There are fans of old-school big rigs on both sides of the Barn Finds spectrum. We have several readers who are either fans or drivers of these trucks. There are also a few writers here, myself chief among them, who have a soft spot in our hearts for these reminders of a world that is sadly no longer around. This 1978 GMC Astro for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Clyde, Kansas is a survivor from an era when routes were starting to get longer, interstates were taking trucks off of what were becoming secondary roads, and the drivers were still colorful characters in their local communities. With an asking price of $8,500, this aged but still capable farm-bound truck is looking for a place to enjoy a working retirement. Would you like to experience trucking in the late seventies by adding a rig like this to your stable? Thanks to Howard A., a big rig connoisseur, Barn Finds commenter extraordinaire, and genuine character, for the find!
Before I begin to wax poetically about the glory days that were trucking in the South in the seventies and early eighties through my young eyes, let’s talk about this truck. The GMC Astro and the Chevrolet Titan were the entries in the heavy-duty truck segment for General Motors. Built as the successors of the famous “Crackerbox” cabovers of the sixties, these trucks followed the trend in trucking to make semis more powerful and larger in size and weight to match the ever-increasing size and weight of loads at the time. Produced from 1969 through 1987, the GMC Astro was phased out following the Volvo-GMC joint venture that signaled the end of GMC’s presence in the heavy truck market as far as cabover designs go.
The truck you see here is a 1978 model that was purchased by a farmer for anticipated cow and crop hauling duties. For whatever reason, this GMC never got that honor, so it is back on the market. The seller tells us that it has a Detroit 8V92 engine under the cab with an eight-speed transmission with an overdrive splitter. As for the engine itself, it is said to fire right up and run great. The farmer drove it home after the purchase and said that it was pretty fast and had plenty of power. It is the farmer’s opinion that the 172,895 miles on the odometer is the true mileage on the truck. Whoever purchases it will need to install a set of tires and fix the parking brake. It is the farmer’s opinion that the brake problem is probably just an air valve since the braking system works fine overall.
Still, looking at the pictures reveals that this is a seventies truck in all its glory. From the woodgrain on the plastic dash panels to the utilitarian layout, this truck is all business. The presence of the once ubiquitous dashboard fan is a clue that this truck was not equipped with air conditioning. There were few creature comforts available for drivers back then, so the sleeper behind the seats of this Jimmy represents the start of some major changes to heavy-duty trucks. This was the era where hauls were getting longer, trailers were increasing in size, and the availability of interstates in more areas of the country meant that runs would be pretty much uninterrupted compared to those on secondary roads. Being home every night would soon be a distant memory to most truckers. In the area I grew up in, Highways 441, 50, US1, and other formerly main roads were slowly giving way to I-75, I-95, I-4, and the Florida Turnpike in the sixties and seventies. Even as a kid, it was obvious that the world was changing. You could see that businesses along the old roads were slowly dying off and areas around interstate exits were getting built up in response to the changes in how trucking was done.
One of those businesses slowly passing into history was the truck stop. The average truck stop of the time was independently owned, and a place for truckers to rest, eat, fill up, and maybe get some minor service work done. These places were also common in the area I grew up in. At the time, my grandfather had a mobile auto-glass business. I got to go with him a lot as he drove his old walk-in to businesses that catered to everything from used cars to big trucks. He was known around town as someone good at cutting flat glass to fit in big trucks. This was a steady part of his work, as a lot of rock and sand gets hauled in Florida resulting in many broken or pitted windshields. When out on Highway 50, we often stopped at the Beacon Truck Stop for lunch. As a kid, it was a neat place. The partially dirt parking lot was filled with all sorts of trucks, trailers, and cars. Some truckers were resting, but most were inside at the long counter getting a hearty meal. My favorite was the BLT, and the ladies at the Beacon weren’t about to let a kid get a skimpy serving of bacon and tomatoes on his toast. The place was filled with truckers, some tired and hunched over their plate, while others were loud and boisterous, slapping the backs of their over-the-road pals or chatting with the waitresses. It was kind of like the sitcom “Cheers” but with truckers and without beer. That came after the truck was parked for most.
It was a time of trucker movies and CB radios. A lot of truckers were known by their handles and lived up to those characters like the best Hollywood actors. It was also a place where everyone who worked for a living was welcome no matter their age or color. I also remember that it seemed everyone could afford to go to lunch and the time needed to do so was accepted as just part of the day. Once we ate, it was back to work. My grandfather did a lot of work for a place called E.J. Sales and Service. It was owned by a hard-working fifty-something man named E.J. Utley who had built up his repair business into the 800 lb. gorilla of diesel repair shops in Central Florida. He also sold new and used trucks and raced in the Great American Truck Racing series throughout North America driving a custom Mack race truck.
E.J. and my grandfather were friends, so he not only got all of E.J.’s glass business but also got tickets to the races when the trucks came to town. I remember seeing them on the 1/2 mile track at New Smyrna and at the 3/8 mile oval at Orlando Speedworld. These races were a spectacle comparable to the Roman Colosseums in their heyday. They were loud, smokey, and wildly dangerous. You haven’t lived until you witness a dozen diesel-belching semis (ranging from race-prepped to pure stock) stampeding around your local bullring. At New Smyrna, we saw a photographer get his leg run over at the end of pit row. At Speedworld, we witnessed the driver of an old Dodge LCF series truck burn up his brakes to the point they were glowing orange. He shortly thereafter center-punched and knocked down the concrete retaining wall. This covered a blanket in hot oil that had a family with fast reflexes sitting on it just seconds before. Looking back at these races, I cannot see how they could be run today in our litigious society. It was pure, glorious mayhem that was probably too much for even those freewheeling times.
America was certainly a different place when trucks like this were running the roads. If I had to describe the world I grew up in to a kid today, it would probably be easier to describe growing up on another planet. The Central Florida I remember, filled with orange groves, blue-collar workers of all types, nuclear families, knowing your neighbors, helping each other, and the general live-and-let-live atmosphere has been replaced with theme parks, apartment complexes, and the cold, unfeeling existence of a major metropolitan area. I left the area ten years ago, but sometimes I yearn to go back and have a BLT at the Beacon Truck Stop, stop to see E.J., look at the race truck one more time, and maybe smell the orange blossoms along 441. Every once in a while I dream of riding in that big, white walk-in going to a job. Sometimes I am behind the wheel trying to stop it (it had notoriously bad brakes and was always overloaded). I’d give anything to be by my grandfather’s side in the walk-in, learning how to cut flat glass again. The problem is that my grandfather, E.J., the orange blossoms, the walk-in, and the Beacon Truck Stop are all gone now. It also seems that the best parts of over-the-road trucking, from the characters behind the wheel to the rough and tumble trucks they wrestled with, have left us as well. There is nothing to go back to, but sometimes seeing a truck like this Astro reminds me of good times.
