They were OK trucks in their day, not bad to work on generally. An Australian truck driver talks about the REAL BAD BOY big rig trucks that run through the Outback of Australia. It was hell. Perhaps even these Jeeps were big trucks in a past life. It featured an all-aluminum cab with a 108-inch or 116-inch hood. They were legal and they got the job done. This model was designed to have a higher cab, bigger rad, and a larger engine, than its predecessor. For the paddleboat, of course. The wrap around dash was a natural because it sits on top of the engine. Isuzu Bedford might be the name down under, the blue one is very clearly a (Euro) Bedford TM. grille, chromed accessories, deluxe interior levels fog lights, and Your email address will not be published. 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. Under the joint venture, GMC trucks were phased out in favor of White-designed Volvo GM products. A lot of the later Astro 95s were Cummins powered. It also has a black, white, The Astro offered many improvements over the "Crackerbox" trucks. (Wonder how many other people can say they own not one, butthree brand-new, never-used, 1991 model year boats?). [2] Along with single or tandem axle configurations, the GMC Crackerbox was available with a sleeper cab. 1983 Freightliner COE Rig This gorgeous rig was on display at the Clifford Truck Show. The trucks, however, were not so lucky. They were mostly Astros, these older small-grille versions, in dark blue. The cabover has black, red, and white interiors. 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. All three are currently relaxing behind the shop until my project backlog is a bit shorter. This went on after the HD line was sold off. Discover (and save!) with Rudkin-Wiley Airshield. Cabover trucks, COE (cab over engine), are essentially a style of big rig truck without a hood. You wanted to be sure you had your pants on when you rolled out of the sleeper! One of my most exciting or tense days involved a White Road Commander. The red caboose is made of metal too. This is because they are usually made of steel, and they are also available in other materials, such as plastic. I would sleep across the doghouse in my cabover. The location makes sense. I drove one in 71 for two years, with a V12 Detroit engine. (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. 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. 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! 1950s. My Dad drove so many of these, his knees still rattle and shake! Im very familiar with both the Astro and the Transtar. You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed. 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. 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. One legacy of the Astro is the windshields. Picture of my Titan 90 north of Portland Maine 1979. It was a family business dad, son, and grandson could all be found down the same hallway. We had to do allot of work to use it in the state of California. I happened to be at the yard a few days later, and saw the big old GMC roll in on a lowboy trailer. Feed Body, model unknown cabover The GMC Astro 95 was introduced Yes! 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. 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. 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. You can read the full disclosure policy, which is pretty dull, but here it is. The I can remember seeing many of the Astro tractors around until Kroger closed the Fort Wayne Indiana Distribution warehouse. The auction would be my first, last, and only opportunity to snag one for myself. 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. 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. The wrap around dash and placement of the controls and instruments was perfect. This included special paint, a larger chromed front Made money. That picture is pretty much a more modern version of what they were running. 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 also have a soft spot for the Astro along with the Brigadeir and General. Id give anything to have one now. The GMC Astro is a heavy-duty (Class 8) cabover truck that was manufactured by the GMC Truck and Coach Division of General Motors. It could go maybe 65 mph tops. Thanks for the pics of the Astro interior, forgot how nice the dash was. Some models had quite large sleeper berths. Im retired now but own a few Detroit powered 73 GMC 9500 10 wheelers to fool around with. Air brakes. Downtime means lost income. Not a bad days work. The largest cabover trucks ever produced by GM, the Astro was introduced for 1969, replacing the 1960-1968 GMC "Crackerbox" COEs. That thing is so deliciously 80s. Turned out, he wasnt. 1900. We had a fair number of Brigadiers with 6-71s in them, not nice to work on. I thought the truck fit me perfectly and I became a part of it whenever we were on the road. Cabover trucks, COE (cab over engine), are essentially a style of big rig truck without a hood. At SMART TRUCKING, were also avid fans of the cabover truck. And 35 years ago no computerized support systems. 