That was all there was to drive at one time. The truck had plenty of power and did a good job on the New England highways that I drove on. In 1976, another 9 of length was allowed, for a maximum 75 allowance. All in all the Astro proved the old adage that you get what you pay for. sides of the truck. A few fleet delivery customers but mostly farmers who only used the trucks come harvest time. 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 truck and trailer were plainly visible from the road. In fact they were as cold as hell! Not surprising, given that it came from GM, although its predecessor, the Crackerbox (attached) certainly couldnt have spent much time in the Design Center. It seemed certain that these once-proud rigs would be fed to the crusher soon. 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. !. 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. I believe that a gas turbine was optional in limited quantities, yet Thats a nice one! there is no reaching into the sleeper to grab something, when sitting in the drivers seat! The first 1,000,000 miles of my driving was in trucks like these. An uncomplicated and clean design, thats what makes a design timeless. The sleeper seemed tight and on the same claustrophobic scale as the drivers side of the cab. 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. Related >Trucker Culture and Professionalism A Salute to the Professionals That Move Us. Also in common with GM products of the day Astros didnt age well, particularly inside the cab. They were mostly Astros, these older small-grille versions, in dark blue. This merger formed the basis of the General Motors Truck Company giving the GMC brand name for their trucks. Cabover interiors use a different system from other car interiors in the same way that a car interior uses a different system. In North America its the other way around. 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. Hes the one that hired me. Still, it was a new truck and I was pretty happy with it. 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. If anyone out there knows of others or information on this truck please contact us. A 60 Detroit and a 10 speed trannie under the hood. The cabover is one of the most unique interiors weve found. Complete details for 1900 GMC ASTRO 95 For Sale In Boonsboro, . And run they did. 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 Broken lights and lenses throughout. The only parts in stock were routine maintainence and some high wear items. 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. To draw attention to the brand, GMC launched the promotional campaign using several country cross-overs. These trucks were as tough as nails! 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. I had wanted to grab the ice cream sundaeas a souvenir, too, but someone else beat me to it. 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. The GMC Astro ceased production after the 1987 model year (coincidentally, two years after Chevrolet launched a van with the same name). Still, he remained hopeful that the tons (literally) of aluminum pontoon parts hed also bought would make up for it. Old Dutch was a really good customer. There are folks who thought the Astro was a rip off of a Mack design from the early 60s. 1974 Diamond Reo Cabover An early model of COE style rig American made. I would bet my paycheck that the truck and trailer were originally owner by Old Dutch Potato Chip Company. 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 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. A walk-in version was added in 1985. 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. the past 3 years. Chevy Turbo Titan III. Browse the best December 2022 deals on Chevrolet Astro vehicles for sale in Provo, UT. All Rights Reserved. Distinguished by its boxy appearance, it earned the nickname "Crackerbox. Interior. The Great Lakes Truck Club hosts the Clifford Truck Show, featuring a hot line-up of cabovers, Macks and older model rigs. Astro model, go see the. 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. The model was dubbed the GMC B-Series and stayed in production for three generations. As a mechanic, I spent a lot of time working on this style of truck. COEs in general seem to be on the way out, though there is a big black Kenworth COE that hauls container trailers to and from the local port on the James River. The old semi-cabover A series was replaced by the all-new H 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. By the way nice buy on the boats. i have being looking for a astro or titan would you be interested in selling one. I also have a soft spot for the Astro along with the Brigadeir and General. The overall length of truck and trailer, back then, could only be a maximum of 65, from 1956 to 1976. The first major update to the Astro was the Special Series trim Here we have a 1983 GMC Astro. Made money. time. The driver would grab the outer rail and swing out and down! . TGH928V900010. Thanks for visiting my page! This is a highly detailed restoration of the exterior and the interior. 