I want to thank Howard A. for suggesting that we write up this truck, and hope that he and others will tell us a few old-time trucking stories in the comments.
Great write-up Jeff. Lots of fun, and bittersweet, remembrances.
I know nothing about big rigs like this, but as a kid I sure enjoyed seeing them on the occasional trip our family made which included those newfangled interstate highways.
I built this as a 1/25 scale model. Looks like the kit has been re-issued.
Howard, you have been set-up to carry the conversation from here…..looking forward to your comments…..
Is this GMC Astro still available
It is for sale on Facebook marketplace-see the link in the article above. It is currently marked “pending”, so it may be sold.
Hi Dan, if this is gone, there are literally a glut of older trucks available. FB Marketplace seems to be the new “Truck Trader”, and several others of similar vintage come up. I think you have to be a member to view them, somehow BFs gets to post them for possible non-members to see, but a quick check reveals , a ’79 Ford CL9000, in ID., $15,000, a ’72 KW K100, CO., $6500, and a ’84 Pete 362, also CO., $12,500, and that’s just a few.
Bigtime write-up from Bennett.
I bet that little sleeper felt like a million bucks after a long drive thru the mountains in bad weather 🌨 ❄️
Whoa, careful what you wish,,just a sec,,
Howard, warming up for a trip down memory lane ☕️
for. That was a test, had this been a really emergency,,,1st, I realize a faded rusty, dirty cabover truck may have as much interest as the hat that was for sale for some, but I want to sincerely thank the staff, being my 1st ACCEPTED tip,, and if there is enough interest, I’d be more than privileged to give any advice, although Jeff pretty much nailed it. I knew any of the writers would do a great job. It’s their job to give as many facts as possible, regardless of how unusual the vehicle may be to them. I also have to be careful not to prattle on about my trucking career.looking back, it was a heck of a toboggan ride. Whether you cussed them out for smoking and being in front of you( like my old man), trucks and the folks that drove them, literally built this country, and a big tip of the hat to all.
Jeff pretty much said the important stuff, only a few additions. This is a Fuller 13 speed,even though it doesn’t say so, and the motor is the Silver 92 series, still a v8 2 stroke(you could get them up to 16 cylinders) and this is probably about 400-430 HP, if farmer Brown was smart. They were some of the last 2 strokes before the “new” Detroits. While a 4 “2 bits” Cat would still eat this for lunch on the hills, for a ring ding Detroit, they had a lot of power. This has the Reyco spring rear( ouch) and for heavy loads,they worked well,just rode awful. The Astro 95, and the Chevy Titan 90( can’t find why they were called that, anyone?) with only minor differences, were incredibly popular. Mayflower( see video separate comment) used them, Buster Brown(UPS) for many years and many local freight outfits used daycab Astros. They completed with the IH Transtar and Freightliner WFTs.
This is an okay find, pretty much old school and not sure newer drivers , who are used to their “rolling apartments” could handle it, for a great many reasons, which isn’t important here, it was just a different time. I’ve kinda made peace with that. This was a mans truck, sorry ladies, there were some, but things like the shifting, no P/S, kept many ladies away. Most trucks today are automatics, the rough ride, the cabover quirks in general, you could always tell someone not used to a cabover, their right wheels would be on the shoulder, but some drivers loved them, others would quit the job, but for a non-Pete or KW, the Astro was the nicest of all. The dash gauges were green, and the sleeper added a huge plus. I drove mostly daycabs, and a miracle I’m here at all. It wasn’t until I got my own with a sleeper, what a difference. The tube type “wagon wheels” surely indicated a farmer,(they usually fixed their own flats)and would have to go.
Didn’t see too many Astros on the road, they were mostly for what is right here, the farmer that hauled their own grain, and this truck saw very little use, although, the use it saw was pretty rough. I bet this truck hauled some pretty heavy loads, 90-100K routinely, and GMCs could do it. Their General conventionals were nice trucks too.
So, again, wha’ happent’? Minor correction, it became White/VOLVO/GMC. It was the 1st time we saw Volvo name and figured, pfft, like Asian cars, merely a passing fad,,,well, we know what happened there. After selling Freightliner, White was pretty much done, GMC concentrated on the passenger market( just the opposite of IH) and Volvo went on to become the #1 selling truck in the world. A sad end to a once great HD trucks.
To illustrate how popular the cabover was, the clip below( getting hard to find) shows how popular it was. A special thanks to BFs for helping me relive my past. Camaraderie, great friends, CB radio, mom and pop restaurants, no cell phones, get there when I get there, yes sir, while one tends to forget the bad, and there was plenty, but it was a great job and have no regrets, but I’d never do it by todays standards. Thanks again for listening,,,
I’m making this a separate post, as the staff usually reviews them, but this was right about the time I started. Look artall the cabovers. Jeff didn’t mention why cabovers fell out of favor. Years ago, there were overall length laws, and a cabover was the only way to pull a bigger trailer. Once those laws were abolished, the conventional became the stand choice. I don’t think you can even buy a new cabover today. Enjoy the late CW McCall, I had to recite the 1st few lines for my chauffeurs license. Not really, but wasn’t much more than that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVifNkBrn7E
Oh, another thing, we never had A/C and that fan on the dash was a God send, and I never remember the National Guard. Back then, the cops were our friends, kind of. Years ago, there were a lot more scales, and Wisconsin would put the old officers a fixin’ to retire, in the scale houses. I “dodged” more scales than I went over, and the scales I went over, they knew the truck. You could “bargain” with them on minor offenses, but women officers,,,now that was a different story.
Okay, your turn, I’m 10-10, on the side,,,
Sorry, well what did you expect? In the video, there is a glaring mistake. It’s a cabover Freightliner with a reefer on,,,not a Pete. That’s Hollywood for ya’. Hollywood distorted the dignity of the truck driver, we weren’t pilled up womanizers, we were just regular folks doing our job. Once a trooper asked me, “is it true you guys get all the women”? I replied, “how many donuts do you guys eat”? He felt validated by that.
