[1] In an option that became standard a year later, in 1979, GMC and Chevrolet offered the SS (Special Series) package. Related >Trucker Culture and Professionalism A Salute to the Professionals That Move Us. The simple fact that these big rigs didnt have a hood, created better visibility for the driver. Needless to say, everyone there knew their products VERY well. 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 1987, GM ended the production of the GMC General. of these honorable trucks on the road today. Sometimes you needed a prybar to get the rear cab mounts back into there saddles. An uncomplicated and clean design, thats what makes a design timeless. It was the oldest design GMC had at the time, and still Cabover interiors are always black and have that kind of chrome finish that makes them look menacing and slightly menacing. (The folks in their marketing department had a thing for using staff, friends, and family in their promotional photos. After a couple years of testing the idea was dropped due to the turbines poor fuel consumption. 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. 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. made it able to slip through wind better than other COEs at the Thats a nice one! GMC Astro 95 Cabover T/A Road Tractor, ; Vin# TGH928V900010, Special Plate- AC122503, Manual Trans.- NO TITLE . They were great for maneuvering in tight spots, but not so great to live in for long time periods for over the road trucking. In 1916, GMC made headlines when a husband and wife drove the GMC pickup truck from Seattle to New York in 30 days. Mechanically sound. Vehicle runs, drives, stops. Thanks for the pics of the Astro interior, forgot how nice the dash was. 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. 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. Browse the best December 2022 deals on Chevrolet Astro vehicles for sale in Provo, UT. 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. This retro truck style is rising to the surface once again for particular working applications. Cabover trucks, COE (cab over engine), are essentially a style of big rig truck without a hood. It wasnt exactly a dignified end for such a long-lived piece of machinery. Condition. Ive got several more for later on in the week, but hey why not start with the biggest? This truck was tight, the Cummins was purrfectly quiet and smooth and I was liking that. And you see a lot of Brigadiers out here too. Interesting hearing about truck models from the mechanics perspective. You could get Cummins and later the 3406 Cat, but the vast majority had 71 and 92 series Jimmys in them. Apparently, many was the visitor who attempted to dip their fingers into it! Just like this big Bedford and the Astro. I also lucked out on a few items from their shop, such as this toolbox. Many RVs even up to today use the same glass. These gems were a challenge to drive without power steering. The cabover truck design is outdated for the North American highway infrastructure. Under the joint venture, GMC trucks were phased out in favor of White-designed Volvo GM products. !. The early ones, like the red one at top, are better looking than the later ones. I wish I had shop space for those kind of projects, my wife gets annoyed when I leave a boat on our property for more than a few weeks. It was truly a great truck. You've disabled JavaScript in your web browser. [1] In 1975, GMC introduced a Dragfoiler roof spoiler as an option. 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. The others weve seen feature yellow and blue interiors. 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. A 60 Detroit and a 10 speed trannie under the hood. I thought the truck fit me perfectly and I became a part of it whenever we were on the road. -If you have any, please send them to me, The Astro died honorably with The best trucks ever. And so it went. On various occasions, I walked in to find the President working a welder and the VP forming sheets of aluminum ahead of him! Never tripped across one that didnt rattle! Wild dashboard, what a shame that there isnt really any use for these old beasts once they get on in years . This gives good access to the motor for maintenance and repair. metatron-nw.com 2023. 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 1981, General Motors ended sales of heavy trucks by the Chevrolet Division, leading to the cancellation of the Chevrolet Bruin, Bison, and Titan. Unless some ambitious individual comes along, chances are their next trip out will be their last. All Rights Reserved. NO It seemed certain that these once-proud rigs would be fed to the crusher soon. Its interesting to hear about what happens to these manufacturing companies when they close. All orignal. International Cabover A 1974 model, powered by Cummins 400, 13 speed transmission, owned by Mark Johnson. 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. The model was discontinued in 1987. With that in mind, we have gathered high-quality GMC parts and accessories that work the first time, every time. (Ever the penny-pinchers, they opted to apply the same logo stickers to the trucks as they did to their boats.). My Astro had an 8V71 Detroit and a 13 speed Roadranger. Planning to exit the medium-duty truck market, General Motors canceled the production in 2009. 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. You wanted to be sure you had your pants on when you rolled out of the sleeper! Autocar will still sell you a new truck. We like the way they roll. 