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. This truck was tight, the Cummins was purrfectly quiet and smooth and I was liking that. He believes that Content and Social Media Marketing are the strongest forms of marketing nowadays. 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. Maneuvering a big trailer was a real workout. In 1959, GMC introduced its Class 8 cabover trucks, replacing the previous "Cannonball" fixed-cab cabovers. The gmc astro cabover features a black interior with a white caboose. The truck and trailer were plainly visible from the road. 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. email me. 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. was loved by owners and operators alike. The truck only racked up 85,000 miles in that entire time and the engine only has 2,500 hours on it. The other cabovers weve seen have white cabooses. Many RVs even up to today use the same glass. There are a few reasons this might happen: To regain access, please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page. The black caboose is one that is used for a single person and the red caboose is used for a couple of people. As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. Class 8 cabover highway trucks are still manufactured at a plant in North Carolina. I had wanted to grab the ice cream sundaeas a souvenir, too, but someone else beat me to it. metatron-nw.com 2023. Thats actually not an Astro. I vaguely recall it being at/near a T intersection. $182.00 . The only parts in stock were routine maintainence and some high wear items. Some truckers wore full length snowmobile suits in them, just to stay warm! Want to learn the language of the truck driver? Visibility. 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. No; the Astro was unique to GMC and Chevrolet (Titan). If anyone knows about these powerplants in 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. I cant say I have a soft spot for Brigadiers. Six Easy Ways To Keep Your Truck Cab Organized On The Road. He ran one as an O/O for a few years in the mid 1970s and then again as a company driver for Thrifty-Payless Drug stores in the early-mid 80s. This truck is very rare as we are finding out. Definitely a product of White Motor Company or one of its spin offs. Since 1966, General Motors has been manufacturing a line of buses based on a traditional cowled chassis. I got to test drive one with a 9L CNG motor and Heil Frontloading refuse body Dec of 2012 and was impressed with it. Manual transmission with Hi-Lo. We/I cant go anywhere without people coming out with cameras and cell phones to take pictures of my truck. In 1976, another 9 of length was allowed, for a maximum 75 allowance. Manufacturer. Title applied for. The vehicles were mostly fitted with school bus bodies. White trailers with a big "Food Lion" graphic. Owned by Ryan Wichtner, FL. If these were being built in the late 70s, they werent that much before my time yet I cant remember ever seeing one. They were mostly Astros, these older small-grille versions, in dark blue. !, 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 For some reason most of the few I saw were rag-tag owner-ops out of Quebec. 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 Updated: Sat, April 10, 2021 5:09 PM Get Shipping Quotes - (Opens in a new tab) Apply for Financing - (Opens in a new tab) No image. Given the paint scheme, it seems fairly likely this tractor and trailer spent at least part of their lives together. The H model was a redesign of the semi-cabover design, with a more rounded look as the GMCs at the I believe that a gas turbine was optional in limited quantities, yet Ever since those got retired (replaced by conventional White-GMC or Volvo-White rigs) I've seen few to no Astros. The first major update to the Astro was the Special Series trim A 60 Detroit and a 10 speed trannie under the hood. 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 an auction was scheduled, and the companys assets were bagged, tagged, and sold to the highest bidder. Cabover interiors use a different system from other car interiors in the same way that a car interior uses a different system. Following the launch of the cabover product line in 1969, the GMC Astro quickly exceeded the Chevrolet Titan in sales and market share. Because of the regulations for length, this style of rig was very popular in its day. rearranged. Nine89-2five4-eight20eight Report Last Updated on: February 28, 2023 with 1979 GMC Astro Cabover - $4000 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. 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. As a result, I finally got a chance to get up close and personal with their fleet of trucks. 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. Dan is hoping to use this truck in the summer to haul hay. (Ever the penny-pinchers, they opted to apply the same logo stickers to the trucks as they did to their boats.). Because of the regulations for length, this style of rig was very popular in it's day. You see a LOT of dilapidated Fords smoking their way down the road, somehow still going. 