Howard, thanks for the comments. Here’s a 👍 and a full truckers breakfast to you
🥓🍳🥞 🍞 🥧 🍰 ☕️ ☕️
Coworker i drove with had a cabover, said it was his favorite, and most comfortable riding truck. Here’s a version by
Canadian Paul Brandt 🍁
https://youtu.be/UAAwTlCp3OE?si=OJiC7b5pI8P19Z5T
I bought a Chevy Titan 90 , 74 model 350 Cummins 13 speed Eaton reyco suspension in 78. No powersterring but had a sometimes working a/c. Freeze to death in the winter drove most of the time with a blanket wrapped around my legs .it was a good truck for the time period, but these trucks today Don’t require much of a driver that almost make it to easy so along of folks with no business driving them are out there. I’m still over the road since 74. Drive a Volvo automatic and it makes live easier than jacking the cab up especially in the winter when you had to make sure clutch rod was in place or you jack it back up again. Those Detroits made a lot of noise and remember being told slam your hand in the door on the morning so you would be mad at it all day and run the crap out of it. Times have changed, drivers have changed, truck stops definitely have changed, and so have the laws , roads and respect for drivers. I’m sure we could share some stories most people would not believe but it was work back then not like today. I’m 70 and still do my 2500 to 3000 a week with 2 days home.not like when you were out for months and always worked on holidays cause that’s where you made the best money as an owner operator. Man almost makes you wonder how we did it multiple log books coffee coffee coffee. Pay phones no GPS didn’t need it cause there was always someone on the radio that had been there or Rand McNally and city maps of almost every city in the country. Full service truck stops that always cleaned your glass and fuelled you up check your tire and oil . Those were some hard days but made us what we are. I am always willing to help other drivers but most seem to think they know better. How but sliding tandems when there were stuck there would usually be a helping hand and a round table in truck stop to gather before hitting road again.it used to be fun now its a job. When I hauled grain with my Titan 90 the farmers always said that’s the biggest Chevrolet they had ever seen . Pulled a 40 foot Great Dane flat with side kit and spead axle. Backing in the farmers driveways off old gravel road one thing you made sure not to tear up his yard or you had to hear from farmers wife. I’ve owned freightliner Pete’s internationals . Nothing like a 379 . But anyone can drive a Volvo without really working.. they ride good turn short and are quiet. A little low on power but nothing like the shiny 290 or220 Cummins back in the day .all in all everything is easier but we learned how to fix a broke down pos cause we had to. P s. Either pills in the winter on air starters ha.
Howard,
I am glad that you and the rest of the crew enjoyed the story. I finished it around 11:00PM last night and went to bed dreaming of these days. Of course, you don’t know if a story will connect with readers until it gets out there.
I would have liked to have written more, but some of you would have been on your fourth or fifth cup of coffee by the finish. There are two things that I should have added. The first being that it was always a good indicator of how good the food was at a truck stop by the number of trucks in the lot. Good food made or broke truck stops, and I can tell you it tasted better than the Sysco garbage we all eat now. Second, I think back to those times and wonder how things have changed so much for the worse in some ways. Families came first, it wasn’t uncommon for a parent stay home and raise the kids, a fellow could make a decent living doing a blue-collar job, a working man could afford lunch more often than not (both financially and timewise), friendship and brotherhood meant something, and we didn’t need so much stuff to make us happy. America focused on making things better for the next generation.
You truckers (and other trades too) were heroes and role models to kids like me all over the country. You taught us how to work hard, take your lumps, and put food on the table for your family no matter what it took. You guys were a different breed in a different time. Hopefully this country rediscovers its blue-collar roots soon and starts to return to what it used to be in some ways.
Once again, glad all of you enjoyed the story. I look forward to reading more of your memories.
Jeff
Hi Jeff, and big thanks for taking the time. Quick myth dispersal, it wasn’t the food so much, but the only place to turn the truck around,,,you know, I never thought of myself as any kind of hero, military and LEOs were/are my heroes, but I did get quite an education on how America runs. Many times during a pickup or delivery, I’d don a hardhat and glasses and walk around to see how what they were loading was made. Did you know, toilet paper comes in big huge rolls, maybe 3 or 4 to a trailer, before it’s sent for packaging? I did practically every kind of trucking known, it was a thing I wanted to try all forms. I did mostly van or dump work, tanker was the best, reefer the worst.
I drove trucks for almost 40 years, over 3.5 million miles, all accident/ticket free( except those pesky overweight ones) and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else for a job. It’s ironic that with all that experience, if I wanted to drive a truck again, ( did Hell finally freeze over?) I’d have to start at the beginning.
Also, I, for some reason am not worthy of the thumbs up, but I want to thank everyone who chimed in.
A write up that reads like a novel. Well written! I suspect there is a 1 missing in front of the mileage, it would be really hard to find a worked semi with only 6 figure mileage. Like a ’70’s muscle car, the trip down memory lane in these older trucks might not be all that pleasant. I drive a 1968 Kenworth W900 with the high door handle, and can share my experience. Howard talks about most of the discomforts and they are even more glaring today!
The 8V92 in this truck is LOUD, even through muffs, and after 20 minutes it is a punishing day of fatigue from the noise. Even with earplugs, the Detroit scream will assault you. They are HOT inside, and that little fan blows the hot air around but does nothing to cool you. They take A LOT of shifting, and a mis-timed gear change can leave you swearing and grinding. Shifting a Detroit with a lot of changes is a true skill. The cabs are quite small and cramped inside, the seating position in relation to the pedals is awkward. For such a big truck, they didn’t put many creature comforts in the cab. They are rough riding, it is a wonder they don’t shake apart, especially on the logging roads mine is used on. Tough doesn’t even begin to describe the experience. By wife rode with me for about an hour once, has never stepped into the cab since.
Even with all that said, an older truck like this or mine is a time machine for when young men accepted challenges like those a normal for a job. Driving one all day took skill and character, forming a generation of hard working men. Riding in the 18 wheel couches today, it is easy to overlook how hard that job was. I don’t know how they did it for 10 hours 7 days a week. A truck like this will put you in the way back machine pretty quickly. For the asking price it would be “fun” for the right person.
Right on Jay.. These engines really do make some noise. And the old trucks are so different than the computer equipped, luxury-liners of today. Agree on what you said about driver skill, character too.
The saying “Drive it like you hate it ” really applies to a Detroit vs a Cummins. It is really hard to explain the difficulty in driving a heavy truck with a narrow power band on a hard climb with slow corners.
Try driving a ’68 K100 jacked up 318 and a two stick 4×4. HUH? WHAT”D YOU SAY?