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. My son and I still drive this truck and trailer every week from San Diego California, to LA. When I was bob tailing, and would hit a bump, Id have a new dent in the headliner. Especially love the old Kenworth K100E Aerodyne. Discover (and save!) Some of the time in a cabover International and the rest in an Astro 95 then a Chevy Titan 90. The same bolts held the fuel tank mounts on. But every end is merely a new beginning. 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. The International was brand new when I got it 1978, had a 290 Cummins and 10 speed Roadranger transmission. So, in 1987, GMC sold the heavy duty operation to Volvo, and These rigs are true classics for sure. The total length of the cab was a mere 48 . Yes! . I can remember seeing many of the Astro tractors around until Kroger closed the Fort Wayne Indiana Distribution warehouse. There still seems to be a factory GM radio still installed in that rig, I always thought these had an interesting dash, semi wraparound, isolating the driver in the business section of the cockpit. They were quite safe if they were driven with respect. Despite everyones best efforts, the business finally went under in 2013. Copyright 2011 - 2023 Curbside Classics. 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 vehicles were mostly fitted with school bus bodies. Beat me to itthe White was clearly an Astro rip-off, although there isnt exactly a lot of leeway with big COE trucks in making them look distinctive, at least in the idiom of that time. VIN. 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. The auction would be my first, last, and only opportunity to snag one for myself. These continued to remain as GMC's main class [1], In a major change from precedent, when introduced in 1969, the Astro/Titan were marketed exclusively with diesel engines. email me. Cabover Truck - COE Trucks For Sale in Provo, UT: 0 Cabover Truck - COE Trucks Near You - Find Cabover Truck - COE Trucks on Commercial Truck Trader. There was no coming back after that. I was astounded when he paid $3500 for the title-less derelict Astro; upon looking it over again (just to see if Id missed something), I couldnt understand how he was making money on it at that price. They were mostly Astros, these older small-grille versions, in dark blue. 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. The cabover has a smaller seat in the middle, two doors on either side, a small handle in the middle, and a small door on each side. ASTRO 95. MN. I dont recall who won it, but I do remember that they paid $300 for the privilege. Astro model, go see the. grille, chromed accessories, deluxe interior levels fog lights, and The cabover truck is an icon. Anyway, I drove one when I was 12 years old around the lot, and I will never forget that dashboard of that windshield, or how sharp of a turn it could make. For more information on the last new Its been stretched, and also has a tag axle. [1] In 1977, the Cummins KT450 and Caterpillar 3406 became options; the larger engines required the addition of a larger radiator. The GMC Astro is a heavy-duty (Class 8) cabover truck that was manufactured by the GMC Truck and Coach Division of General Motors. Drove these trucks for years. One problem with the big windshield was visibility into the truck. So the length issue wasnt so important anymore. [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]. The cabover style of truck took full advantage of the trucking industry length laws, in effect at the time. I had a friend who was renting shop space in a building next to a marine machine shop. I was thinking WTF? Related > What It Was Like to Drive the Older Model Rigs. 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? These rigs were once quite commonly seen rolling down the highways. And when I came on in 2006, things werent looking pretty. Others say for every minute spent organizing and reducing clutter, an hour is earned All manufacturer names, symbols, and descriptions, used in our images and text are used solely for identification purposes only. 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. The overall length of truck and trailer, back then, could only be a maximum of 65, from 1956 to 1976. 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. And so came the companys latest investment, circa 1987: a fleet of new-to-them tractors with brand-new trailers. Right on about the crappy service with GMC dealers. Your email address will not be published. Super-detailed engine, chassis and interior; CB radio and dual antennas; Astro . It was pretty tiring crawling in and out of it and having to lie down to get dressed! This interior is one of the highlights of my apartment. In 1909, GM purchased the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company founded by Max Grabowsky in 1901 that designed some of the first ever commercial vehicles. Radhe Gupta is an Indian business blogger. 