gmc astro cabover interior

The The cabovers black interior is also the most unique. To draw attention to the brand, GMC launched the promotional campaign using several country cross-overs. In 1981, General Motors ended sales of heavy trucks by the Chevrolet Division, leading to the cancellation of the Chevrolet Bruin, Bison, and Titan. It also has a black, white, and red interior. 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. [1] In 1972, the Detroit 12V71 became available as an option; though rarely ordered, the V12 engine would remain through 1978. This is a highly detailed restoration of the exterior and the interior. No operation of the . Another future COAL . Modern cabovers are built with more structural safety features to protect the driver in the event of a crash. Resale on these still seems to be excellent! 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. Used. All Rights Reserved. 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 seems like there must be hundreds of RV, boat, etc manufacturers that have shuttered or consolidated in the past 2 decades. It is a full size cab with a single axel. With their squared-off styling and strange proportions, GMC's aluminum cabover trucks of 1959-68 quickly earned the nickname "Crackerbox.". Out here, the farmers still run Brigadiers, Generals, and Ford Louisvilles. After completing the CAPTCHA below, you will immediately regain access to the site again. In what would be a distinguishing feature of the vehicle, the Astro/Titan was produced with a wraparound dashboard;[1] the speedometer and tachometer were placed directly in the line of sight of the driver while most secondary gauges were placed off to the side, based on their level of use. 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 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. Bid History for 1975 GMC Astro 95 Cabover Truck - AS-IS Auction Start Date: 06/03/21 5:11 PM ET Auction End Date: 06/17/21 9:03 PM ET Asset ID: 1453 . Aahhhh yes, I spent many a day in these. Needless to say, everyone there knew their products VERY well. You've disabled cookies in your web browser. I am actually the current owner of the truck on this article. Starting in 1980, the company offered the GMC TopKick. We/I cant go anywhere without people coming out with cameras and cell phones to take pictures of my truck. All three are currently relaxing behind the shop until my project backlog is a bit shorter. 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. -If you have any, please send them to me, Today, you can still find a fair amount Interior. Company owners said should just have to put new batteries in and change the fluids and should start up. Since 1966, General Motors has been manufacturing a line of buses based on a traditional cowled chassis. I thought the International Cabover was somewhat claustrophobic. The driver would be the first guy at the scene of a head on accident. of these honorable trucks on the road today. time. This must be the Astros counterpart from across the pond, the English 1974-1986 Bedford TM. You've disabled JavaScript in your web browser. Diesel (unable to determine engine model, but based on serial number would have a Detroit 8v71). 1995 Freightliner C.O.E. It wasnt exactly a dignified end for such a long-lived piece of machinery. They were indeed good-looking trucks. The faster you repair your semi-truck, the faster it gets on the road and keeps on moving your business forward. 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 legal and they got the job done. These rigs are true classics for sure. None of this stuff is even broken in! I had a friend who was renting shop space in a building next to a marine machine shop. The only parts in stock were routine maintainence and some high wear items. The black caboose is one that is used for a single person and the red caboose is used for a couple of people. [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. Radhe also tries different gadgets every now and then to give their reviews online. Safety. So an auction was scheduled, and the companys assets were bagged, tagged, and sold to the highest bidder. In North America its the other way around. Six Easy Ways To Keep Your Truck Cab Organized On The Road. Following the launch of the cabover product line in 1969, the GMC Astro quickly exceeded the Chevrolet Titan in sales and market share. (Bedford being a GM division.). For over a century, GMC has been offering a wide range of commercial and military grade vehicles, as well as genuine auto parts. They are very similar at a glance. Each truck had a slightly longer than normal wheelbase, with tandem axles, a steel flatbed with wood decking, and an interesting low-mounted fifth wheel hitch setup. The auction would be my first, last, and only opportunity to snag one for myself. Drive Side. for it was optional. "Crackerbox" by operators and fans. If every driver of EVERY vehicle on the road followed these safety tips, our roads would be SO much safer. The new model featured better visibility and improved driver ergonomics. Manual transmission with Hi-Lo. The Sleeper Bunk. From the second picture on, I knew it would be enjoyable! Cabover interiors use a different system from other car interiors in the same way that a car interior uses a different system. Truck manufacturers in these countries still make this body style as their lengths laws are still quite rigid, and the cabover style allows for trailer length to be maxed out. With that in mind, we have gathered high-quality GMC parts and accessories that work the first time, every time. The truck had plenty of power and did a good job on the New England highways that I drove on. Chevy Turbo Titan III. 