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. However, Ive noticed a resurgence of interest in cabover trucks recently. The dealer I worked at had a large rural customer base. Interior. The Most kids wanted to go to the beach, but my favourite thing was to head for a truck stop! $20? 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. time. (Bedford being a GM division.). You mean this one Bryce ? But now a sighting of a working cabover truck on the road is more rare. Dents and rust throughout, interior dirty and worn. MN. Its a FACTORY double bunk. I always wondered if the design of the original small grille on the Astro 95 was supposed to suggest an air intake rather than a radiator grille. Wild dashboard, what a shame that there isnt really any use for these old beasts once they get on in years . Drivers didnt worry about head on collisions. Today, it is one of the most recognizable marques in the industry. Gauges for the trailer air supply and pressure were 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. They would haul trailer loads of potatoes in from Idaho with these rigs. Your email address will not be published. Autocar will still sell you a new truck. 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 Astro was available as a 58 in BBC Day Cab, and a 86 in BBC Expanding the product line to the Chevrolet brand, the replacement for the GMC Crackerbox sought to expand interior space, visibility, and driver ergonomics. The owner has done a terrific job in restoring the unit to its original condition. 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. 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. Great guy I understand hes still working on peddle-boat designs somewhere. Great truck and photo. 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. The big windshields and door glass gave a full view of the road. As of current production, GM has not marketed another Class 8 cabover truck (as the configuration has effectively ended production in North America). 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. Visibility was not very good and made life tough in some of the tight spots in the old cities and towns I delivered to. trucks or the Turbo Titan III program, please As such, several other trucks will be standing in for it at various points. 15,875 views May 7, 2017 158 Dislike Share Hunzolee 1.37K subscribers 1986 GMC Astro cabover day cab at. Find the 9 highest paying truck driver jobs in 2022. Visit our site at any time to acquire GMC semi truck accessories and parts needed for your restoration or upgrade project. I thought the International Cabover was somewhat claustrophobic. ASTRO 95. [1] In an option that became standard a year later, in 1979, GMC and Chevrolet offered the SS (Special Series) package. 1982 Marmon COE A 110P, with the rare option of a V-grill and V-bumper, which is known as the VIP package. Copyright 2011 - 2023 Curbside Classics. The cabover style of truck took full advantage of the trucking industry length laws, in effect at the time. Welcome to TruckTube!!! All were late 70s vintage cabovers with sleepers and rooftop air deflectors, painted white, with the obligatorylogo on the door. The model was dubbed the GMC B-Series and stayed in production for three generations. The neighbor has one Brigadier- a 1979 thats on its last legs. We like the way they roll. Anytime the driver wants anything from the bunk, the process is the same. With that in mind, we have gathered high-quality GMC parts and accessories that work the first time, every time. The nose of the semi is flat and the truck cab sits on top of the diesel engine and steering axle. 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 the late 1960s, as American truck manufacturers introduced updated designs for cabover trucks, design work began on an all-new Class 8 cabover. Useful articles fast to read and guides easy to understand written by mechanics and car enthusiasts to turn your shopping experience with TRUCKiD into a pleasure. Its great to know so many truckers still appreciate these trucks. the standards the H series set, yet be more streamlined and beyond. 4 head lights and double bumpers. 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. Dan is hoping to use this truck in the summer to haul hay. Heres a few pics of its predecessors. Model. Cabovers werent necessary dangerously. Thanks for the history of the company. Sleeper Type: CAB OVER: Part Info (877)238-5030 Request Info. wide panoramic glass provided excellent vision to the front and the All in all the Astro proved the old adage that you get what you pay for. None of the seventeen-footers were ever completed. If every driver of EVERY vehicle on the road followed these safety tips, our roads would be SO much safer. It was easy for the younger drivers, but not quite so easy for the older truckers! The one weak area for the Astro was the cab tilt mechanics. Sometimes you needed a prybar to get the rear cab mounts back into there