67-72 C/K/T-40's-90's!

[Katrina/10]

Originally Posted by C10 - C90 Bill

Now that's something that has always puzzled me. Why the shorten Bumper on some of those great 'ol trucks?

Unless they were trying to avoid them getting bent back, like many have through the years, lol?

That's what I was told. If the bumper got bent back into the tire, you couldn't drive. No idea if that's true.

[special-K]

I always wondered too, and figured it was something to do with snagging them backing up in tight quarters. I always wondered how it was legit to not have a full-width bumper. I'm not sure about the cut to avoid pushing the bumper into the tire. The idea is to not be running into things, but when it happens that bumper bent back into the tire might have saved the tire/steering/suspension.

[special-K]

I'm not exactly a fan of the "make it a pickup" trend. But I do like this one. I could see it as still good for 5th wheel duty. This is how I always envisioned making a pickup out of a bigger truck. Widen the bed, not the fenders. I'd own it

[STPETEBLUE]

Originally Posted by special-K

I'm not exactly a fan of the "make it a pickup" trend. But I do like this one. I could see it as still good for 5th wheel duty. This is how I always envisioned making a pickup out of a bigger truck. Widen the bed, not the fenders. I'd own it

I've seen these pics, before. It looks pieced together. Body lines don't match because they lowered the bed, and they used a fleetside tailgate which looks horrible, IMO.
Personally, I would use a Fleetside bed and modify some stepside fenders.
But that is just my opinion.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by STPETEBLUE

I've seen these pics, before. It looks pieced together. Body lines don't match because they lowered the bed, and they used a fleetside tailgate which looks horrible, IMO.
Personally, I would use a Fleetside bed and modify some stepside fenders.
But that is just my opinion.

I like it better than any of the pickup conversions I've seen using a Fleetside bed.

About time for some new pictures here. A handsome handful of tandem grain bodies

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Nice Heavy Mediums.

[eager_adventurer]

Originally Posted by special-K

I'm not exactly a fan of the "make it a pickup" trend. But I do like this one. I could see it as still good for 5th wheel duty. This is how I always envisioned making a pickup out of a bigger truck. Widen the bed, not the fenders. I'd own it

Love that truck!

[special-K]

Es muy coolio! I just like the vibe of it (and the look). The coolest part is it could be a very useful 5th wheel hauler yet. Not just a cool toy to look at with a bed that's too high. I think they were more concerned with lining up the running boards (somewhat) than the bodylines. Typically with the larger trucks we don't expect the style to continue beyond the cab. That's all about it's use and maybe a touch of style, if possible. Looking at it that way, I see a lot of extra style with building a Western Hauler style truck using the same style as the cab

[special-K]

I found another one! I found another one!! I found another really nice (understatement) '72 C65 and it's a dump truck, 427 Custom with a/c. I am serious and honest when I say I do not believe this truck could be any nicer

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

It's been awhile since I've been on here! Here's an update on my 1969 GMC 8500, ex fire truck. I've been needing a bigger truck that can haul and lift more than the gin poles on my one ton can handle for awhile now. I haven't had the time or extra money for that matter to source the missing fire truck parts for the GMC these last several years, the truck was doing more sitting than anything. When I had the opportunity to buy a winch truck with no engine or transmission cheap a few months ago I jumped on it. I've transferred the front bumper, bed, Tulsa 34L 30,000 lb winch, and headache rack from the 1980 C70 to my truck. It has a pintle hitch on the back, I'll eventually buy or build a large trailer to pull behind it as well. A friend of mine is helping me do some body work on it and will be painting the whole truck soon, bright red of course sticking to its fire truck roots. The front bumper will be painted silver, as well as the mirrors, step, fuel tank, and rims.

[sweetk30]

love it ..... and bumper looks more at home on the older rig

[NoStopN]

That bumper looks like something you'd see on the front of a truck in a Mad Max movie.

[special-K]

^^^ Cowcatcher

No doubt, will be a handy workhorse. But that think is just plain cool. Seeing those oil field trucks with their home-built custom bumpers and beds is one of the things that got trucks to grab me the way they did. Form and function is where it's at. Nice truck now. Looks stout.

[special-K]

Just beautiful

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Beautiful MH.

8V-71?

[special-K]

I don't know but that would be my guess. I never heard it or saw the owner with it when I was looking

[70c10-08]

The 1,000,000th vehicle built at Pontiac East Assembly in 1984

[Bob B.]

Originally Posted by 70c10-08

The 1,000,000th vehicle built at Pontiac East Assembly in 1984

It wasn't too long after that GM moved the medium duty trucks back to Pontiac Truck And Coach and changed over Pontiac East to build the new GMT-400 light duty trucks. Pontiac East was built in the early 70's specifically as a medium duty truck plant.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Bob,

What can you tell us about the 4-53 in these Medium Duty trucks. I believe the only year was '79. Wondering why it was such a short production option.

[Bob B.]

Originally Posted by C10 - C90 Bill

Bob,

What can you tell us about the 4-53 in these Medium Duty trucks. I believe the only year was '79. Wondering why it was such a short production option.

Saw a few of those noisy things back in the day! The 4-53T was available in the medium duty C series starting in early 1978, first diesels in these trucks since the 478 Turbium (Toroflow) in 1974. The 4-53T was replaced by the Detroit 8.2L in early 1980, so they were around about 2 years total. My guess was the 4-53T was a stop-gap to get a diesel in the C series mediums while the 8.2L was under development. The medium duty diesel market was starting to grow in the late 70's. 1980 also saw the introduction of the Cat 3208 and Cummins VT-225 powered TopKick and Kodiak, which were heavier duty mediums.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Appreciate the info. They should have kept the 4-53 as the 8.2 wasn't that good of an engine, the way I understand it anyway. This kind of reminds me of my John Deere. John Deere wanted a Diesel for it's 30 Series Tractor in '59 and put in the 2-53 Detroit till early '60, while they were developing a new diesel for it's New Generation Tractors, a well kept secret, that were out later on in the year of 1960.

Interesting on the Toro-Flow. I've seen them as late as about 1970, but never knew they put one in a '74. The 3208 was a good engine, but I never liked them in a GM. They were pretty popular in Fords and when they were first out, we would call them "Ford Throw-Aways". Word had it that they weren't worth rebuilding after they wore out.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Which reminds me, I could had bought a real nice '79 GMC 7500 Single Axle Dump, Low Miles with Air Brakes to boot for $4000 some years back, but passed on it because it had a 3208. I was expecting a 4-53, lol.

Edit:

Correction. I was expecting a 6V-53.

[Bob B.]

Seen a few '73 and '74 C series mediums with gas V-6 and Toroflow power. The Cat 3208 was a modernized version of the older 1140/1150/1160 V-8 diesels. My understanding was Cat built the 1100 series V-8's for Ford, they were designed to interchange with the SD gasoline engines. They were also painted 'Ford Blue' too! We had a few TopKicks with 3208's, and I really liked them. Little tough to work on though.

[factorystock]

Little bit of Ford-Cat literature.

[special-K]

He don't need no steenkin' diesel. He got 'im a big bad Chivvy four two seven gas job