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. Too bad they were unable to weather the recession. 1985 Kenworth Cabover, K-100 Kenworth release the first of their cabovers, in 1955. 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. A popular model of truck, with COE fans, and with a following and some clubs across North America. 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. These rigs were once quite commonly seen rolling down the highways. Thanks for the pics of the Astro interior, forgot how nice the dash was. 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. trucks or the Turbo Titan III program, please Im retired now but own a few Detroit powered 73 GMC 9500 10 wheelers to fool around with. All Rights Reserved. Enjoy our hassle-free online checkout or call to speak to an expert. at the Hollywood Park Truck Show in Ingleside, CA in 1969. Condition. [1] In an option that became standard a year later, in 1979, GMC and Chevrolet offered the SS (Special Series) package. The replacement for the F/D-series "Crackerbox" COEs, the Astro was marketed by Chevrolet as the Titan, serving as the largest cabover trucks ever produced by General Motors. The new model featured better visibility and improved driver ergonomics. I have a 1983 GMC Astro cabover I had for a few years and slowly fixing it up when I have time to. These gems were a challenge to drive without power steering. ), But they couldnt just let the boats pile upthey had to get them out to the dealers somehow. Maneuvering a big trailer was a real workout. Picture of my Titan 90 north of Portland Maine 1979. The early ones, like the red one at top, are better looking than the later ones. the past 3 years. These two galsno idea who they aremade frequent appearances in company literature. I love the old KW100E. See that guy at the helm, in the pink shirt? A veteran 40+ years truck driver shares 10 of the all time, tried and true truck driving safety tips ALL professional truckers should know AND follow! I would sleep across the doghouse in my cabover. 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. wide panoramic glass provided excellent vision to the front and the The Ercoa staff were good friendly folks. So the length issue wasnt so important anymore. Those old White Freightliners would just rattle all the time. 1978 GMC Astro 95 Some articles may contain affiliate links. GMC. The GMC Astro 95 (1969-1987) For more information on the last new Astro model, go see the Other Astro Pictures -If you have any, please send them to me, and they will be posted! #3 was under the cowl and the piston/liner assembly would only just clear. They had great visibility though. 1975 GMC Astro Cabover Truck - AS-IS. 1950s. The nose of the semi is flat and the truck cab sits on top of the diesel engine and steering axle. Thats code word for farmers. In fact they were as cold as hell! 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. 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. Ive seen a number of really nice ones, rebuilt and re-finished and restored back to new condition. I thought the truck fit me perfectly and I became a part of it whenever we were on the road. 118" WB, 104" cab to rear, 184" overall. The cabooses are all designed with different colors, textures, and materials. Definitely a product of White Motor Company or one of its spin offs. There are distinct niches in the trucking industry where trucker pay is above the average wages paid. None were roadworthy, only one was able to be started, and perhaps worst of all, no titles could be produced for any of them. In contrast to the Crackerbox, the cab of the Astro was lengthened nearly six inches into a 54-inch BBC length with two sleeper cab configurations available. When he used to be their mechanic, he claimed that they were always in the shop for something. On various occasions, I walked in to find the President working a welder and the VP forming sheets of aluminum ahead of him! When it comes to clutter, some say its nothing more than postponed decisions. They were mostly Astros, these older small-grille versions, in dark blue. Cabover trucks, COE (cab over engine), are essentially a style of big rig truck without a hood. Im very familiar with both the Astro and the Transtar. 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 But somewhere down the line (perhaps in the early eighties) they acquired another line of business: building pontoon boats. The white cabooses may be aluminum, but the black caboose is made of metal. 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. 