Mechanically sound. And so came the companys latest investment, circa 1987: a fleet of new-to-them tractors with brand-new trailers. In 1987, GM ended the production of the GMC General. The cabovers black interior is also the most unique. Ive had the pleasure to drive an LTL-9000, and the misfortune to drive a Brigadier. But never when I have my camera with me. Instruction, clear advice, videos and photos for truck driver skills, maneuvers and information for all professional truck drivers. 1968 GMC ASTRO For Sale in Madison, Minnesota (Ever the penny-pinchers, they opted to apply the same logo stickers to the trucks as they did to their boats.). 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!! Used. I was really taken with the Astro cab. This is not one of them. Nothing else you could do there anyway. Made money. GMC ASTRO Trucks Auction Results - 24 Listings | TruckPaper.com - Page The Astro 95 was the best-styled truck of its time, and one of the best ever. They were great for maneuvering in tight spots, but not so great to live in for long time periods for over the road trucking. A 60 Detroit and a 10 speed trannie under the hood. there is no reaching into the sleeper to grab something, when sitting in the drivers seat! This must be the Astros counterpart from across the pond, the English 1974-1986 Bedford TM. One legacy of the Astro is the windshields. No; the Astro was unique to GMC and Chevrolet (Titan). Its interior became much more spacious due to an optional sleeper cab. When it comes to clutter, some say its nothing more than postponed decisions. All Rights Reserved. Dealer service was the biggest issue with the GMC, not unlike any GM product of the day. I still have a few anti-tamper ECM decals laying around somewhere. My boss arranged to swap out the General with an older model 1975 Astro 95. If I remember I bought it for only $2000 and was used just as a yard truck. Much different then cars boats are still a little bit in the wild west of manufacturing. Gauges for the trailer air supply and pressure were GMC. They were quite popular, particularly with fleets. Comfort. 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. We like the way they roll. Diesel (unable to determine engine model, but based on serial number would have a Detroit 8v71). It was easy for the younger drivers, but not quite so easy for the older truckers! 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. images may be used without permission except for personal viewing. Related >Trucker Culture and Professionalism A Salute to the Professionals That Move Us. On various occasions, I walked in to find the President working a welder and the VP forming sheets of aluminum ahead of him! The white cabooses may be aluminum, but the black caboose is made of metal. Many memories are attached to the old cabover trucks models.Many truckers and retired truck drivers alike, lament about the classic cabover truck models, that once ruled the highways of North America. You've disabled cookies in your web browser. There was a point when the cab would go over center, meaning gravity took over and the hyd system that was lifting the cab was now used to control cab movement by restricting the oil flow. - YouTube 0:00 / 0:53 1986 GMC Astro cabover day cab. In 1930, another GMC truck made a similar journey from New York to San Francisco in just 5 days. If every driver of EVERY vehicle on the road followed these safety tips, our roads would be SO much safer. These rigs were once quite commonly seen rolling down the highways. Speaking of aluminum, perhaps the strangest item offered for bids was the right to sweep the floorswhich the auctioneer claimed would yield barrels worth of aluminum shavings if done correctly. time. I also have a soft spot for the Astro along with the Brigadeir and General. Safety. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Depending on when it was made its Road Expeditor II, an Autocar or a Western Star. The cabover has black, red, and white interiors. email me. Dan is hoping to use this truck in the summer to haul hay. [1] In 1979, the 6-71 was replaced by the 6V92, making all available Detroit Diesel engines V-engines; the 6V71 was discontinued after 1980.[1]. uplevel sound and CB systems. Thanks for the pics of the Astro interior, forgot how nice the dash was. Not surprising, given that it came from GM, although its predecessor, the Crackerbox (attached) certainly couldnt have spent much time in the Design Center. 1983 GMC Astro cabover restore and semi work - TruckersReport I got to test drive one with a 9L CNG motor and Heil Frontloading refuse body Dec of 2012 and was impressed with it. However, there was a downside that accompanied this accessibility. Near the end of its run, Astro buyers had the option of several Detroit, Caterpillar and Cummins Diesel engines. Just like this big Bedford and the Astro. Starting in 1980, the company offered the GMC TopKick. 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. This was also used in the prototype Following the launch of the cabover product line in 1969, the GMC Astro quickly exceeded the Chevrolet Titan in sales and market share. These trucks were as tough as nails! Company owners said should just have to put new batteries in and change the fluids and should start up. Clean, classy, and very GM. your own Pins on Pinterest Upgrades to the truck's suspension improved its handling and ride, as well. White trailers with a big "Food Lion" graphic. In the late 1960s, as American truck manufacturers introduced updated designs for cabover trucks, design work began on an all-new Class 8 cabover. Our mechanic seems to look at the Brigadiers the way you do. They are all different shapes and sizes, and are also all designed to fit different people. An acquaintance of mine whod recently gone from avid recycler to junkyard owner was also present at the auction, and seemed determined to buy everything in sight. A practical guide to paid CDL training programs. (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. You always had to check the interior before flopping one of these things open, you never know what you may come across, but a coffee cup was enough to take out a windshield. 