James Randall: Copy that, I learned on a 65′ U-Model with a Two-Stick Duplex when I was 18. I learned the right way to shift a two-stick—with ONE (1) hand ! True story, after driving for a few years, I landed my first local freight company job. I was the new kid (22 y.o.), and was given my bills of lading (BOL’s) and the keys to a brand new U-Model. The Terminal Manager snarked “this oughta’ be good”, as I walked out the door. Whatever..I get in and it’s a two-stick. Muscle memory kicked in–I hooked up and delivered all my freight. When I came back in that night, instant ‘street cred’ in that barn. Gotta’ love those two-sticks !!!
Hi Jay, I don’t think so on the mileage. I’ve driven million miles trucks, and not much left. No, I think this truck, like most farm trucks, was used for short hauls. During harvest, these trucks ran around the clock, but didn’t go far. The sleeper was for during harvest, I’ve seen some pretty long lines of trucks waiting to unload. I knew several drivers that got their start by moving the truck ahead in line while dad took a nap. If used for cattle, and I’m sure it was, that might have been a bit farther, but when done, they went back in the shed. Farmers never clean anything, why bother, and in very typical condition.
With pre-emission and pre-ELD trucks becoming popular, and 6 figure new trucks, these older units are once again seeing new life as a viable alternative. The real problem there is who is going to drive it? Then there’s the legality of trucks like this. California has banned all pre-emission trucks( pre 2010) and not sure, but may include 2 stroke Detroits. I don’t think it applies to “Not for Hire” trucks or hobby trucks, however.
This is one of my favorite Barn Finds yet!!! I saw the fast find by Howard A and wondered if that was my favorite Howard from on here. Thank you for finding this and the great comments Howard, and a huge thank you to Jeff for all the research and excellent write up. The only change I’d make Howard already mentioned with the 13 Speed. What Howard said about centering a cabover is spot on. Once you get used to it youre fine. I drove a cabover Freighliner on a route through Manhattan in the 90s, it was not the easiest place to get around trust me. When I was a kid in the 70s and 80s these Astros were everywhere. I remember many day cabs and sleepers.
Once again Jeff and Howard, I usually dont drink an entire cup of coffe on only one Barnfind, but this morning I did.
Please keep them coming.
Hi Driveinstile, I was hoping you would see this. I hope Geomechs sees this too, as he used to work on these “dang Deeetroits”. The Crackerbox, or F model was a bit before my time. I thought I read, it was the only semi with IFS. PigPen and Rosie Grier drove one in another of my favorite shows, Movin’ On with Claude Akins. Did you know, before that show, KW did not make a double sleeper? The shows producers had one custom made for the show, and was such a hit, they began offering them(1980?) I’m glad the post brought a smile.
What a great show “Movein’ On” was!!! Route 66 with “Stacks” and Merle Haggard.
Love the write up and Howard A’s memories.
Oh Im really glad you found it and that it was very nicely written up too. As for the ling shifter comments, the Freighshaker I drove had a short stubby shifter in the cab. It was I beleive called a break away stick, too much pressure it would disconnect. But the actual shifter was LONG. its a weird feeling at first shifting but you get used to it. It unfortunately only had a 9 speed with a 350 hp Cummins M11. Good on fuel, but not enough gears. Cummins M11 are done at 1800 RPM from what I remember ( drove this 25 years ago) so by 1800 rom your hunting for the next gear. It really should have had at least a 10 or 13 speed, just not enough ratios to keep it in the sweet spot. The M11 used to rev down too slow for the wide ratios when shifting especially with a heavy load going up a grade.
As for the cab, yepper, been there, done that, got the t shirt, I’d empty it out whenever it got worked on at the shop.
What great memories all this is bringing back!!!!
Hi there, Good Buddy! I don’t know how these posts seem to swing right past me and catch me on the flip-flop but at least they show up. Many compliments to the writer of this feature, while I’m at it.
Yes, seeing a “2-Storey Vega” brings back a lot of memories, not all of them good. Back in the day, most of these were powered by 350 Detroits. The 92 Series was making inroads but they had a lot of teething problems. Collapsed pistons, blown gaskets, starving mains and cam bearings. For a couple of years we figured they were best suited to “Marine Applications,” where you tied on a thousand foot chain and used them for a boat anchor. But, Detroit was good at sorting out the problems and they turned out to be almost as durable as the original “Screamers.” You still had to slam your finger in the door to be in the proper mood to drive them.
What a lot of people didn’t know was that you could get these trucks with Cummins or Cat engines. I worked on some of those but they always had me thinking thoughts similar to the “Chevy in a Ford” hotrod; they just didn’t belong there. Strangely enough, 2-Stroke Jokes were completely at home between the rails of a Ford Louisville or 2-Storey Edsel. There were a lot of Ford mechanics at Detroit service schools.
I don’t think that a 92 was offered in a Crackerbox. I worked on a few Crackerboxes and most of them were 6-71 powered. I think I saw one with a 255hp 8V-71. Most of them were used for short hauls. I really cannot see a person driving one of those across country. I’m sure I would find myself in traction before I made it across MT.
Movin-On was quite a good series but for some reason it didn’t quite strike me the same as Cannonball. Maybe considerably older and actually working on trucks by then. But others enjoyed it…
When I was 16, I got a job at the local used car lot. I had driven ton and half and slightly larger trucks and figured that if it had wheels, I could drive it.
One day the owner of the lot traded for an old Freightliner (as I recall) and a few days later he asked me to move it from the back of the lot up front so the farmers driving by could see it. It was a pretty good walk up a grade and back to where it was, and when I got to it I jumped in, cranked it up and took off. Down over the hill and onto the paved lot we went.
Now no one had ever told me about air brakes, and I’d already gone through three or so gears when it was time to stop.
All you experienced drivers know what was next. That truck blasted through the entire width of the car lot with me dodging a row of cars for all I was worth. We then shot down the entrance, straight across the highway (lucky no one was coming) and into a vacant gravel lot on the other side. The owner of that lot had just put in new gravel so it was deep and that truck and I went back and forth the length of the lot as I cut the wheel right and left, right and left getting the gravel to slow us down. It took the entire lot and then some before it finally stopped.
What a ride! interesting how some lessons we learn at 16 are never forgotten. That was over 60 years ago.
Ha! Today that would be on a camera somewhere. We all had plenty of “situations” the boss never found out about. What you describe is the truck was pre-“piggyback” or spring brake. I think in 1976 it was required that all new trucks had spring brakes. It was a fail-safe invention that took air pressure to release the brake, and in the event of air loss, the spring brake would apply. Plenty of older trucks fell through the cracks on that one. 1st HD truck I drove was a 1963 IH R190 tandem dump trucks, with no spring brakes. There was a reason old truckers kept one hand on the door handle going down hills.
