[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. Cab is up in the air, a crack noise followed by some crunching sounds. 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. It could go maybe 65 mph tops. When backing in to loading docks and winding through heavy traffic, nothing can compare with a cabover truck! You can read the full disclosure policy, which is pretty dull, but here it is. The See that guy at the helm, in the pink shirt? This must be the Astros counterpart from across the pond, the English 1974-1986 Bedford TM. 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. Didnt most of these Astro / Titan trucks use Detroit Diesel power? 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. Under the joint venture, GMC trucks were phased out in favor of White-designed Volvo GM products. 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. They were once very common, particularly in fleet service. Class 8 cabover highway trucks are still manufactured at a plant in North Carolina. Unless some ambitious individual comes along, chances are their next trip out will be their last. A few fleet delivery customers but mostly farmers who only used the trucks come harvest time. Cabover trucks werent particularly comfortable, back in the early years. Here we have a 1983 GMC Astro. This truck had plenty of power and I was able to easily beat a friend on mine driving the International cabover out of a toll plaza. All in all the Astro proved the old adage that you get what you pay for. But given their neglected state, it also seems likely that their service lives have come to a close. Nothing on earth sounds as good to me as a screamin Jimmy Diesel. Its interior became much more spacious due to an optional sleeper cab. On the sweeping floors it may be profitable. Picture of my Titan 90 north of Portland Maine 1979. I can remember seeing many of the Astro tractors around until Kroger closed the Fort Wayne Indiana Distribution warehouse. The Great Lakes Truck Club hosts the Clifford Truck Show, featuring a hot line-up of cabovers, Macks and older model rigs. One problem with the big windshield was visibility into the truck. Drove these trucks for years. The Astro could be ordered with standard Detroit Diesel 6 or 8 ), But they couldnt just let the boats pile upthey had to get them out to the dealers somehow. Heres the (much older and smaller) Bedford TK: Im very familiar with TK Bedfords I drove them years ago. They were also louder than long hood rigs, as the driver was sitting right above the engine! This is not one of them. In 1959, GMC introduced its Class 8 cabover trucks, replacing the previous "Cannonball" fixed-cab cabovers. You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed. 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. 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. We have large over head hoists and we can slip a second trolley hoist onto the beam from the next hoist over. Placement of the truck cab over the motor saved some length. Cabover interiors use a different system from other car interiors in the same way that a car interior uses a different system. With their squared-off styling and strange proportions, GMC's aluminum cabover trucks of 1959-68 quickly earned the nickname "Crackerbox.". In the shuffle, Ercoa managed to grab the pontoon business and run with it. 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. You can connect with him Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The early COE trucks were also very cold, as they werent well insulated. In 1916, GMC made headlines when a husband and wife drove the GMC pickup truck from Seattle to New York in 30 days. Even upon close investigation, it looked just like an ice cream sundae that had been forgotten and was melting all over the desk! Drive Side. Isuzu Bedford might be the name down under, the blue one is very clearly a (Euro) Bedford TM. Get to know the CB lingo used by truckers, so you can get in on the conversation, cmon. In North America its the other way around. Super trucks for local work, but not well suited for long haul trucking. Title applied for. Some truckers wore full length snowmobile suits in them, just to stay warm! 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. It had chrome bumpers, a chrome grille, and a single chrome exhaust stack, but the gas tank was steel, as were the wheels. The interior is ruff, Dan is rebuilding the engine so as to keep it orignal. But now a sighting of a working cabover truck on the road is more rare. 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. 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. Truck had more than a few dents! Equally memorable was a prop which sometimes sat near it: a Dixie cup which contained a spoon and was filled to overflowing with white glue, which had a bit of brown paint stirred in and was allowed to harden. Not surprising, given that it came from GM, although its predecessor, the Crackerbox (attached) certainly couldnt have spent much time in the Design Center. 