Back in 1992 NBC ran a fake test that made our trucks look drivable gas bombs

[72blu]

Not sure how many guys have seen this but I was sure shocked when I stumbled upon it haha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtpMzGN9uWc

[hewittca]

That is very interesting. I once read a top ten list of the most dangerous vehicles on the road and to my surprise, square body pickups were number one because of their tanks! I wonder if that list was fueled (get it) by this fake NBC report. In hind sight, it really isn't the best location for the tank but I don't think it resulted in very many "explosions" either.

[friscobob]

Unlike the Pinto with the drop in tank that became the trunk floor and no firewall between the trunk and passenger compartment.

[old Rusty C10]

its funny this thread came up, I was just telling a kid who bought a truck from me about this over the past weekend

[Dead Parrot]

I still have the Consumer Certificate that GM sent out as part of the lawsuit settlement. Worth a whole $1000 off on a new truck purchase. Framed it and hung it on the wall next to the $0.12 check from AT&T from a different lawsuit settlement.

One article I read when this was hot news claimed the overall side impact death rate for GM trucks was actually a bit lower then the equivalent trucks from Ford or Dodge. But the death by fire rate was higher.

Still have the truck I received the Certificate settlement for. The lawsuit claimed owners lost resale value due to the side mount tanks. Current prices argue otherwise.

[nonstop]

Wait.......The media lied? Hard to believe.....

I remember that. My mother (I was a teen at the time) kept citing that as one of the reasons I shouldn't get a truck for a first car.

[tucsonjwt]

I had 2 squares and received two $1000 certificates. I used one on a new 2001 Tahoe (along with the first of GM's "rebates" of $1000). I sold that Tahoe after 6 months and bought a 2002 Tahoe, and used the second certificate on that one. I traded the 2001 into the dealer for the 2002 Tahoe, and actually made about $3,000 on the transaction. Worked out well for me.

I kept buying new GM vehicles every 6 months for about 6 years, until the trade in values dropped too much and I did not want to come out of pocket on another new vehicle.

One of the two squares was a 1973 C20 which I kept for 21 years.

[100%Chevy]

I got the rebate too.
In fact,I asked why I didn't get 2 checks since mine has 2 tanks!
They didn't think it was funny.
Still have the truck.It's a 82,K-10 Silverado.Traded in a 80,K-20,Custom Delux for it.
I've never seen or heard of one blowing up!
I also owned a 71 Pinto.Obviously,it didn't blow either!
Mike.

[meatwagon83]

I remember this, I also remember NBC getting in hot water over rigging the trucks to explode

[Keith Seymore]

I worked for GM Truck engineering at the time (still do).

My dad made the fuel tanks at Chevrolet Flint Manufacturing.

To say this is a touchy subject for me would be an understatement.

K

[Matt Man]

My 95 jeep wrangler had the gas tank right behind the rear bumper.... I wonder if NBC knew that the 67-72 chevy trucks had gas tank in the cab!

[friscobob]

Originally Posted by Matt Man

My 95 jeep wrangler had the gas tank right behind the rear bumper.... I wonder if NBC knew that the 67-72 chevy trucks had gas tank in the cab!

Yep! My 67 had that little feature, something I was never real comfortable with.
Bob

[Dead Parrot]

Originally Posted by friscobob

Yep! My 67 had that little feature, something I was never real comfortable with.
Bob

The first truck I remember my dad having was this way. Of course, any wreck bad enough to cause the tank to leak would probably cause so much leakage from the driver that it wouldn't matter anyway.

The irritating thing about it was listening to the lost siphon hose weight roll from one side of the tank to the other when we went around a corner.

[Tiger Joe]

whats amazing is how even after NBC came out and said the test was rigged, most people don't remember that, but they remember the original story.

I have seen a truck first hand get hit directly in the gas tank hard enough to bend the frame and total the truck. not only did the tank not blow, but they still drove the truck home

[KrazyRay]

I also receiver the $1000 certificate for the "explodo-baby gas tanks. Now youtube the SNL skit they did the next weekend after the story. Its pretty funny.