Speaking of brakes, my ’72 Pete 359 had no brakes on the steer axle. I went round and round with a green trooper, who said all wheels need brakes. I said, sorry, unless the truck had no brakes on the steer, they weren’t required. He said, we’ll see about that. When he came back out and said “take it away, driver”, it was gratifying moment for sure!
Also, looking at the back of this truck, you can see on the rear axle, there is no parking brake. Usually the front backaxle had the emergency cans. And yes, they needed to be “caged” , to manually back off the emergency. I don’t think one can even do that today legally. And that, my friends, makes 50 comments. Thanks to all.
“Piggyback” parking brakes were required in ’73, ABS or FMVSS 121 came in ’75. Piggy back cans can still be “caged” but can no longer be “serviced”, the band can no longer be removed for safety reasons. I had the spring out of one on my tool box for years, people would ask if I was changing suspension in a car! Trying to explain how dangerous they were to backyard machanics usually fell on deaf ears, one guy heeded the warning and was standing way to the side when the chamber flew off down through the woods, another didn’t and needed 17 stitches to put his face back togather.
Agree with all comments – best Howard article and now starting my second cup of coffee. I had the good fortune to work for GM Truck & Coach in late 70’s and beyond. Plant 2 in Pontiac, MI built the General, Astros, Bison, Titan. As a young engineer it was awesome to see the DDAD’s, Cats, Caterpillar engines come off the 2nd floor – old GMC engine build area – and drop into these frames. Nothing more thriling than the diesels firing up the first time as being driven off the line. Had to get my commercial license for testing and work. Great memories driving the Fullers, Spicers, bouncing up and down I-75 bob tail. Never drove for a living, but have utmost respect for those who did. Truckers move the country. Give them some space and respect on the road – the’re working.
Boy …..Oh boy……There were many times I wished I had a Cabover. ….Some of the places I had to back into with my
379 Pete. ….Man, oh man. …..Never drove a cabover in my 26 year career.. ….Always wondered when they tilted the cab up to work on the engine …everything on the inside must go everywhere. …What a mess !
I really enjoyed ! …..Thank you
About that cab tilt, I was a tire guy running road calls 20 years ago. I went to a shop to change a tire on another truck they were working on there. In the bay next to the one I was working on, they had a cab tilted up. The driver did not secure the TV in the bunk, and it took the passenger side windshield out on its way to the floor. It made quite a racket and everyone had to come see the carnage. Fun times…
Same with the first tilt cab fire apparatus. Tilt the cab without looking around the cab interior first usually resulted in everything loose winding up on the dashboard or through the windshield (all permanent equipment in the cab interior now has to be mounted to survive a 9G impact). The very first tilt cab chassis that we used had all the cab to body wiring harnesses going up the back of the cab, like on a fixed cab chassis (as opposed to all the way forward to the pivot point and then up into the cab). Oops- the first time the cab was tilted, the wiring was shredded. I spent many an hour in front of an 8V92 TA, driving new fire apparatus around California. Without water or equipment, these were pretty fast, relatively speaking (like going over the Sierras or up the Grapevine). We were pushing 500 HP with an Allison automatic transmission. Fortunately, the chassis were mid-engined, with significant noise reduction measures (heavy acoustic blankets covering the doghouse), so the noise was mostly damped. We used Astro 90 windshields in our custom fire chassis. Customers were shocked that it was “off the shelf” when an equivalent custom windshield cost $$$$.
Cabovers were particularly rough on shift levers too. Cabovers had funky shift levers to begin with because it was a long way to the transmission. The lever would get hung up letting the cab down, and out comes the torch to bend it back.
Speaking of windshields, and to tie into Jeffs grandfather, most trucks then did have a flat windshield, usually 2 pieces with a center strip held in with screws. I could see someone making a living doing that. The Astro was one of the 1st cabovers to have wraparound windshields, and boasted the biggest windshield for a truck. It was also an early attempt at aerodynamics.
Hi Big Al, in my career, I drove dozens of trucks, and maybe 5 cabovers, and hated everyone, but drove what the boss told me to. The worst, was a mid-80s Freightliner FLA cabover. The less said there the better. I never drove an Astro, but I did like the IH 4070B Transtar I drove.
By the way, are you familiar with the Allis-Chalmers motor “Big Al”? It was an attempt by Auntie Alice to get in on the truck motor market. It was an inline 6, direct injection, painted purple and had 450 HP. It didn’t make it, as I believe crankshaft problems, all recalled and replaced with Cummins BCs. I saw 1 in my life in a Freightliner cabover mid 70s.
The A-C engines were based on engines that Allis had in production for some years. A-C offered 426 CID units based on the 3500 series and 844 based on the 16000-21000 engines. The main reason A-C had to pull them all back was more of a lack of dealer network. I understand that there was often a thousand miles spread and that wasn’t acceptable. Some truckers liked them and were sad to see them go…
I’d imagine if that ole sleeper could talk there’d be several good stories to tell. Busy with lot lizards and overnight hold outs due to bad weather. 10-4
Hi Harry, it was total “bunk”. BS reigned supreme and in my entire career was only “asked” once. I was mostly a regional driver, and stayed away from truckstops, except for another bag of jellybeans and a thermos of coffee, which was free then.
Harry, smart guys didn’t use the truckstops where there were Lot Lizards, a.k.a ‘doorknockers’ at night ,because that’s what they did all night. If you did use the services of one of those, there was likelihood of an STD along with it. I’d drive into a mall parking lot, and the local cops never bothered me.
I put many of miles on these old Astros back in the day, and only drove one long nose conventional, a Kenworth, I had to adjust my centering on that one. 13 speed was my favorite trans also. Ah the lot lizards….woo hoo.
Back in the day I worked on my fare share of Astros, a major step up from a “cracker box” but still not much to write home about. This being a later model had the 8V92, early models ran “318s” or 8V71 a very few were Cummins powered. With a DD all the accessories ran off the back of the engine, Alternator on the left, AC compressor to the right, (yes the truck has AC), direct drive air compressor lower right. Howards correction of the 8sp is correct, it would be a Fuller RTO 12513 which would blow out a countershaft bearing under hard service of the higher HP engines. The write up says the brakes work fine but the parking brake does not, my guess is the spring brakes have been “caged” to allow the truck to be moved with no air. A down side to these particular COEs is one lift cylinder. After beating these trucks around a few years the cabs get weak and when you jack them up they twist a little and when you let that cab down you needed a diggin’ bar to guide it back into the saddles. I can remember looking at one of these new on a dealer lot about 1970 I think the price was 22K
8V92 were big horses compared to 8V71 and 671…they pulled very well..many needed only a 9spd…drove a many of them back in the day…was all we had them..they were nice enough, if the AC worked..lol
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With my increasingly short memory I forgot to ask how many of you ever went to the early (pre-computer) 1/4 mile truck drag races?