4 head lights and double bumpers. Of the three trucks in the fleet, there were two Internationals and one GMC. The interior is ruff, Dan is rebuilding the engine so as to keep it orignal. On our channel we upload daily, our original, walkaround videos of Trucks, Busses and Commercial Vehicles. I love my truck and it will be around for a long time to come. After a couple years of testing the idea was dropped due to the turbines poor fuel consumption. When it comes to clutter, some say its nothing more than postponed decisions. 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. Planning to exit the medium-duty truck market, General Motors canceled the production in 2009. It #3 was under the cowl and the piston/liner assembly would only just clear. Depending on when it was made its Road Expeditor II, an Autocar or a Western Star. Some articles may contain affiliate links. Visibility was not very good and made life tough in some of the tight spots in the old cities and towns I delivered to. 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. As a mechanic, I spent a lot of time working on this style of truck. custom built, and that GMC had been experiencing slightly slumping sales during The faster you repair your semi-truck, the faster it gets on the road and keeps on moving your business forward. Autocar will still sell you a new truck. The cabover has black, red, and white interiors. Gmc astro Sleeper on HeavyTruckParts.Net. Cochran Auctioneers & Associates LTD Boonsboro, Maryland 21713 Phone: (301) 739-0538 Email Seller Video Chat Old Dutch plant located in Minneapolis. He believes that Content and Social Media Marketing are the strongest forms of marketing nowadays. Interestingly enough, the people in the front office werent just strategizers and makers of budgets and blueprints. economy. In 1986, General Motors created the VolvoGM joint venture with Volvo Trucks, leading to the discontinuation of the Astro in 1987. There are a few reasons this might happen: To regain access, please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page. Manual transmission with Hi-Lo. Jun 7, 2019 - This Pin was discovered by Lieutenant 107. By the way nice buy on the boats. It was like driving a bus! Cabover interiors are always black and have that kind of chrome finish that makes them look menacing and slightly menacing. I was only supposed to keep the Titan until the Astro was fixed but I couldnt go back to that noisy sweat box now. Save $2,894 right now on a Chevrolet Astro on CarGurus. But every end is merely a new beginning. This was also used in the prototype The Kenworths had dog houses big enough to sleep on. TGH928V900010. The GMC Astro ceased production after the 1987 model year (coincidentally, two years after Chevrolet launched a van with the same name). These Astro cabs had (exterior) styling far ahead of their time, especially the ones with the smaller grille. 8 model, until 1959, when the all-new H model was introduced. They were indeed good-looking trucks. cylinder engines, and Cummins power was available. Related >Trucker Culture and Professionalism A Salute to the Professionals That Move Us. Generals were actually a pretty good truck, at least competitive with the Transtar 4200/4300 and better than the various Loiusvilles from Ford. You could get Cummins and later the 3406 Cat, but the vast majority had 71 and 92 series Jimmys in them. That was all there was to drive at one time. 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. Buyer's Premium . The GMC Astro and Chevrolet Titan are Class 8 cabover-engine (COE) trucks, sold in both single and tandem rear axle configurations. It also has a black, white, and red interior. Sleeper Type: CAB OVER: Part Info (877)238-5030 Request Info. I had a Grand National at the time and it was very tempting for me to consider trading it off for one but I didnt want another car payment so that was that. I got a blue Chevy Titan 90 replacement while big red was in the shop. Interesting hearing about truck models from the mechanics perspective. The funky hitch is called a stinger and its usually used on car haulers. They were mostly Astros, these older small-grille versions, in dark blue. Cab won't release to tilt. But as you can imagine, by this time there wasnt much left of them. (Wonder how many other people can say they own not one, butthree brand-new, never-used, 1991 model year boats?). A truly excellent truck! 1985 Cabover Kenworth, K100 This Aerodyne model of COE, was one of the best looking of the cabovers. Oh man, how I love those old cabovers and the other rigs, especially the Petes. We had to do allot of work to use it in the state of California. All were late 70s vintage cabovers with sleepers and rooftop air deflectors, painted white, with the obligatorylogo on the door. Since the length laws have changed so much to allow longer units on the roads, there are no longer the same advantages to this style of truck. Description. 