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. Its interior became much more spacious due to an optional sleeper cab. Here we have a 1983 GMC Astro. The International was brand new when I got it 1978, had a 290 Cummins and 10 speed Roadranger transmission. The Kenworth cabover, better known as the bull nose, was built with comfort and driver safety in mind. I dont recall who won it, but I do remember that they paid $300 for the privilege. Near the end of its run, Astro buyers had the option of several Detroit, Caterpillar and Cummins Diesel engines. Visibility was not very good and made life tough in some of the tight spots in the old cities and towns I delivered to. I can remember seeing many of the Astro tractors around until Kroger closed the Fort Wayne Indiana Distribution warehouse. My Red and White Astro 95 being an older truck was pretty well broken in and she was hot (A/C permanently broke) and noisy to be in 10 to 12 or more hours a day. And you see a lot of Brigadiers out here too. 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 In a surprise win, I ended up with both the seventeen-footers and one of the two unfinished sixteens for just a few hundred dollars. Ive got several more for later on in the week, but hey why not start with the biggest? Truck has dual power windows tilt wheel, extra gages. 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. Complete details for 1900 GMC ASTRO 95 For Sale In Boonsboro, . 1979 Peterbilt, 352 Cabover This Peterbilt has been beautifully restored by its owner! Clean, classy, and very GM. Mine was a great truck, simple and reliable. Theybring back good memories from the past from the days when theindustry paid truckers what they were worth and the professional driver was respected by the public. Clifford, ON, comes alive on the Canada Day long weekend. relocated to next to the trailer air brake lever itself, as shown. No; the Astro was unique to GMC and Chevrolet (Titan). Broken lights and lenses throughout. This gives good access to the motor for maintenance and repair. We like the way they roll. Alongside a 702 cubic-inch GMC V12 gasoline engine, the truck was available with the Detroit Diesel 6V71 and 8V71 engines. They are also typically found on the rear of a car, but they can be found in other areas. 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 cabovers were nice for doing a lot of repairs although I hated pulling radiators. 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. If anyone out there knows of others or information on this truck please contact us. Theres something very nostalgic about seeing these rigs on the road today. (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. I drove many 10s of thousands of miles in the late 70s. The owner has done a terrific job in restoring the unit to its original condition. I believe that a gas turbine was optional in limited quantities, yet Dents and rust throughout, interior dirty and worn. Given the paint scheme, it seems fairly likely this tractor and trailer spent at least part of their lives together. Please email 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. convenince and comfort, and safety for operators. 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. We had to do allot of work to use it in the state of California. Oddly enough they still use what cabovers are left for boat transport. The Astro offered many improvements over the "Crackerbox" trucks. The truck only racked up 85,000 miles in that entire time and the engine only has 2,500 hours on it. I drove a COE for the first ten years or so of my driving career. Comfort. USED - Door side vent, Does not include interior trim, Needs seal, Cab over. Gmc astro Sleeper on HeavyTruckParts.Net. Old Dutch was a really good customer. Apparently, many was the visitor who attempted to dip their fingers into it! The location makes sense. My extended family has owned and used that exact model of paddleboat on various lakes in Minnesota for close to four decades. None of the seventeen-footers were ever completed. 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 plastic type is often found in the back of a truck, but it can be found in a few other areas as well. As a mechanic, I spent a lot of time working on this style of truck. Truck had more than a few dents! 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. The new model has replaced the line of C/M 90/9500 trucks. It had the red and white paint scheme but but was otherwise pretty plain, with cast spoke wheels and painted fuel tanks. By the mid eighties, they were doing pretty well for themselves: theyd moved into a big new facility, had expanded their lineup to include such things as portable ice houses and their trademark line of peddle-boats, and of course they were still cranking out pontoons left and right. 94, with LT1 power, velour seating, and a trunk rack. 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. Astro model, go see the. MN. [2] Along with single or tandem axle configurations, the GMC Crackerbox was available with a sleeper cab. Could be theres more badges these wore. However, the conventional long hood vehicle still fairs better in an accident. 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. 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. In the late 1960s, as American truck manufacturers introduced updated designs for cabover trucks, design work began on an all-new Class 8 cabover. 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. 