Hi Jim, not so much drag races, except “Shock Wave” put on a show. I had a fascination with trucks pulling for a spell. The cabovers did the best and some had 800hp Cummins motors sticking out the back. I agree, most of these trucks had 318s or 238 in line 6s( good grief, been there) and did you know, the 13 speed RoadRanger was designed specifically for Detroit motors? Yep, reason being, 2 cycle Detroits have a very narrow power band, like 1900-2350 rpms, below 1900 power drops off mighty fast, and the only way to keep a reasonably decent road speed, was to “keep the needle against the pin”, meaning, sometimes, just half a gear( split shift) would hold it. I skipped many gears, and a little known fact about the “Mystery Gear”. The “Mystery Gear” was L in high range, and you could stay in high range. It wasn’t recommended because of possible reverse gear clash.
Hey Howard, check this, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzXnO-djVjs you’ll see a couple of guys unload an orange White 9000, the little guy with dark beard is Gary “wolfman” Fania the driver. The truck has a 903 Cummins fitted with a Bousch injection system off a V8 Mack backed by a wide ratio 5sp RR. this 9000# truck would turn a 1/4 mile in 13 seconds!
My house as a kid was on a state route that ran between Cleveland and Akron. I sure do remember those screaming Detroit diesels upshifting past our house, late at night.
I too have the 1/25 scale model of its twin, Titan 90. My observation toward the naming of these comes from GM’s penchant for their trademarks. Titan was their turbine concept and of course we all recognize “astro ventilation”.
Moving on. As a boy in the 60s my dad worked for Diamond REO trucks in Lansing Michigan. I was enamored with all things motorized and he would come home with brochures, calendars and trinkets. I would run off and study the pictures and draw trucks of my own.
My older brother drove for a living much of his life. I got to ride along a few times in different rigs. The F-700 he drove for Morgan Auto Paint was a real slug and proved to be nothing but work on that December day. The head wind so strong we never topped 50 mph on wb M78. Even the KW conventional he drove for the truck farm had manual steering. No luxury in driving that Kenworth.
Alas I didn’t inherit the “handy gene” and possess very few mechanical skills. So trucking a auto repair are not my forte. I’ll spend my time meeting and greeting clients and help them with their vehicle needs. Thank you to Jeff and all the commenters for a trip down memory lane.
No mention of Carol Joe Hummer and the Blue Mule..
I almost bought a very similar Mack cab over a few years ago. My idea was to remove the 5th wheel and use it to occasionally cruise around in it. The insurance was ridiculously high so that plan went out the window and I passed on the purchase.
Great story,really true to life.My first truck was a 79 GMC Astro bright orange and tan and brown stripes. only a 6v92 That was in spring of 81 in Ohio where DOT had it out for truck drivers,but we made a living at it or so we thought. I bought 5 morr Astro’s and put drivers in them and ran everything East of the Mississippi worked on them all weekend so they could go all week.Paid my 12 y/o son 5 dollars a truck on the weekends to wash them,and he thought he was making good money.Retired now and still miss that life.King Tut over and out.
I drove a brand new Astro 95 back in 1972 it had 350 cummins with a 13 speed I loved it also drove a 1978 Pete with an 8v92 with twinn blowers and 13 speed it was very fast but you had to keep your eyes on the temp gauge it tended to over heat if you put the petalto the metal
31 comments so far and all I can say is MORE TRUCKS PLEASE
To the staff, my earlier comment to Jay E has been deleted and after thinking about it, it must have come off as negative or inflammatory and I’m sorry about that. That absolutely was not my intention as I’m not that kind of person. Thank you for NOT printing it as I wouldn’t want anyone else to have drawn the same conclusion. In the future I’ll do a better job of wording my comments. Again my apologies. Jim
I logged a lot of miles in GMC Astros in the late 70s. The dreaded gutless 318 Detroit with the 13 speed transmission. Like old Harleys, if it wasn’t leaking oil it was empty. I was in hog heaven when I changed jobs and got another Astro but it had a 350 Cummins 13 speed. Bonus, someone before me turned it up and it would fly. But later on that pump went bad and it was back to stock. What was worse part I worked with diesel mechanics and none of them would turn it up for me. Arrg 😆 The Cummins was so much better than the Detroit. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Also know mention of BJ and the Bear, just remembering famous Cab overs..
Don’t forget the “Blue Mule” in “White Line Fever” either!!!
Great show RW my 1st love of trucks. Made it a way to pay the bills and live 🙌
I posted about Blue Mule earlier
LUV all these guys, for me build a nce cabin over the duals and down d road I go.!!!
Wow, a lot of sentiment over the Astros. I spent waaaay too many miles in these from the late 70’s through the late 80’s. From sleeper S/A’s with 290 Cummins to sleeper T/A’s with 350’s . The latter was the regional Ryder Rental OTR sweetheart along with IH Transtars (shorter name should have been POS) . The HVAC in the Astros was great in that you had separate controls for the sleeper from the cab. Also, the Astro’s were far better in that they had real mattresses (springs) instead of the narrow foam blanks in the Transtars. The pro AND con of the Astro was the windshield. Sure, great visibility, but on a hot Kentucky day, you got more than fried chicken in that vinyl driver’s seat. My last rides in the Astro’s were in the late 80’s. We had day cabs with 8V92 Detroits and Spicer seven speeds. We hauled 80K gross with that combo, but not very well on hills. Finally, corporate management saw the light and bought us LTL 9000’s with 350 Cummins. Powerful and easy driving. We pulled 102K Gross on Overweight Permits with those. That used to scare the stuffing out of the temp. drivers. And, lastly, nothing like hitting that three stage Jake Brake next to a motor home in a tunnel.
In 1965 when I was 15 I got a job as the cleanup guy at our small-town John Deere dealership, after school and Saturdays. By the time I was17 I had worked my way up to truck driver of their International flatbed. They needed something heavier to haul big equipment so brought in a very run down Dodge tractor with a gas Hemi and a low boy trailer. One day when its driver wasn’t available they sent me, with very little instruction, about 45 miles for a pick up. I was really enjoying myself until on the loaded return trip I found myself going down a steep hill toward a stop sign and T intersection, with a large bay on the other side. I hit the air brakes on that old clunker and very little happened. By the time I got to the bottom I was still doing maybe 15 or 20 mph but stopping wasn’t going to happen. Luckily no cars were coming on the through road so I cranked it to the right and prayed. I made it back to the shop but never drove that beast again. I did range from Salem OR to the Canadian border in the flatbed, before I was 18, all without ever having a commercial license.