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. The Astro was available as a 58 in BBC Day Cab, and a 86 in BBC You've disabled cookies in your web browser. I drove many 10s of thousands of miles in the late 70s. I was assigned a 81 model with a 63 as a backup spare truck Their heyday may have started in the mid 80s, but those boom years were fading away by the early 00s. The Astro 95 was the best-styled truck of its time, and one of the best ever. In the seven years I worked for them, however, none of the trucks ever moved. The trucker literally must stand up on the seat of the truck and crawl over theengine, which is positioned between the seats! The first major update to the Astro was the Special Series trim My Dad drove so many of these, his knees still rattle and shake! Too bad they were unable to weather the recession. Manytruckers complained that the ride was pretty rough, mostly due to the shortened wheelbase. Could be theres more badges these wore. Also seem to recall some connection with carnival equipment. I was really taken with the Astro cab. 118" WB, 104" cab to rear, 184" overall. 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. Easily find what you need from 2,312,977 parts available. Out here, the farmers still run Brigadiers, Generals, and Ford Louisvilles. I am trying to see if by some chance this trailer is still in existence. I love the old KW100E. "[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. wide panoramic glass provided excellent vision to the front and the I got to test drive one with a 9L CNG motor and Heil Frontloading refuse body Dec of 2012 and was impressed with it. None were roadworthy, only one was able to be started, and perhaps worst of all, no titles could be produced for any of them. Still, he remained hopeful that the tons (literally) of aluminum pontoon parts hed also bought would make up for it. The cabovers were nice for doing a lot of repairs although I hated pulling radiators. Maneuvering a big trailer was a real workout. The Picture of my Titan 90 north of Portland Maine 1979. I had wanted to grab the ice cream sundaeas a souvenir, too, but someone else beat me to it. Restoration completed recently. The faster you repair your semi-truck, the faster it gets on the road and keeps on moving your business forward. This must be the Astros counterpart from across the pond, the English 1974-1986 Bedford TM. They were once very common, particularly in fleet service. Get to know the CB lingo used by truckers, so you can get in on the conversation, cmon. Given the design and material information I hung onto from earlier, I expect to be able to finish their construction fairly easily. And their parts guys knew the product a lot better. 1950s. Not running. Thats actually not an Astro. convenince and comfort, and safety for operators. In 1930, another GMC truck made a similar journey from New York to San Francisco in just 5 days. 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. Some truckers wore full length snowmobile suits in them, just to stay warm! In 1976, another 9 of length was allowed, for a maximum 75 allowance. The nose of the semi is flat and the truck cab sits on top of the diesel engine and steering axle. Those old White Freightliners would just rattle all the time. 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. When backing in to loading docks and winding through heavy traffic, nothing can compare with a cabover truck! for it was optional. Every downturn claims some, Boats and RVs are big discrentionary extras subject to consumer confidence. I was only supposed to keep the Titan until the Astro was fixed but I couldnt go back to that noisy sweat box now. They are very similar at a glance. My Grandpa and my Dad owned several of them. Cabover interiors use a different system from other car interiors in the same way that a car interior uses a different system. All were late 70s vintage cabovers with sleepers and rooftop air deflectors, painted white, with the obligatorylogo on the door. An Australian truck driver talks about the REAL BAD BOY big rig trucks that run through the Outback of Australia. there is no reaching into the sleeper to grab something, when sitting in the drivers seat! Its the only one of the three weve seen that has a black, red, and blue interior. Cab won't release to tilt. Year. GMC's Astro story originally begins in the early Jun 7, 2019 - This Pin was discovered by Lieutenant 107. GM originally intended to offer an Allison gas turbine engine as an option in the Astro 95 alongside the various Detroit and Cummins diesels when the truck was introduced. . 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. [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]. The big windshields and door glass gave a full view of the road. Add To Cart. This included special paint, a larger chromed front The owner has done a terrific job in restoring the unit to its original condition. Visit our site at any time to acquire GMC semi truck accessories and parts needed for your restoration or upgrade project. The neighbor has one Brigadier- a 1979 thats on its last legs. We can order those things? 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. I cant say I have a soft spot for Brigadiers. Of course, being a cabover it tilted forward for access to that huge Detroit Diesel mill. Great guy I understand hes still working on peddle-boat designs somewhere. The sleeper provided ample room and comfort, and air conditioning But, unfortunately, its also the one big truck for which Im most starved for pictures. awkward shapes, it did not receive good aerodynamic ratings, and cut fuel The H model was a redesign of the semi-cabover design, with a more rounded look as the GMCs at the My client roster once included a manufacturing firm called Ercoa. All in all the Astro proved the old adage that you get what you pay for. Truck has dual power windows tilt wheel, extra gages. From what I have seen, The location makes sense. Heres the (much older and smaller) Bedford TK:
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