1978 GMC Astro 95 I was only supposed to keep the Titan until the Astro was fixed but I couldnt go back to that noisy sweat box now. $4,000.00 1979 GMC Astro cabover semi tractor Detroit 892v 13 speed 54,276 actual mileage 2,324 hours Starts and runs great. Numbers 1 and 2 could be done from the engine compartment. Id give anything to have one now. It was pretty tiring crawling in and out of it and having to lie down to get dressed! Some articles may contain affiliate links. The cabover truck is an icon. "Crackerbox" by operators and fans. Still, it was a new truck and I was pretty happy with it. Call or email for more information. William C. Durant established General Motors (GM) as the holding company for Buick on September 16, 1908. I might have even worked on this one. Cabover trucks, COE (cab over engine), are essentially a style of big rig truck without a hood. In the shuffle, Ercoa managed to grab the pontoon business and run with it. In fact they were as cold as hell! EnterpriseVander Haags Inc Sp Spencer IA. Save $2,894 right now on a Chevrolet Astro on CarGurus. International Cabover A 1974 model, powered by Cummins 400, 13 speed transmission, owned by Mark Johnson. Apparently, many was the visitor who attempted to dip their fingers into it! Truckstop Classic: 1959-1961 GMC DLR/DFR 8000 - Curbside Classic Cab is up in the air, a crack noise followed by some crunching sounds. They are very similar at a glance. The different cabooses are designed to look different colors and to be able to transition from one color to another. Gmc astro Cab for sale on HeavyTruckParts.Net Great truck and photo. We could only make about 59 mph but I was cool and comfortable as I cruised the highway. The cabover style of truck took full advantage of the trucking industry length laws, in effect at the time. Now for those of you who have seen dbl bunk Astro's yes there were some after market dbl bunk conversions. Item:24627543 Spencer, IA $242.00. It's flush glass and smooth exterior surfaces These gems were a challenge to drive without power steering. Dan is hoping to use this truck in the summer to haul hay. Many RVs even up to today use the same glass. The truck had plenty of power and did a good job on the New England highways that I drove on. 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. One of the other farms runs a fleet thats all GMC on the older stuff. Alongside a 702 cubic-inch GMC V12 gasoline engine, the truck was available with the Detroit Diesel 6V71 and 8V71 engines. A practical guide to paid CDL training programs. For some reason most of the few I saw were rag-tag owner-ops out of Quebec. [1] In 1977, the Cummins KT450 and Caterpillar 3406 became options; the larger engines required the addition of a larger radiator. 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. I wouldnt be so quick to write the Road Commander off as an Astro copy, Larry Shinoda of Mustang and Corvette fame was the man behind the design. They were indeed good-looking trucks. Welcome to TruckTube!!! Your email address will not be published. And you see a lot of Brigadiers out here too. 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. My Mom ran a truck leasing operation in the 70s-90s (NationalLease/LendLease) and back in the 70s when the 95 came out it was a VERY big deal. The truck and trailer were plainly visible from the road. The left front cab mount failed, the cab has swung around to the right some and landed on the motor. 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. Of the three trucks in the fleet, there were two Internationals and one GMC. Cabover Kings 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. Its interior became much more spacious due to an optional sleeper cab. Your commercial medium- or heavy-duty truck needs to be in perfect working condition to be able to make money. They are also typically found on the rear of a car, but they can be found in other areas. 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. I was really taken with the Astro cab. This went on after the HD line was sold off. In 1976, another 9 of length was allowed, for a maximum 75 allowance. Some of the time in a cabover International and the rest in an Astro 95 then a Chevy Titan 90. 800,000 miles, and a rebuild. I would sleep across the doghouse in my cabover. The dealer I worked at had a large rural customer base. 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. Want to learn the language of the truck driver? This interior is one of the highlights of my apartment. And run they did. 1972 GMC Astro Cabover Truck - Walkaround Exterior Interior Tour - 2021 Clifford Truck Show TruckTube 3.9K views 8 months ago Cabover Peterbilt With Completely Full Trailer FSC Trucking. On the sweeping floors it may be profitable. The cabover interior is unique because it is the only one that has a caboose. The cabover is one of the most unique interiors weve found. Buyer's premium included in price USD $458. Manufacturer. Cabovers werent necessary dangerously. In fact, this picture was used to create a cut-out on foamcore, which sat atop their reception desk when it was unstaffed. The sleeper seemed tight and on the same claustrophobic scale as the drivers side of the cab. All Rights Reserved. 4 head lights and double bumpers. 