scheme, it seems fairly likely this tractor and trailer spent at least part of their lives together. They were great for maneuvering in tight spots, but not so great to live in for long time periods for over the road trucking. This particular 1977 GMC Astro 95 has an interesting backstory in the fact that it was order by NASA and used very sparingly at the Wallops Island facility in Virginia. The wrap around dash and placement of the controls and instruments was perfect. 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. The cabover truck design is outdated for the North American highway infrastructure. Oh man, how I love those old cabovers and the other rigs, especially the Petes. Cab won't release to tilt. Condition. We like the way they roll. ), But they couldnt just let the boats pile upthey had to get them out to the dealers somehow. 1972 GMC Astro Cabover Truck - Walkaround Exterior Interior Tour - 2021 Clifford Truck Show TruckTube 3.9K views 8 months ago Cabover Peterbilt With Completely Full Trailer FSC Trucking. Your email address will not be published. Air brakes. But never when I have my camera with me. A truly excellent truck! They were indeed good-looking trucks. me with questions and comments! 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. They were legal and they got the job done. I had wanted to grab the ice cream sundaeas a souvenir, too, but someone else beat me to it. uplevel sound and CB systems. "[1][2] Available in a 48-inch BBC (bumper to back of cab) length, the truck was produced with an all-aluminum fully tilting cab. The sleeper was scaled like the cab and was roomy and comfortable. This interior is one of the highlights of my apartment. 1 of 11 ever made by General Motors. Even upon close investigation, it looked just like an ice cream sundae that had been forgotten and was melting all over the desk! 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. They were indeed good-looking trucks. Noisy. These trucks were as tough as nails! The truck was still in warranty, the service rep didnt want to replace all the parts we planned on replacing. 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 cabooses are all designed with different colors, textures, and materials. Modern cabovers are built with more structural safety features to protect the driver in the event of a crash. A larger cab provided more interior space and greater comfort for the driver, and larger windows allowed for better driver visibility. the past 3 years. This style of old semi trucks are incredibly maneuverable. Sometimes you needed a prybar to get the rear cab mounts back into there saddles. 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. No operation of the . 1985 Kenworth Cabover, K-100 Kenworth release the first of their cabovers, in 1955. In 1930, another GMC truck made a similar journey from New York to San Francisco in just 5 days. It was easy for the younger drivers, but not quite so easy for the older truckers! Of course, being a cabover it tilted forward for access to that huge Detroit Diesel mill. rearranged. The driver would grab the outer rail and swing out and down! #3 was under the cowl and the piston/liner assembly would only just clear. A third-party browser plugin, such as Ghostery or NoScript, is preventing JavaScript from running. The early COE trucks were also very cold, as they werent well insulated. This model was designed to have a higher cab, bigger rad, and a larger engine, than its predecessor. Required fields are marked *. 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.
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