Hi Darryl. I can echo some of the same near misses that you’re talking about. I worked for a John Deere (GM three years later) dealership when I got out of high school. We were in a wide spot in the road, barely adequate to be called a village. Our franchise was John Deere but we took in everything that was broken. Our hauling truck was a Mack N cab-over and it pulled a rickety single axle trailer that I’m sure was concocted by one of the owners. I can still remember that thing sitting flat on the bump stops with a 7520 tractor on board. Then the 8630 series came out. The Mack topped out at 45 mph (it could’ve gone faster but I was more concerned for the life of the trailer. Scales? Forget it.
We complained bitterly and finally management decided that we should upgrade (to at least a new trailer?). No, since we now had a fresh new GM contract, we got a GMC 6500 with a 427 / 5 & 2. Still had to dodge the coops. The trailer began to show some obvious signs of massive overload (by the huge cracks along the frame and spring perches) so management finally opted for a full-sized flatbed.
Then we found out that we were still overloaded because of the single axle of the truck. It was then that management decided that we needed a real tractor unit, so we got a GMC JJ9500 with 318 Detroit/13 spd., deafening noise option, no Jakes, and everything else but A-C. We did get a wimpy little fan similar to the one on this feature truck. Anyways, when we didn’t have to deal with road bans, we could haul right up to the 81K lbs. which I think we exceeded numerous times. But it was an adventure…
I should add that in my 2-year trucking career I had one accident. Two blocks after leaving the shop with that Dodge/lowboy I had to make a right turn into heavy beach-bound traffic and clipped a Ford pickup fender. After apologizing to its owner, an acquaintance, I returned to the shop and confessed. The gruff shop foreman just said “finish your delivery, we’ll take care of it”. I never heard another word about it.
The perfect daily driver for that person who wants something just a tad smaller than a new F-150.
Great comments and information guys! While in grade school and high school I worked for the Conoco Oil distributor. He had an old ’38 Diamond T heavy duty winch truck which was used to load lube oil on a flatbed to be taken to the oil fields. Never got off the lot but there was no doubt it was big and burly enough to tear down the whole place. Benefits of that job were the owner was also the Jag/MG dealer and had a pretty blond daughter. Either way, it was the only big truck I ever drove.
Nice and remember the old Thermodines Hmmmmm
’53 B model w/ 707 Thermodine gas for sale not far from here Augusta Co VA) $4000
Last cabover I saw on active duty was in an Arkansas state park campground in the early 2000’s. it was customized to haul the family’s massive fifth wheel travel trailer. no need to strain a $50,000 diesel pickup when you could buy a used cabover for cheap and haul the biggest RV with ease. The owner had it spiffed up and painted to match the travel trailer.
I always wondered if he got pulled over a lot by the highway patrol for skipping the weigh stations.
Take 2,,Hi Frank, after my divorce( 1999) and selling my home, I was a bit flush with cash, bought a Harley FXRT and a ’85 Pete 359 daycab, BC 400, 13/3:70s, 185 WB with hopes of running some local stuff. Well, that never panned out and I thought of making a motorhome out of it. Try as I might, I couldn’t find a small camper that the varmints weren’t living in, to mount on the back, and 2nd, I spent most of my life in those tin cans, I didn’t want to retire in one.I lost money on that deal, come to think of it, lost money on the HD too. Oh well,,,to answer your question, generally personal vehicles are exempt from weigh stations. If no DOT #, wave as you go by. Big campers and motorhomes kind of fall through the cracks, but an ambitious trooper may run safety checks.
This is by far the best barn fine article.
I cut my teeth on a cab over cornbinder and put over a million miles on a R model Mack. Mostly 2 lanes Al. Ms. Ga. Tn.
The best BF write-up and comments…ever. My past life did not include trucking, a little distant admiration but growing up in New England there was not a lot of long haul. The real-life discussions here and dialog make this comments section a classic that should be available to lots of folks.
BimmerDude. Not so on driving OTR out of New England. In 19 years of driving a tractor trailer, I drove everywhere east of the Mississippi out of New England. One company I worked for, we would drive team out of South Boston, to Dallas, then a stop in Longview. TX. From there, we’d haul down overnight into New Orleans for one stop and then later that day for Destin Beach and Panama City, FL. And again, an overnight haul into Hialeah, FL the next day to pick up the return load home to Southie for Friday night. Now, that was nothing. Another company I drove for solo, I would leave W. Warwick, R.I. at around 6:00 pm every Monday night, and get to Buffalo, NY around 3:00 am the next morning for one stop. Then, on to Pittsburgh, PA for two (2) stops before 2:00 pm. Then, sleep six (6) hrs, drive to Chicago Wednesday morning for one (1) stop. Wednesday afternoon, Indianapolis, IN for one (1) stop, Wednesday dinner time for one (1) stop in Kentucky. Not done for the day yet—I’d stop at the package store in Ft. Wayne, IN for a case of beer to bribe the guys loading my trailer there for the return load home. They’d wake me up around 4:00 am Thursday morning, so I could get going before the scales would open. From there, It was a straight shot to Natick, MA. I’d sleep at the HoJo’s on the Pike (I-90) until 7:00 am Friday and deliver that load in Boston, MA. Then head back home to W. Warwick, R.I. 3200 miles total in less than four (4) days. BTW—it was in an Astro like this only with a 350 Cummins and a 10 spd.RR. Also, the guy who said, he never met women on the road, well, that’s because I was busy breaking their hearts !!! (LOL)
Drove for 35 years,my first truck as an owner operator was a 1977 WHITE,ROAD COMMANDER, the only comfort was the air ride seat and it did have A/C,no power steering and bias tires,was a great time to be a trucker compared to nowadays, we actually got respect back then. Good Day
Hi John, Ha! A “Road Commode”, they were actually pretty nice trucks. We had quite a few of the “Japanese Freightliners”(White 7000). My 1st truck, an ’82 Western Star conventional sleeper, was mostly all White parts.
63 Comments so far!!!! This is GREAT!!! I just want to say thank you to Howard for finding this and all the great commwnts from him and everyone, and also a huge thank you to Jeff for the terrific write up, the time, the personal experience. Driving for a living now is nothing like it was when I started. ( And Ill just leave it at that).