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. However, there was a downside that accompanied this accessibility. Nothing else you could do there anyway. metatron-nw.com 2023. This included special paint, a larger chromed front Browse the best December 2022 deals on Chevrolet Astro vehicles for sale in Provo, UT. The only parts in stock were routine maintainence and some high wear items. 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. Also in common with GM products of the day Astros didnt age well, particularly inside the cab. Vehicle runs, drives, stops. The GMC Astro (also known as the Chevrolet Titan) is a heavy-duty cabover truck that was manufactured by the GMC Truck and Coach Division of General Motors from the 1969 to 1987 model years. 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. Im very familiar with TK Bedfords I drove them years ago. After its discontinuation, GM exited the heavy-duty truck market. One could update the grille and headlights and the Astro 2.0 wouldnt look out of place today in a lineup of new trucks on the dealer lot. Or perhaps some do-gooder finally threw it away. Upgrades to the truck's suspension improved its handling and ride, as well. It also lacked most of the personalized touches this one hasno fancy clearance lights or custom paint jobs here! convenince and comfort, and safety for operators. The gmc astro cabover features a black interior with a white caboose. I drove one in 71 for two years, with a V12 Detroit engine. Manual transmission with Hi-Lo. model in the middle of 1949. It was like driving a bus! 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. She carries weight between 93-105,000+lb loads. If I remember I bought it for only $2000 and was used just as a yard truck. My Dad drove so many of these, his knees still rattle and shake! 1 of 11 ever made by General Motors. The GMC Astro ceased production after the 1987 model year (coincidentally, two years after Chevrolet launched a van with the same name). Clifford, ON, comes alive on the Canada Day long weekend. 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. The driver would be the first guy at the scene of a head on accident. I was thinking WTF? They were deadly in a head on crash. 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. [1] In an option that became standard a year later, in 1979, GMC and Chevrolet offered the SS (Special Series) package. 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. I believe that a gas turbine was optional in limited quantities, yet I drove many 10s of thousands of miles in the late 70s. All in all the Astro proved the old adage that you get what you pay for. Who knows? It also has a black, white, When the shop was sold and moved out of town his land lord offered him 300 bucks to clean out the space. Now for those of you who have seen dbl bunk Astro's yes there were some after market dbl bunk conversions. Also, by the end of the 1970s, Astro's dashboard had been slightly Thats a nice one! I may well have been the only guy in the Yellow Pages who knew what they meant by thickwire.. The interior is ruff, Dan is rebuilding the engine so as to keep it orignal. We cooperate with some of the industry-leading names that use only premium materials and cutting-edge technologies in the manufacturing of their products. As such, several other trucks will be standing in for it at various points. 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. 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. Please email mewith questions and comments! the cab was made of aluminum. rearranged. 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. Visibility was not very good and made life tough in some of the tight spots in the old cities and towns I delivered to. The big windshields and door glass gave a full view of the road. the Astro was now dead. They are also becoming wildly popular at truck shows. 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 driver would grab the outer rail and swing out and down! I vaguely recall it being at/near a T intersection. Not running. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The next year I was put in a brand new leased 1979 GMC General. He later ran an early 90s GMC Brig as his assigned tractor for Yellow Freight before retirement. In 1981, General Motors ended sales of heavy trucks by the Chevrolet Division, leading to the cancellation of the Chevrolet Bruin, Bison, and Titan. A larger cab provided more interior space and greater comfort for the driver, and larger windows allowed for better driver visibility. time. It also has a black, white, and red interior. The gmc astro cabover features a black interior with a white caboose. Here are some comments sent in from truckers. COEs have been the standard in Europe since many decades, a conventional truck is rare. As the trucks aged the cab had a tendency to shift to the right as it lifted, older ones would snag the safety hook. sides of the truck. Crackerbox: The 1959-68 GMC Aluminum Cabover Trucks 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. Shopping with us, you get parts and accessories that work hard just like you, built tough just like your vehicle. 1974 Diamond Reo Cabover An early model of COE style rig American made. There are distinct niches in the trucking industry where trucker pay is above the average wages paid. 