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. No operation of the . Im very familiar with both the Astro and the Transtar. For more information on the last new A larger cab provided more interior space and greater comfort for the driver, and larger windows allowed for better driver visibility. 1968 GMC ASTRO For Sale in Madison, Minnesota at TractorHouse.com. 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. Its a working truck, too! 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 trucks, however, were not so lucky. 1976 GMC Astro day cab over semi, Big Cam 350 Cummins eng., 13 spd., 11R24.5, spring ride, sliding hitch, 711,344 miles, VIN TDC926V578511 - new batteries Carlisle, Iowa. The truck only racked up 85,000 miles in that entire time and the engine only has 2,500 hours on it. When the shop was sold and moved out of town his land lord offered him 300 bucks to clean out the space. Nine89-2five4-eight20eight Report Last Updated on: February 28, 2023 with 1979 GMC Astro Cabover - $4000 Thanks for the history of the company. Much different then cars boats are still a little bit in the wild west of manufacturing. The wrap around dash and placement of the controls and instruments was perfect. The nose of the semi is flat and the truck cab sits on top of the diesel engine and steering axle. 1995 Freightliner C.O.E. 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. Dents and rust throughout, interior dirty and worn. With their squared-off styling and strange proportions, GMC's aluminum cabover trucks of 1959-68 quickly earned the nickname "Crackerbox.". Unless some ambitious individual comes along, chances are their next trip out will be their last. Shopping with us, you get parts and accessories that work hard just like you, built tough just like your vehicle. made it able to slip through wind better than other COEs at the They were quite safe if they were driven with respect. Call or email for more information. $20? White trailers with a big Food Lion graphic. The largest cabover trucks ever produced by GM, the Astro was introduced for 1969, replacing the 1960-1968 GMC "Crackerbox" COEs. They are also usually found on the back of a car, but they can be found in other areas as well. It was like driving a bus! Just like this big Bedford and the Astro. 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. Its powered by an NTC 400 Cummins, 15 speed, 433 ratio with dual air breathers. Title applied for. In 1943, General Motors absorbed Yellow Coach, a Chicago-based bus manufacturer, forming the GM Truck and Coach Division. They were deadly in a head on crash. 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. So they let me keep the Titan 90 and I drove it till fall when I decided driving full time wasnt for me and I went back to being a mechanic. A major factor leading to the cancellation was lack of support for heavy-duty trucks by Chevrolet dealers. Noisy. But every end is merely a new beginning. Clifford, ON, comes alive on the Canada Day long weekend. The Kenworth cabover, better known as the bull nose, was built with comfort and driver safety in mind. Theirs was an Astro 95, of course; a 1978, if I recall. My Astro had an 8V71 Detroit and a 13 speed Roadranger. Stock Number. So, in 1987, GMC sold the heavy duty operation to Volvo, and At the time I was trying to obscure the trucks location to prevent unwelcome tourists (as I commonly did with any roadside pics). The International was brand new when I got it 1978, had a 290 Cummins and 10 speed Roadranger transmission. [1] In an option that became standard a year later, in 1979, GMC and Chevrolet offered the SS (Special Series) package. Air brakes. From what I have seen, GMC ASTRO INTERIOR FOR AMERICAN TRUCK SIMULATOR - YouTube 0:00 / 0:57 GMC ASTRO INTERIOR FOR AMERICAN TRUCK SIMULATOR Caterpillar D8N 701 subscribers Subscribe 1.2K views 11 months. Related > Classic TrucksFrom the Golden Years of Trucking. The cabovers black interior is also the most unique. Theres a bit more thought put into them now but wrap around dashboards are still the norm, the fake wood is still with us though the 2011 International I was driving was covered in the stuff. Must have been a big Chevy truck dealer out there. 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. It seems like there must be hundreds of RV, boat, etc manufacturers that have shuttered or consolidated in the past 2 decades. All were late 70s vintage cabovers with sleepers and rooftop air deflectors, painted white, with the obligatorylogo on the door. These Astro cabs had (exterior) styling far ahead of their time, especially the ones with the smaller grille. USED - Door side vent, Does not include interior trim, Needs seal, Cab over. You mean this one Bryce ? Cabover interiors are all essentially the same but they all have a few differences. The blue cabooses have interiors that are usually made of plastic. You see a LOT of dilapidated Fords smoking their way down the road, somehow still going. Mechanically sound. Great truck and photo. the rest of the GMC heavy duty line in 1987. So they dumped their interests in such things as snowmobiles and recreational craft, going hard after that one market they felt was most lucrative. What a mess. Ever since those got retired (replaced by conventional White-GMC or Volvo-White rigs) Ive seen few to no Astros. The GMC Astro is a heavy-duty (Class 8) cabover truck that was manufactured by the GMC Truck and Coach Division of General Motors. Isuzu Bedford might be the name down under, the blue one is very clearly a (Euro) Bedford TM. 