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. Overspray bedamned, Ill take it! 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. 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. These old school cabover trucks, whetherKenworth,Peterbilt,Freightliner, White, GMC, Ford, Diamond Reo or old Crackerbox, meantfreedom, simplicity, open roads, good memories and yes, some back aches. [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. Description. [1] In 1972, the Detroit 12V71 became available as an option; though rarely ordered, the V12 engine would remain through 1978. Video: Crackerboxes an Astros - CDLLife Class 8 cabover highway trucks are still manufactured at a plant in North Carolina. They look like something out of the 90s rather than the 60s. cylinder engines, and Cummins power was available. I got a blue Chevy Titan 90 replacement while big red was in the shop. Save $2,894 right now on a Chevrolet Astro on CarGurus. As much as I enjoyed finally getting to climb around on the trucks, I was actually there for another reason. The cabover truck design is outdated for the North American highway infrastructure. It was like driving a bus! The dealer I worked at had a large rural customer base. Clifford, ON, comes alive on the Canada Day long weekend. They were once very common, particularly in fleet service. The gmc astro cabover features a black interior with a white caboose. My Dad drove so many of these, his knees still rattle and shake! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. We have large over head hoists and we can slip a second trolley hoist onto the beam from the next hoist over. It's flush glass and smooth exterior surfaces Even the old freight shaker cabovers! The new model featured better visibility and improved driver ergonomics. "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. Too bad they were unable to weather the recession. 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. Sleeper Cab. I am partial to the old 2 stroke Detroits. Unless some ambitious individual comes along, chances are their next trip out will be their last. The simple fact that these big rigs didnt have a hood, created better visibility for the driver. These rigs are true classics for sure. The Astro 95 had superior driver visibility. At SMART TRUCKING, were also avid fans of the cabover truck. The cabover is made of metal and the interior is black. There was no coming back after that. Gmc ASTRO Cab, Misc. It also has a black, white, and red interior. The vehicles were mostly fitted with school bus bodies. I might have even worked on this one. 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. In 1977, GM started producing the GMC General, its largest conventional-cab semi truck powered by a diesel engine. 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. Cabovers werent necessary dangerously. 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. The truck was still in warranty, the service rep didnt want to replace all the parts we planned on replacing. I liked the little window in the passenger door. #3 was under the cowl and the piston/liner assembly would only just clear. It could go maybe 65 mph tops. 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. The interior is ruff, Dan is rebuilding the engine so as to keep it orignal. Apparently, many was the visitor who attempted to dip their fingers into it! 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. [1] In 1975, GMC introduced a Dragfoiler roof spoiler as an option. But now a sighting of a working cabover truck on the road is more rare. In fact, this picture was used to create a cut-out on foamcore, which sat atop their reception desk when it was unstaffed. VIN. An Australian truck driver talks about the REAL BAD BOY big rig trucks that run through the Outback of Australia. 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. Required fields are marked *. The Titan had a 290 Cummins and 10 speed Roadranger and the A/C worked! The interior is ruff, Dan is rebuilding the engine so as to keep it orignal. the standards the H series set, yet be more streamlined and beyond. We had to do allot of work to use it in the state of California. 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. It was a family business dad, son, and grandson could all be found down the same hallway. In 1909, GM purchased the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company founded by Max Grabowsky in 1901 that designed some of the first ever commercial vehicles. But they are still the gold standard in Europe, Australia and Japan. Gmc astro Cab for sale on HeavyTruckParts.Net The Freightliners could be as cold as the Arctic, even with the heaters on full! The auction would be my first, last, and only opportunity to snag one for myself. 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. Copyright 2018-2023 TRUCKiD.com. Despite everyones best efforts, the business finally went under in 2013. Get to know the CB lingo used by truckers, so you can get in on the conversation, cmon. And so it was that I got my one and only surviving picture of the trucks at hand. This is a highly detailed restoration of the exterior and the interior. Old Dutch was a really good customer. Because of the regulations for length, this style of rig was very popular in its day. Still, he remained hopeful that the tons (literally) of aluminum pontoon parts hed also bought would make up for it. My Grandpa and my Dad owned several of them.
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