saddles. Ford made a big cabover on air bag suspension that leaned in the corners and felt like it was going to tip over sideways when the driver climbed in or out. This must be the Astros counterpart from across the pond, the English 1974-1986 Bedford TM. Noisy. Right down to the furnishings, the place honestly looked like a time capsule from 1991 (just when I thought Id seen the last of NetWare 4, Compaq products with a rainbow stripe on them, and the unmistakable beeps and chirps of Merlin phones). The payments on bulldozers and other such equipment are pretty high, and they have to be working to keep the cash coming in. It did the job but no one ever confused it with a Peterbilt or a Kenworth. A popular model of truck, with COE fans, and with a following and some clubs across North America. One summer day I lost one of the rear ends coming in off the highway. 1986 GMC Astro cabover day cab. At the time I was trying to obscure the trucks location to prevent unwelcome tourists (as I commonly did with any roadside pics). Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Truck had more than a few dents! I read somewhere that Larry Shinoda had a hand in designing the Astro 95. Guess which one I was most interested in? USD $1,018 . Radhe also tries different gadgets every now and then to give their reviews online. 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. This was also used in the prototype The cabovers black interior is also the most unique. Some of the time in a cabover International and the rest in an Astro 95 then a Chevy Titan 90. We have everything you need to maintain your GMC in top condition to avoid truck breakdowns and get it operating properly again. To draw attention to the brand, GMC launched the promotional campaign using several country cross-overs. 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. 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. Much different then cars boats are still a little bit in the wild west of manufacturing. The next year I was put in a brand new leased 1979 GMC General. Must have been a big Chevy truck dealer out there. Its grainy and basically useless, but unless I find the others, that may well be all that remains of these rigs. Our goal is to support you and your business. The Kenworths had dog houses big enough to sleep on. No other semi had that much glass, and the fact it went down so far gave the driver better vision of things real close, like someone in a crosswalk, but it freaked some drivers out at first because you do feel exposed compared to say a Kenworth or Peterbuilt Cab over of the time. Used. You are visitor number to this page! On the sweeping floors it may be profitable. 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. The faster you repair your semi-truck, the faster it gets on the road and keeps on moving your business forward. We can order those things? 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. The one thing that cabover interiors are best known for is the way they can camouflage some of their interior panels. (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 Needless to say, everyone there knew their products VERY well. This merger formed the basis of the General Motors Truck Company giving the GMC brand name for their trucks. 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. My boss arranged to swap out the General with an older model 1975 Astro 95. The cabover truck design is outdated for the North American highway infrastructure. All orignal. A practical guide to paid CDL training programs. And run they did. If anyone out there knows of others or information on this truck please contact us. Heres the (much older and smaller) Bedford TK: Truck has dual power windows tilt wheel, extra gages. Mine was a great truck, simple and reliable. 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. It had chrome bumpers, a chrome grille, and a single chrome exhaust stack, but the gas tank was steel, as were the wheels. Another controversial feature of it was It used a single hyd cylinder on the right hand side of the frame. It also lacked most of the personalized touches this one hasno fancy clearance lights or custom paint jobs here! 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. and they will be posted! I still have a few anti-tamper ECM decals laying around somewhere. 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. 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. COEs have been the standard in Europe since many decades, a conventional truck is rare. [1] Although Detroit Diesel had developed a gas-turbine version of the GMC Astro in the early 1970s, fuel-economy concerns would keep it out of production. And when I came on in 2006, things werent looking pretty. Throughout the entire production run, the trucks were assembled in Pontiac, Michigan by the Pontiac Central Assembly facility. I have a 1983 GMC Astro cabover I had for a few years and slowly fixing it up when I have time to. A box is a box! model in the middle of 1949. Related > What It Was Like to Drive the Older Model Rigs.