GM Semis

[Jonboy]

Originally Posted by KQQL IT

I would love to see this in person.

[studda]

I know where there is one like the one in post 598 sitting that looks complete with tractor and trailer. It has been there as long as I can remember. I need to stop and ask about it sometime, or at least get pictures.

[watahyahknow]

that looks like when truckracing was still a hobby by truckers racing an old rig with a hotter engine , i been to a few in europe like that too , verry stock looking trucks with the cabs leaning over dangerously in corners or REALY custom trucks with outlandish engines slipping and sliding all over the place

racetrucks look a lot different in europe nowadays there mostly cabover models and heavily sponsored by the truck manufacturers
the cabs are allmost solidly mounted a lot lower on the frame
the drivers are sitting mush lower and further away from the windscreen (allmost in the sleeper part of the cab )
they have the engine moved back allmost having the gearbox shaft touching the rearaxle
only have one rearaxle and a little more aerodynamic stuff around the lower parts
engines are about 1200 hp mostly by raising the static compression mounting a bigger turbo , bigger injectors and fuelpressure
the diskbrakes are stock but fitted with different pads and sprayed with water to keep them cool hence the steam coming of them in corners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0PqI5peh4Y
not chevy trucks but nice to compare with the old style amerikan truck race rigs though
dont think they race them a lot anymore in the states

[special-K]

Can I ride shotgun? I can help unload!

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Y'all can have the Beer, I'll take the Truck, lol.

Another fine example of an Extended Hood 9500. With those Dual Stacks and the Year of the truck it is almost a guarantee that it has an 8V-71 Detroit.

Also note the "Rare" Running Board instead of a Drivers Side Fuel Tank.

Bill

[special-K]

That was Barney hopping on my computer. I'd give up beer to own that truck! Oh well,that ain't happening,so...POP,fzzzz,glug glug glug glug,ahhhh.....BURP! Skoozmee

[junkmandan3]

Big Rig racing was hot for about a 10 year period from 1982 to 1992. I started as a spectator about 1983 at Pocono where top qualifying speed was 122 MPH. During the races they ran laps similar to that. The # 39 KW shown in the poster had a KT Cummins and would pass the 8V92Ts at the end of the front straightaway but the Detroits would repass the KT in the corners . The bulk of the racers at first were the MH long hood GMCs, with a couple of Corbitts, a Brockway,a Mack, KWs ,Petes, Ford LTLs. Shawna Robinson started in a family sponsored KW, but people took notice of her talent and she graduated to a LTL Ford. I talked our company W.W.Williams to sponsor her at the Toledo race so they repainted the hood with the Williams name on it for that race . Eventually rules changes went to 2 axle trucks, and allowed tubular frames with coil-over spring-shock combinations. About that time they put a bonus purse for 6 cylinder engines to entice Cummins, Cat, and Mack power, but most just switched to 6V92Ts instead of the 8V92T, and still won. I have the poster for the last known race which was in Mansfield, Ohio in 1992 on a dirt track . They ran on asphalt tracks mostly but on a hot day the heavy chassis would tear op the track, cause wrecks and ruin the race . Syracuse one mile dirt track at the state fairgrounds was the biggest track they ran on...........other than Atlanta.

[alsriv2]

Originally Posted by junkmandan3

Big Rig racing was hot for about a 10 year period from 1982 to 1992. I started as a spectator about 1983 at Pocono where top qualifying speed was 122 MPH. During the races they ran laps similar to that. The # 39 KW shown in the poster had a KT Cummins and would pass the 8V92Ts at the end of the front straightaway but the Detroits would repass the KT in the corners . The bulk of the racers at first were the MH long hood GMCs, with a couple of Corbitts, a Brockway,a Mack, KWs ,Petes, Ford LTLs. Shawna Robinson started in a family sponsored KW, but people took notice of her talent and she graduated to a LTL Ford. I talked our company W.W.Williams to sponsor her at the Toledo race so they repainted the hood with the Williams name on it for that race . Eventually rules changes went to 2 axle trucks, and allowed tubular frames with coil-over spring-shock combinations. About that time they put a bonus purse for 6 cylinder engines to entice Cummins, Cat, and Mack power, but most just switched to 6V92Ts instead of the 8V92T, and still won. I have the poster for the last known race which was in Mansfield, Ohio in 1992 on a dirt track . They ran on asphalt tracks mostly but on a hot day the heavy chassis would tear op the track, cause wrecks and ruin the race . Syracuse one mile dirt track at the state fairgrounds was the biggest track they ran on...........other than Atlanta.

I went to one of those races in Syracuse NY at the NY State Fairgrounds back in 1985. It was on dirt oval there. Some of the most fun racing I have ever seen. They even had the jet powered "Shockwave" there as well. It rained that day, but Shockwave was used to dry the oval before it did it's "race" right in front of the grandstand straightaway. Shockwave actually did 120mph in that short straight. When it launched it blew the windows out of the building that was at the edge of the turn 3/4 area.
Great show!

[C10 - C90 Bill]

I would have liked to see one of those races. I thought I would have liked to drive one, but I had no idea of those top speeds. I'm an 'ol Hot Rodder and loved 1/8 Mile Drags, but I don't like high speeds, lol. Glad to see that the Detroits did well.