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. 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. (Bedford being a GM division.). I thought the truck fit me perfectly and I became a part of it whenever we were on the road. Definitely a product of White Motor Company or one of its spin offs. 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. Of course, being a cabover it tilted forward for access to that huge Detroit Diesel mill. It featured an all-aluminum cab with a 108-inch or 116-inch hood. They have that in common with a great many other big trucks. email me. The faster you repair your semi-truck, the faster it gets on the road and keeps on moving your business forward. None were roadworthy, only one was able to be started, and perhaps worst of all, no titles could be produced for any of them. We could only make about 59 mph but I was cool and comfortable as I cruised the highway. 118" WB, 104" cab to rear, 184" overall. 1975 GMC Astro Cabover Truck - AS-IS. I know the mechanics at the garbage company in Truckee/N. Among their factory leftovers was a small group of V-bottom boats. Required fields are marked *. This is not one of them. One of the other farms runs a fleet thats all GMC on the older stuff. We like the way they roll. [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. These rigs were once quite commonly seen rolling down the highways. the cab was made of aluminum. 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. 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. This was also used in the prototype To get out, the trucker had to more or less, back out of the cab door, while hanging onto a railing on the door. Throughout the entire production run, the trucks were assembled in Pontiac, Michigan by the Pontiac Central Assembly facility. No wonder they were called Freightshakers! 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. The Sleeper Bunk. It was easy for the younger drivers, but not quite so easy for the older truckers! Independent front suspension, air-suspension all-round, an ultra-light forward-set alloy cab only 48 long, power steering, a complex fabricated frame that was 50% lighter, and the lightest diesel engine: This was the recipe for the most technologically advanced semi truck tractor in the world in 1959. The Astro was available as a 58 in BBC Day Cab, and a 86 in BBC [1] In 1983, the Aero Astro option package was released, largely as an effort to improve fuel economy. They look like something out of the 90s rather than the 60s. 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. The last GMC B-Series left the assembly line in 2003. 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. 1900. 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. 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 After a couple years of testing the idea was dropped due to the turbines poor fuel consumption. Its grainy and basically useless, but unless I find the others, that may well be all that remains of these rigs. Your commercial medium- or heavy-duty truck needs to be in perfect working condition to be able to make money. The payments on bulldozers and other such equipment are pretty high, and they have to be working to keep the cash coming in. 1986 GMC Astro cabover day cab. However, due to it's In 1986, Volvo AB entered into a joint venture with General Motors in heavy-truck production, with Volvo taking an 85% stake. Left Hand Drive. Save $2,894 right now on a Chevrolet Astro on CarGurus. EnterpriseVander Haags Inc Sp Spencer IA. We had a fair number of Brigadiers with 6-71s in them, not nice to work on. time. Description. I drove a COE for the first ten years or so of my driving career. 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.". Truck has dual power windows tilt wheel, extra gages. Used. Drivers didnt worry about head on collisions. The total length of the cab was a mere 48 . On our channel we upload daily, our original, walkaround videos of Trucks, Busses and Commercial Vehicles. Learn how your comment data is processed. metatron-nw.com 2023. Dealer service was the biggest issue with the GMC, not unlike any GM product of the day. You could get Cummins and later the 3406 Cat, but the vast majority had 71 and 92 series Jimmys in them. My Dad drove so many of these, his knees still rattle and shake! Six Easy Ways To Keep Your Truck Cab Organized On The Road. I can remember seeing many of the Astro tractors around until Kroger closed the Fort Wayne Indiana Distribution warehouse. The best trucks ever. One summer day I lost one of the rear ends coming in off the highway. 