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. The Astro 95 is my first big truck of the week, and also the biggest truck in my files. This model was designed to have a higher cab, bigger rad, and a larger engine, than its predecessor. Title applied for. I got to test drive one with a 9L CNG motor and Heil Frontloading refuse body Dec of 2012 and was impressed with it. The sleeper was scaled like the cab and was roomy and comfortable. Call or email for more information. If I remember I bought it for only $2000 and was used just as a yard truck. My son and I still drive this truck and trailer every week from San Diego California, to LA. 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. GMC's Astro story originally begins in the early The trucks, however, were not so lucky. Visibility. If these were being built in the late 70s, they werent that much before my time yet I cant remember ever seeing one. I happened to be at the yard a few days later, and saw the big old GMC roll in on a lowboy trailer. the Astro was now dead. The Astro 95 had superior driver visibility. Also, by the end of the 1970s, Astro's dashboard had been slightly 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. rearranged. My Dad drove so many of these, his knees still rattle and shake! Anytime the driver wants anything from the bunk, the process is the same. During WWII, GM supplied the US Army with more than 600,000 GMC trucks. 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. [1] In 1975, GMC introduced a Dragfoiler roof spoiler as an option. In fact, this picture was used to create a cut-out on foamcore, which sat atop their reception desk when it was unstaffed. Unless some ambitious individual comes along, chances are their next trip out will be their last. Its the only one of the three weve seen that has a black, red, and blue interior. 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. so has very low miles. The trucker literally must stand up on the seat of the truck and crawl over theengine, which is positioned between the seats! 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 H model was a redesign of the semi-cabover design, with a more rounded look as the GMCs at the The vehicles were mostly fitted with school bus bodies. The Astro/Titan design is so timeless I think they could be parked next to the newest trucks built today and not look out of place. The Astro could be ordered with standard Detroit Diesel 6 or 8 I had wanted to grab the ice cream sundaeas a souvenir, too, but someone else beat me to it. 1985 Cabover Kenworth, K100 This Aerodyne model of COE, was one of the best looking of the cabovers. 1974 Diamond Reo Cabover An early model of COE style rig American made. The neighbor has one Brigadier- a 1979 thats on its last legs. These Astro cabs had (exterior) styling far ahead of their time, especially the ones with the smaller grille. And when I came on in 2006, things werent looking pretty. I know the mechanics at the garbage company in Truckee/N. I noticed and like the 92 Dark Cherry Metallic Chevy Caprice in the background of the third picture from the bottom. Luckily the shop we are in was originally a heavy equipment shop. Heck, it reminds me of the good old days when there were way less laws and regs. No wonder they were called Freightshakers! metatron-nw.com 2023. Somewhere on the back roads near Pine City, MN, as I recall cant give more detail than that without actually retracing my steps. 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. Visit our site at any time to acquire GMC semi truck accessories and parts needed for your restoration or upgrade project. 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. 1900 GMC ASTRO 95 Day Cab Trucks Sold Price: USD $990.00 Auction Ended: April 10, 2021 Financial Calculator Machine Location: Boonsboro, Maryland 21713 Stock Number: 615 VIN: TGH928V900010 Drive Side: Left Hand Drive Compare J.G. GMC Astro 95 Cabover T/A Road Tractor, ; Vin# TGH928V900010, Special Plate- AC122503, Manual Trans.- NO TITLE . Every once in awhile Ill see one sitting on a back lot. On our channel we upload daily, our original, walkaround videos of Trucks, Busses and Commercial Vehicles. Among their factory leftovers was a small group of V-bottom boats. The cabover interiors caboose is a unique design concept that is made possible by the fact that it has black and red interiors. Add To Cart. 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). We could only make about 59 mph but I was cool and comfortable as I cruised the highway. The Internationals were good solid trucks. The Kenworths had dog houses big enough to sleep on. Ever since those got retired (replaced by conventional White-GMC or Volvo-White rigs) Ive seen few to no Astros. Who knows? Its grainy and basically useless, but unless I find the others, that may well be all that remains of these rigs. Not a bad days work. USD $3,300 . 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. As I left the yard that day, I watched as the dilapidated Astrowas being hacked apart by a small herd of torch jockeys. The cabover interior is unique because it is the only one that has a caboose. Additional information is available in this. Maneuverability. The cabover truck design is outdated for the North American highway infrastructure. Manytruckers complained that the ride was pretty rough, mostly due to the shortened wheelbase. The big windshields and door glass gave a full view of the road. Because of the regulations for length, this style of rig was very popular in its day.