What is a Square Body?

[paximus]

Well I know what it is but what I mean is how do yall classify the Chevy trucks, I think the older ones were called Grumpys right, what years was that, and then the 67-72 were those square bodies or called something else, then of course the 73 to 87 are definitely what I think of when I think of a square body Chevy, so I think that is what is exactly referred to as the square body, the 73 to 87 so the question is what do we refer to the 67 to 72 as, and the ones before that are what, grumpys?


Thanks for the help guys, trying to learn here.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

67-72 was square body and 73-87was marketed as rounded line.
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[74 stepside]

Thats funny. Im 40 and Ive never heard of the name grumpy for 66-66 and never heard of 67-72 as square bodies. Everyone I know calls the 73-87 squarebodies.

[paximus]

Originally Posted by 74 stepside

Thats funny. Im 40 and Ive never heard of the name grumpy for 66-66 and never heard of 67-72 as square bodies. Everyone I know calls the 73-87 squarebodies.

Yea thats my experience also but I am no expert at all, I always thought the 73 to 87 were square bodies I mean THEY LOOK like square bodies and they 67 to 72 LOOK more rounded dont they or is that just me LOL?


Also, Grumpy is a pretty popular term where I am from for those 60s chevys, in fact there is a really cool chevy truck restoration store in Arizona called GRUMPYS and thats what they sell is old parts for old chevy trucks. I hve no idea why those trucks were called Grumpys, I guess because of the front end sort of looks like a grumpy face if you look at it the right way maybe? LOL I have no idea but they sure are cool trucks.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

If you look at old brochures for the "squares" they are advertised as rounded line. Idk why but hell gm had to screw something up right? At least it wasn't the trucks
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[Keith Seymore]

I had never heard any of those terms until I came here.

We always just called them C/K (and R/V) trucks, and then moved into the program designations from there (GMT400, GMT800, GMT900 etc).

K

[BigBlocksRule]

The old round '47 - '54 are Advanced Design.
'55 - '59 are Task Force.
I'm guessing you're calling the next design "grumpy"?
'67 - '72 I've heard called "glamour".
Next is square - '73 - '87.

[paximus]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

The old round '47 - '54 are Advanced Design.
'55 - '59 are Task Force.
I'm guessing you're calling the next design "grumpy"?
'67 - '72 I've heard called "glamour".
Next is square - '73 - '87.

Actually I am not sure what a grumpy is, I think youre pretty close though. I ran in to the term looking for parts one day online and found a shop in Arizona called Grumpys and I called them and said that was an interesting name for a business and they said they specialized in parts for old Chevy Trucks, some of which were called grumpys and he said they were the wild looking ones from the late 50s and 60s if I recall correctly. I will google it when I get a chance and get to the bottom of it.

Most of these names probably start locally at car clubs and make theri way around and become almost official.





A Google image seach shows these for Grumpy Chevy with some explanation that the front end grill/bumper looks like a grumpy face.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by paximus

A Google image seach shows these for Grumpy Chevy with some explanation that the front end grill/bumper looks like a grumpy face.

Ha! It does look grumpy -

K

[jjzepplin]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Ha! It does look grumpy -

K

That's truck looks pi$$ed off!

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by jjzepplin

That's truck looks pi$$ed off!

I think we all would look pissed off if someone kicked us out in the field to rot too

[406 Q-ship]

Originally Posted by paximus

A Google image seach shows these for Grumpy Chevy with some explanation that the front end grill/bumper looks like a grumpy face.

but that would not be the ones called "grumpys", that is a "Task Force"

[406 Q-ship]

Originally Posted by paximus

A Google image seach shows these for Grumpy Chevy with some explanation that the front end grill/bumper looks like a grumpy face.

but that would not be the ones called "grumpys", that is a "Task Force"

I have know the 73-87 as the Squares, never had a name for the earlier models that I ever heard.

[Firebirdjones]

I had never heard the term "square" until I joined this site, and never heard the term "grumpy" until this thread.