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. Who knows? relocated to next to the trailer air brake lever itself, as shown. 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. [2] Along with single or tandem axle configurations, the GMC Crackerbox was available with a sleeper cab. Their heyday may have started in the mid 80s, but those boom years were fading away by the early 00s. My son and I still drive this truck and trailer every week from San Diego California, to LA. 1950s. The sleeper provided ample room and comfort, and air conditioning This truck is very rare as we are finding out. They also all open in a certain way (although they differ in this area). When the truck manufacturers decided to increase driver comfort in these trucks, their price increased as 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. You've disabled cookies in your web browser. (USED) GMC ASTRO DOOR SIDE VENT, DOES NOT INCLUDE INTERIOR TRIM, NEEDS SEAL, CAB OVER $242 USD Located in Spencer, IA, US Email Seller (855) 370-___ Seller Information Vander Haag's Inc. 3809 4th Ave W Spencer, IA 51301-2082 United States Get Directions View all Inventory (154948) Get Shipping Quotes Save Price Alert Send to a Friend Print Listing 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. I would sleep across the doghouse in my cabover. But now a sighting of a working cabover truck on the road is more rare. I thought the International Cabover was somewhat claustrophobic. Drivers had to be careful of foot placement, or else theyd end up falling on the ground! Tahoe where I used to work had a tough time getting to stuff on our Pete 320 LCFs. Class 8 cabover highway trucks are still manufactured at a plant in North Carolina. Starting in 1980, the company offered the GMC TopKick. 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 cabover interiors are usually made with a black finish that makes them look like they have some kind of black paint on them. The other cabovers weve seen have white cabooses. ), But they couldnt just let the boats pile upthey had to get them out to the dealers somehow. Alongside a 702 cubic-inch GMC V12 gasoline engine, the truck was available with the Detroit Diesel 6V71 and 8V71 engines. -If you have any, please send them to me, But no more please, too uncomfortable. 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 fact, this picture was used to create a cut-out on foamcore, which sat atop their reception desk when it was unstaffed. 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. 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. It is a medium-duty truck commonly used as a basis for dump trucks, cargo haulers, and other commercial or industrial purposes. This included special paint, a larger chromed front GMC Astro 95 Cabover T/A Road Tractor, ; Vin# TGH928V900010, Special Plate- AC122503, Manual Trans.- NO TITLE . Once you removed the enormous doghouse from the cab you could actually do the back 3 cylinders of an in-frame from the drivers seat. The GMC Astro 95 was introduced Drove these trucks for years. You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed. 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. !, and please SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, COMMENT, hit the NOTIFICATION BELL, and have a look at our other channels:https://www.youtube.com/automototube - AutoMotoTube - Car and Motorcycle walkaround videoshttps://www.youtube.com/c/motorcycletube - MotorCycleTube - Motorcycle walkaround videoshttps://www.youtube.com/c/BoatTube - BoatTube - Motor and Sailing yachts walkaround videoshttps://www.youtube.com/c/Bicycletube - BicycleTube - Bicycle walkaround videoshttps://www.youtube.com/c/atvtube - ATVTube - All Terrain Vehicle walkaround videos 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. Modern cabovers are built with more structural safety features to protect the driver in the event of a crash. The model was discontinued in 1987. Of the seven, five were sixteen feet long, and two were seventeen feet. Cab won't release to tilt. This truck was tight, the Cummins was purrfectly quiet and smooth and I was liking that. I can remember the day we got in a shipment of tools and manuals for the 91 Syclone. The truck has a 3406 A model cat 13 spd GM air ride. I got a blue Chevy Titan 90 replacement while big red was in the shop. 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 Many RVs even up to today use the same glass. That thing is so deliciously 80s. Near the end of its run, Astro buyers had the option of several Detroit, Caterpillar and Cummins Diesel engines. After a short stint as an OTR driver and still holding my Class A CDL Id like to find a worthy GMC truck just to drive to one of the big truck shows.

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