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 trucker literally must stand up on the seat of the truck and crawl over theengine, which is positioned between the seats! Get to know the CB lingo used by truckers, so you can get in on the conversation, cmon. I still have a few anti-tamper ECM decals laying around somewhere. This model was designed to have a higher cab, bigger rad, and a larger engine, than its predecessor. 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. As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. Turned out, he wasnt. The faster you repair your semi-truck, the faster it gets on the road and keeps on moving your business forward. MN. Gmc Astro Cabover Trucks For Sale | AgriSeek.com Gauges for the trailer air supply and pressure were You mean this one Bryce ? When he used to be their mechanic, he claimed that they were always in the shop for something. The shortened wheelbase allows for this tight turning radius. grille, chromed accessories, deluxe interior levels fog lights, and 1968 GMC ASTRO For Sale in Madison, Minnesota 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. 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. I thought the truck fit me perfectly and I became a part of it whenever we were on the road. But, unfortunately, its also the one big truck for which Im most starved for pictures. When the truck manufacturers decided to increase driver comfort in these trucks, their price increased as well. It doesnt have the sunshade, but otherwise it is a dead ringer. 1968 GMC ASTRO For Sale in Madison, Minnesota at TractorHouse.com. 1985 Cabover Kenworth, K100 This Aerodyne model of COE, was one of the best looking of the cabovers. This 1974 model was one of the last trucks to travel down the assembly line before the company went bankrupt in late 1974. 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! The owner has done a terrific job in restoring the unit to its original condition. Its too bad they dont make them like that any more. After completing the CAPTCHA below, you will immediately regain access to the site again. was loved by owners and operators alike. GMC Astro 95 Semi Tractor Cabover Truck 1:25 Scale AMT - Arrow Models These trucks were as tough as nails! Diesel (unable to determine engine model, but based on serial number would have a Detroit 8v71). All Rights Reserved. (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 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. I liked the little window in the passenger door. They were OK trucks in their day, not bad to work on generally. Clean, classy, and very GM. They were legal and they got the job done. The new model has replaced the line of C/M 90/9500 trucks. The one thing that cabover interiors are best known for is the way they can camouflage some of their interior panels. The GMC Astro and Chevrolet Titan are Class 8 cabover-engine (COE) trucks, sold in both single and tandem rear axle configurations. The location makes sense. VIN. The truck has a 3406 A model cat 13 spd GM air ride. I noticed and like the 92 Dark Cherry Metallic Chevy Caprice in the background of the third picture from the bottom. It represents the days of trucking we all long for, in todays world of trucking, that is so muddled up and complex with its mounds of unnecessary rules, regs and guidelines. 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. If every driver of EVERY vehicle on the road followed these safety tips, our roads would be SO much safer. [1] In 1972, the Detroit 12V71 became available as an option; though rarely ordered, the V12 engine would remain through 1978. GMC ASTRO 95 Trucks Auction Results - 12 Listings | TruckPaper.com Autocar will still sell you a new truck. My client roster once included a manufacturing firm called Ercoa. [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. Downtime means lost income. 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. You see a LOT of dilapidated Fords smoking their way down the road, somehow still going. My first impression? Loved it when trucks had real character. The best trucks ever. 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. 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. Guess which one I was most interested in? This merger formed the basis of the General Motors Truck Company giving the GMC brand name for their trucks. Of course, being a cabover it tilted forward for access to that huge Detroit Diesel mill. Lots of stuff that rattled, fell off or quit working way too early. Add To Cart. Among their factory leftovers was a small group of V-bottom boats. 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. 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. Condition. Owned by Ryan Wichtner, FL. I also lucked out on a few items from their shop, such as this toolbox. 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 I got a blue Chevy Titan 90 replacement while big red was in the shop. Did find the high-res original of that pic, but alas, no GPS information or other pictures for context. Radhe also tries different gadgets every now and then to give their reviews online. GMC Astro Interior | Truck interior, Gmc trucks, Big trucks Highly inconvenient. We like the way they roll. 