I own both a 72 and a 79, vastly different body styles but never considered nick names for them, we just refer to them as C and K trucks. I never really considered one better than the other either, but there does seem to be a following for certain groups, just like any other type of car I guess. Just seems strange to me.

[paximus]

Originally Posted by 406 Q-ship

but that would not be the ones called "grumpys", that is a "Task Force"

I have know the 73-87 as the Squares, never had a name for the earlier models that I ever heard.

Yea see I only know the 73 to 87 as Squarebodies and do not see the 67 to 72 as square as they are more round, so whoever made those names up got it backwards IMO.

As far as the Grumpy/TaskForce debate, I think the Task Force is the Grumpy but that is not an official name or anything probably started with some car club as a running joke and made its way around, but I have in fact heard that name used many times, in fact I did once find a chevy truck collectors club that used that name in it's title as I recall.

[BigBlocksRule]

I never heard of a Grumpy 'till this thread!
Chevy did name the A/C and T/F, don't know about Glamour but Square Body was dubbed by the public...that's my story and I'm sticking to it, at least until somebody disagrees.
Anybody know what the '88 - '98 body style is called? One of my favorites for sure.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by bigblocksrule

anybody know what the '88 - '98 body style is called? One of my favorites for sure.

Those are the GMT400 product line.

K

[KrazyRay]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

I never heard of a Grumpy 'till this thread!
Chevy did name the A/C and T/F, don't know about Glamour but Square Body was dubbed by the public...that's my story and I'm sticking to it, at least until somebody disagrees.
Anybody know what the '88 - '98 body style is called? One of my favorites for sure.

I call the 88-98 trucks "metric" because you need to put away all of your SAE tools and break out the metric set. The later squares seemed to be half metric and half SAE so you need both sets of tools.

[boatpuller]

Rounded line is a more used term everywhere but forums.

[N2TRUX]

Regarding the 73-87, as mentioned the 73-80 were called "rounded lines" by GM in some of their sales brochures. This was due to the the softer features of the new styling design that included rounded fender lines.

The "square body" term initially covered the 81-87 era due to the squared shoulder lines, and square headlights. The magazines picked that term up, and applied it to the entire 73-87 generation.

I still call 73-80s rounded line or round eye trucks.

[paximus]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Regarding the 73-87, as mentioned the 73-80 were called "rounded lines" by GM in some of their sales brochures. This was due to the the softer features of the new styling design that included rounded fender lines.

The "square body" term initially covered the 81-87 era due to the squared shoulder lines, and square headlights. The magazines picked that term up, and applied it to the entire 73-87 generation.

I still call 73-80s rounded line or round eye trucks.

Yea that does make some sense when considering the shape of the headlights I guess.

[slugish]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Regarding the 73-87, as mentioned the 73-80 were called "rounded lines" by GM in some of their sales brochures. This was due to the the softer features of the new styling design that included rounded fender lines.

The "square body" term initially covered the 81-87 era due to the squared shoulder lines, and square headlights. The magazines picked that term up, and applied it to the entire 73-87 generation.

I still call 73-80s rounded line or round eye trucks.

x2 true square bodies are 81-87

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Regarding the 73-87, as mentioned the 73-80 were called "rounded lines" by GM in some of their sales brochures. This was due to the the softer features of the new styling design that included rounded fender lines.

The "square body" term initially covered the 81-87 era due to the squared shoulder lines, and square headlights. The magazines picked that term up, and applied it to the entire 73-87 generation.

I still call 73-80s rounded line or round eye trucks.

Thanks for breaking down the sub era within the era. IMO, the 73 -80's (round eyes) are easier to look at, a more balanced design front to back.

[Redcap]

Squares are 73-87.

[paximus]

Originally Posted by Redcap

Squares are 73-87.

That is what I believe but it seems now there is no real consensus what a square is, some believe this and others believe that. I am sure the guys talking about the rounded line and square debate probably have it right as far as officially but I think most people in general consider the 73-86 "squarebodies."