Bill

[junkmandan3]

Bill--I have souvineer programs and copies of the racing daily news and tried to sell new DD parts at the events as I chased the circuit to Atlanta, Cayuga Ontario Canada, Pittsburg, Dover, Toledo, Syracuse and Pocono. The first couple of years Spicer was the primary sponsor of the circuit, then Detroit Diesel Allison took over as primary sponsor. I got pretty close to the Allison rep who had a blank check for the racers that used their products and helped advertise . By introducing local truck puller John Mann to the Allison Rep at the Indy Super Pull, we got John a rebuilt Allison, and overhaul kits for John's 12V71 in the Lady Butterfly pulling truck. We also made contact at Spicer for a Spicer 1241 auxilliary as at that time it was still a working truck . W.W.Williams donated the conversion, overhaul and regear in our Akron shop. I'd always been a motor head since 53-54 I ran several dirt tracks for therapy as a farm kid in New York. Chevy bodies from the late 30s with a 236" GMC truck engine from a '46 ton and a half I had previously owned. I still have one of 2 NASCAR hat pins that was our license verification back then .

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Sounds like some good times, but it seems like my area got skipped for those Semi races. We do have a whole lot of tracks around here, but never heard of one being held anywhere near here. Atlanta would probably be the closest. Our tracks were probably too small really, especially for those Tandems!

Bill

[CREWCABGMC]

Truck racing was pretty cool to watch back in the day, One of the problems was when they would crash, They wouldn`t just hit the wall they would go through it!!

[special-K]

I stopped contributing pictures to this thread because I lost track of what I did and didn't show yet. It's too dang big to go back and check or make a list. Maybe I should indicate something in the file name in the future.
Anyway,did I even show this little combo?

[C10 - C90 Bill]

I never saw that one Tim. Interesting truck. I still can't see how they drove those things with those tiny little Mirrors. Especially backing up on the blind side.

Even if some of the pictures are duplicates, I'm sure none of us will mind seeing them again. Some are pretty much buried back in some old threads.

Bill

[junkmandan3]

Tim-------As a recent fan of this forum, I've been through the 25 pages of pictures and comments and don't remember seeing that old semi. I drove with those little 4' round mirrors but as soon as I saw those a little bigger, like 4 by 6" , I got those on my 53 model 350 GMC with 248" engine . I never drove with the "west coast" mirrors til the early '60s when I was the fleet engineer for Gateway Transportation.

Yes, there's plenty of recopied pictures that take up space , but it's mostly when people link to a previous post instead of referring to it by number .
Then, when you consider the various forums you may be on, it's easy to wonder..............Did I do that or say that ?

[KQQL IT]

Originally Posted by C10 - C90 Bill

I never saw that one Tim. Interesting truck. I still can't see how they drove those things with those tiny little Mirrors. Especially backing up on the blind side.

Even if some of the pictures are duplicates, I'm sure none of us will mind seeing them again. Some are pretty much buried back in some old threads.

Bill

The difference from drivers and steering wheel holders.

[special-K]

Well,so far I haven't saved any of the many pictures KQQL IT or anyone else has posted to make sure I don't show those again. Thing is,I don't see this thread dieing. I think I'll pop same initials of who posted them in the code and start saving these great pictures.

I'm thinkin' those little mirrors are like most anything. When that's all you get to work with you get good at it. When something better comes along life gets easier. Later on when you look back you might wonder how the heck you managed. I always think about non-synchronized transmissions and mechanical brakes on steep 2-lanes up and down the mountains.

Dan,I want to teach you how to do pictures. I need to get my head clear and take the time to put together the steps that I'm sure you can follow. Or,if anyone else would that would be great

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Pictures were always my weakness. Just can't get the hang of it. Good thing there's YouTube, lol. I wouldn't be posting anything.

Bill

[powerdriver 1958]

Good idea to grab pics while you can , A lot of these pics are hosted with outside gallery's . All it takes is moving a pic , a disgruntled member or a web host that decides to sell and your pics are gone .

Some picture heavy threads are worthless without the pictures

[KQQL IT]

And I was starting to think I was the lone ranger with
pics

[special-K]

Yeah,I guess I shot my wad early on. Might have other pictures but too overwhelming to check. Not coming up with much new I don't already have either.

Fortunately,the heavy truck crowd tends to be more mature. I'm not too worried about Jojo Boohoo taking his toys and running home

[special-K]

Old car haulers I took to long to add in the prior post

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Well, I'm usually for the Trucks, but I'll take either one of those '55 2-Dr Bel-Air Sedans on top. The one on the top front looks like a 6-Cylinder though. Interestingly the '55 in the bottom front is a 150 Model. That was a bottom of the line rare car in '55. Hardly any Chrome and no Chrome even around the Windshield. Those cars were well in demand at the Drags through the years.

Cool truck too BTW. Sure has a large Fuel Tank.

Bill

[special-K]

How about what's up top in front on that third carrier in the first picture?? I also spy a woodie wagon!

[junkmandan3]

My 1st thought on the top picture with the fast back cars was they were 47-48 Chivvys, but looked closer at the taillights, they must be Pontiacs.

I have good memories on the load of 55s, cause that's how I landed my bride of 55 years! 55 Bel Aire hardtop, coral and grey, original owner was an Anchor Motorfreight driver and it had about 20,000 miles with about every option known. It was my first car after getting out of the army in 1956.