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.". Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: Yugo When Was The Last Time You Saw One? As of current production, GM has not marketed another Class 8 cabover truck (as the configuration has effectively ended production in North America). The Astro could be ordered with standard Detroit Diesel 6 or 8 Great guy I understand hes still working on peddle-boat designs somewhere. But they are still the gold standard in Europe, Australia and Japan. In stark contrast to the boxy Crackerbox, the exterior of the Astro/Titan featured rounded body corners and wraparound windshield glass. The old semi-cabover A series was replaced by the all-new H GMC Astro - Wikipedia White trailers with a big "Food Lion" graphic. 1969-'88 GMC Astro | Hemmings Left Hand Drive. I am actually the current owner of the truck on this article. Expanding the product line to the Chevrolet brand, the replacement for the GMC Crackerbox sought to expand interior space, visibility, and driver ergonomics. Gmc astro Sleeper on HeavyTruckParts.Net. GMC ASTRO Trucks Auction Results - 24 Listings | TruckPaper.com - Page 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. As far as I know this is a Bedford KM, the heavy-duty TK. All rights reserved. Learn how your comment data is processed. Broken lights and lenses throughout. GMC ASTRO Farm Equipment Auction Results - 22 Listings - TractorHouse.com Could be theres more badges these wore. 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. Can anyone tell me where this picture was taken. Dealer service was the biggest issue with the GMC, not unlike any GM product of the day. 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 for it was optional. We can order those things? upgrade. As a result, I finally got a chance to get up close and personal with their fleet of trucks. Related > Classic TrucksFrom the Golden Years of Trucking. Cabovers had great visibility and they had the look of highway trucks, due to their sheer height. So, in 1987, GMC sold the heavy duty operation to Volvo, and My boss arranged to swap out the General with an older model 1975 Astro 95. To make matters worse this truck was built without power steering! GMC ASTRO Heavy Duty Trucks Auction Results This truck is very rare as we are finding out. 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. 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. They look like something out of the 90s rather than the 60s. Heres the (much older and smaller) Bedford TK: 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. Just love the old school classics. 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. 1972 GMC Astro Cabover Truck - Walkaround Exterior Interior Tour - YouTube Distinguished by its boxy appearance, it earned the nickname "Crackerbox. We had a fair number of Brigadiers with 6-71s in them, not nice to work on. The wrap around dash and placement of the controls and instruments was perfect. In North America its the other way around. Unless some ambitious individual comes along, chances are their next trip out will be their last. Others say for every minute spent organizing and reducing clutter, an hour is earned All manufacturer names, symbols, and descriptions, used in our images and text are used solely for identification purposes only. before, and some were cut as cost-savings. Cochran Auctioneers & Associates LTD Boonsboro, Maryland. They were great for maneuvering in tight spots, but not so great to live in for long time periods for over the road trucking. For more information on the last new They were mostly Astros, these older small-grille versions, in dark blue. Your email address will not be published. GMC ASTRO Trucks For Sale - 2 Listings | TruckPaper.com - Page 1 of 1 The cabover has black, red, and white interiors. The Astro 95 had superior driver visibility. 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. After a couple years of testing the idea was dropped due to the turbines poor fuel consumption. Didnt most of these Astro / Titan trucks use Detroit Diesel power? On various occasions, I walked in to find the President working a welder and the VP forming sheets of aluminum ahead of him! Video: Crackerboxes an Astros - CDLLife Needless to say, everyone there knew their products VERY well. The yard owner and I were talking at the time, and I congratulated him on his win. 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 And when I came on in 2006, things werent looking pretty. The total length of the cab was a mere 48 . A box is a box! Parts Side Vent W/ Inside Cover, Needs Seal, Cab Over. - YouTube 0:00 / 0:53 1986 GMC Astro cabover day cab. 1985 Kenworth Cabover, K-100 Kenworth release the first of their cabovers, in 1955. This retro truck style is rising to the surface once again for particular working applications. Drivers didnt worry about head on collisions. 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. There are folks who thought the Astro was a rip off of a Mack design from the early 60s. That picture is pretty much a more modern version of what they were running. Generals were actually a pretty good truck, at least competitive with the Transtar 4200/4300 and better than the various Loiusvilles from Ford.