Please keep them coming!!!
💯 Driveinstile. More rigs, more great stories and driving tips 😉
About 1996 we (the whole family) went to Disney World for Christmas. I was driving in the hammer lane on I75 south bound somewhere in north-central Florida running about 80-85 mph or maybe a little better. I looked up in the rear-view mirror and saw one of these with a dump trailer approaching me real quick. I got over so he could go around and in about a minute it was out of sight.
Hi Paul, just the mention of this company will probably garner even more comments and thanks again to the staff. It( the post) was bound to hit a nerve. I was driving a R model Mack on a lonely stretch of I-80, east of Omaha, one night, when in my mirror, I see headlights( and clearance lights) coming up FAST in the left lane. On the CB I hear, “don’t move”, and this Monfort Kenworth roars past me, had to be doing 100. In the 70s, Monfort Trucking out of Greeley, Col. made a deal with east coast markets, they could promise practically overnight delivery. They ran teams and big Cat motors, and was rumored, Monfort “bought” the left lane( never proven) and paid all drivers tickets. A friend saw an old Monfort trailer on it’s side once, and the roof had “Monfort” on it, for “bears in the air” that would radio ground units, a Monfort truck was coming. That was never proven either.
Howie, there’s a lot of Monfort rumors. On the East coast, they drove double bunk KW cabovers. These dudes never stopped except to re-fuel. There were three (3) drivers. One (1) at the wheel, and the other two (2), would be one (1) or both in the bunks, and or one (1) in the passenger seat. The reality is that these loads were priority loads, like some supermarket chain lost their warehouse cooling and needed replacement beef on the ‘hook’ within 24 hrs. There were so many ‘hanging beef’ contractors out there, a lot of the Monfort stuff is urban legend. For example, Frozen Food Express (FFE) out of Dallas area could deliver a load of beef to Miami in 24 hrs. with a two (2) man team without any heroics
An old hand relayed me his Monfort story once. He claimed in the late 80s a friend of his had a couple Petercars that were former Monforts. He needed help with a couple loads from Sioux City, IA to Denver. So he followed his buddy across I80 at over 100 mph through Nebraska. He said the trucks had 3412 Cat and a 5+4. Not sure if it is true, but it is a heck of a tale.
Rumpledoorskin, I don’t doubt someone shoehorning a 3412 in between those rails. I can’t help thinking about all the real estate you’ve got to cover just to get back to the transmission. But then, a 3406 is fairly long and is essentially just half of a 3412. But—the 12 hole is bulky…
@ Howard: Really enjoyed reading all your remanences about trucking back in the day. In 1975, with a driver friend of mine, I saw & enjoyed the movie “White Line Fever” starring Jan-Michael Vincent & Kay Lenz, about an ex-serviceman who became a trucker and in true (Hollywood) fashion, united truckers in a strike against the big corporations taking over. I remember that his truck resembled this one, could you provide some insight on what kind it was? Thanks!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073896/mediaviewer/rm3113434624/?ref_=tt_ov_i
Moparman, the tractor you’re talking about was a Ford CL 9000, similar in that it was a cabover
Ablediver is right; that’s a well equipped CL9000. We used to refer to it as a 2-Storey Edsel…
Geomechs, you’re right about the CL 9000. I believe it was Ford’s last cab-over, except for the mid-duty C-models. The last version of those CL 9000’s were so tall (108 ” ) that you’d duck on 13’6″ bridges. Pilot Motor Freight used them for their team ops back in the early 80’s.
Hi Moparman, I thought the post would be popular, I had no idea this popular. Okay, the truck in WLF was not a CL, but a WT9000, that I believe came out after the H series, which we called 2 story Falcons, because of the Falcon Econoline at the time. The H series was the 1st trucks Ford offered a diesel in 1962, a Cummins, I believe. They were the last ones to offer a diesel.The CL 9000 came out after the movie, 1977 and was supposed to be the smoothest riding truck, because the cab was suspended by 4 air bags. It proved troublesome, and many CLs were seen leaning one way or t’other. Many took the bags out. The most famous CL9000? Why, that would be Pee Wee Hermans Greatest Adventure, when he got a ride with “Large Marge”( Alice Nunn). When PeeWee walked into the restaurant, was priceless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPMSGTfK4Aw
Well, my friend, I gotta say that you’re right and I’m wrong. That was a CL in WLF. I was obviously drinking my own bathwater in this one. Incidentally, out west, we called all Ford Class 8 COEs “2-Storey Edsels.” That handle branded them from the first foil boxes to the CL series…
Although I was way too young at the time to drive a car, I remember trucks like this.
At the risk of extending this comment thread into 2025, I am amazed that no one so far has mentioned the publication “Wheels of Time”. It is produced by the ATHS- American Truck Historical Society. The glossy, well written magazine is part of your membership. Old trucks and the folks who drove them. Think of it as Playboy magazine for old truckers (“Check out that H Series Mack centerfold!”). Lots of stories and photos.
Hi John, when I had my Diamond T pickup, I was a member of ATHS for many years. When I got my ’72 Pete,( 1993) I had an ATHS sticker in the drivers wing window. ATHS went through a bunch of changes, and I lost interest. Vintage Truck( and sister Antique Power, I think) are also great publications.
Hey Howard, I thought about “Wheels of Time” after I talked to you yesterday. Guess that’s the last stop for old trucks and old truck guys like us.
We get WHEELS OF TIME at work. Very well done. I’m also a regular reader of Vintage Truck and Antique Power. Sometimes the latter (2) will print my scrawlings…
The amount of interest this truck got is exciting. I drove several of these back when. We called the the aquarium because of the big windshield and low dash. Both of the ones I drove were DD 318’s with 13sp. Fullers. They were adequate but as mentioned you had to stomp on yourself to get in the right mood to drive it. Thinking we should start a truck division of barnfinds.
It’s interesting how the image has changed. Back when there were length restrictions cab-over trucks were popular. When the restrictions were lifted conventional was back on the road.
We have a lot of customers looking for cab parts for 4070s and DCO405s, not to mention the other COEs that Binder built. I wondered what happened to the tilt-cabs in such a short time.
It turned out that a lot of them got the frames shortened, the front drive axle removed, rear suspension changed, and the trucks were shipped across the Pacific to places like the PI and SE Asia. Apparently they love the big American trucks because they’re more powerful, tougher and just plain hold up better than the traditional Tokyo Trash Cans. Needless to say, that’s where the former plethora of parts went too…