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. Resale on these still seems to be excellent! From what I have seen, 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. A box is a box! No wonder they were called Freightshakers! 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 I am actually the current owner of the truck on this article. He told me that when he purchased one in the mid 70s he test drove a Pete 352 (COE) and got the impression that it had inferior build quality to the Astro. 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. Instruction, clear advice, videos and photos for truck driver skills, maneuvers and information for all professional truck drivers. relocated to next to the trailer air brake lever itself, as shown. Its grainy and basically useless, but unless I find the others, that may well be all that remains of these rigs. Heck, it reminds me of the good old days when there were way less laws and regs. This style of old semi trucks are incredibly maneuverable. Safety. 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! Who knows? Out here, the farmers still run Brigadiers, Generals, and Ford Louisvilles. 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. Please email mewith questions and comments! I got to test drive one with a 9L CNG motor and Heil Frontloading refuse body Dec of 2012 and was impressed with it. Box Truck - Straight Truck,Cabover Truck - COE Trucks For Sale in Provo, UT: 38 Box Truck - Straight Truck,Cabover Truck - COE Trucks Near You - Find Box Truck - Straight Truck,Cabover Truck - COE Trucks on Commercial Truck Trader. I dont think Id ever consider trying to restore one. The reason? Complete details for 1900 GMC ASTRO 95 For Sale In Boonsboro, . Recommended Company Sponsored Schools, Requirements, pros + cons, what to expect from company-sponsored cdl training programs. 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. Mainly, they were Find the 9 highest paying truck driver jobs in 2022. 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. Thanks for the pics of the Astro interior, forgot how nice the dash was. This went on after the HD line was sold off. images may be used without permission except for personal viewing. An uncomplicated and clean design, thats what makes a design timeless. Its powered by an NTC 400 Cummins, 15 speed, 433 ratio with dual air breathers. The one weak area for the Astro was the cab tilt mechanics. Here are some comments sent in from truckers. Cabover interiors are all essentially the same but they all have a few differences. 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. We cooperate with some of the industry-leading names that use only premium materials and cutting-edge technologies in the manufacturing of their products. sides of the truck. We have everything you need to maintain your GMC in top condition to avoid truck breakdowns and get it operating properly again. Dealer service was the biggest issue with the GMC, not unlike any GM product of the day. Given the paint scheme, it seems fairly likely this tractor and trailer spent at least part of their lives together. - YouTube 0:00 / 0:53 1986 GMC Astro cabover day cab. In 1909, GM purchased the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company founded by Max Grabowsky in 1901 that designed some of the first ever commercial vehicles. Left Hand Drive. Could be theres more badges these wore. As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. The simple fact that these big rigs didnt have a hood, created better visibility for the driver. It also has a black, white, This merger formed the basis of the General Motors Truck Company giving the GMC brand name for their trucks. there is no reaching into the sleeper to grab something, when sitting in the drivers seat! Your email address will not be published. In past years, it had been E.R.C.O.A., as in the Electric Reel Company Of America, maker of battery-powered fishing reels. Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: Yugo When Was The Last Time You Saw One? 800,000 miles, and a rebuild. My Grandpa and my Dad owned several of them. 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. But never when I have my camera with me. Near the end of its run, Astro buyers had the option of several Detroit, Caterpillar and Cummins Diesel engines. It was hell. I can remember the day we got in a shipment of tools and manuals for the 91 Syclone. For more information on the last new USED - Door side vent, Does not include interior trim, Needs seal, Cab over. Sometimes you needed a prybar to get the rear cab mounts back into there saddles. (Ever the penny-pinchers, they opted to apply the same logo stickers to the trucks as they did to their boats.). email me. 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! This truck is very rare as we are finding out. She carries weight between 93-105,000+lb loads. My first impression? I sold off the shop manuals years ago on the internet. Overspray bedamned, Ill take it! The auction would be my first, last, and only opportunity to snag one for myself.