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Old 07-09-2010, 01:40 PM   #1
Low87
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love at first sight?

So how many of you can remember when/where you first saw a square (cool term btw, I don't remember it being so popular last time I was around) and got hooked?

I was 10-12 (would have been mid-late 1980s) and saw one turning right opposite us at the intersection of 71st & 145th in BA. I remember I told my Dad then that I really liked that square truck. I'd never noticed them before. Unless it's creative memory, I want to say the truck was black.

Skip ahead several years and I sold my first vehicle ('86 S10 Blazer) to buy an '83 Stepper. I kept that a few months before selling it to buy the '87 I have now.

Funny thing is that I now live not too far from where I saw that first square. No idea how I remember all that, when I can't remember what it is I'm supposed to do this weekend.
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Old 07-09-2010, 01:48 PM   #2
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Re: love at first sight?

I got hooked back in the 80's after walking by an elementary school teachers new (at that time) K10 every day...long bed, all black, GTS headlight covers, visor...you get the idea...it was a nice looking truck, I liked the lines, and the rest is history.
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Old 07-09-2010, 02:13 PM   #3
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Re: love at first sight?

My dad had a '74 as early as I can remember, and my grandpa had a '76. Both were K10's. I used to hound them to take me to the dealership to look at all of the new trucks. My dad has said I could tell you the year of all of the Chevy trucks on the road when I was three. I can see that. When I became of driving age, the choice was obvious.
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Old 07-09-2010, 02:27 PM   #4
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Re: love at first sight?

I got hooked after I already owned a "square". I really wanted a Jeep but couldn't afford a CJ7 so my parents made me get my 82 because my step-grandfather had it and was selling it and it was in decent shape. It was something I grew to love... not so much love at first sight.
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Old 07-09-2010, 03:37 PM   #5
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Re: love at first sight?

My dad got a 76 short bed over 30 years ago that needed work, at one point when we lived in Phoenix he had it looking great and all it lacked was paint, if it got painted it would get stolen. I've always loved the truck but for some reason never bought one of my own.
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Old 07-09-2010, 03:43 PM   #6
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Re: love at first sight?

when i was a kid i thought they looked nicer than the Fords... as i grew up and bought a truck eventually i got a chevy and loved our generation trucks... they were the best things on the road at the time... i have one around for old times sake
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Old 07-09-2010, 06:07 PM   #7
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Re: love at first sight?

My very first memory, i mean first. Maybe only a year old. Was my mom holding me walking down the driveway, as my father was tinkering with his 76, light blue with a white topper. Thats all i remember, it was sold a couple years later due to the birth of my baby brother. The only time i saw it was that day, i don't remember ever seeing it again. Only the one memory. As the many years past and i was closer to driving all i would dream of myself driving was a square. All i would draw when i was a kid were squares and camaros. Which brings me to the present day, 1987 GMC Wrangler. Mint. I love every min. of it. And i would not let it go for the world. Funny how every dream, memory, and imagination would lead me to buying my dream truck.

Also as a side note... my dad somtimes drives with me in my square, as he tells me cool old stories of his truck and reminisses of his. "really takes me back" he will say. Theres nothing like a father son bond in an old truck
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Old 07-09-2010, 08:09 PM   #8
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Re: love at first sight?

My dad had a blue 84 long bed Chevy that and my mom had a 83 Jimmy so I was born in love with these trucks being born in 86. I remember when my dad sold the 84 to a salvage yard to get a red 86 long bed and when I was 3. I cried when they towed it off but then he showed up with the 86 I jumped right in and asked him how they painted it so fast. And my mom just gave the Jimmy to my older brother about 6 months ago, I grew up in that thing. I learned to drive, took my drivers test, and cruised it all the time.
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Old 07-10-2010, 02:50 AM   #9
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Re: love at first sight?

My dad had a small construction company, and all they drove were Chevy's. My dad's was a '73 and the rest of the crews had '76's. I didn't think much of them, they were like all the other trucks I saw on the road at the time. For a long time, I didn't even know there were any other brands besides GMC.

But, I fell in love with squares the first time my parents took me to my first 'big time' drag race. We drove 16 hours from Idaho to Ontario to watch the World Finals. I couldn't believe all the crew cabs, with sleepers and Chapparel trailers. They were everywhere. I had been around the races since I was born, but that was first time I really noticed them. I was 6 at the time.

I loved the look of that setup so much that I sold my '01 F-350 cc and featherlite tag to get an '86 cc and Chapparel trailer. It was really special to go with my dad to pick up the trailer, driving the cc.
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Old 07-10-2010, 05:58 AM   #10
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Re: love at first sight?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blake_H View Post
My dad had a small construction company, and all they drove were Chevy's. My dad's was a '73 and the rest of the crews had '76's. I didn't think much of them, they were like all the other trucks I saw on the road at the time. For a long time, I didn't even know there were any other brands besides GMC.

But, I fell in love with squares the first time my parents took me to my first 'big time' drag race. We drove 16 hours from Idaho to Ontario to watch the World Finals. I couldn't believe all the crew cabs, with sleepers and Chapparel trailers. They were everywhere. I had been around the races since I was born, but that was first time I really noticed them. I was 6 at the time.

I loved the look of that setup so much that I sold my '01 F-350 cc and featherlite tag to get an '86 cc and Chapparel trailer. It was really special to go with my dad to pick up the trailer, driving the cc.
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Tonight mine pulled a few cars out of snowbanks, and is sitting in my driveway, icicles on the grille, wheels just white cakes of snow, buried up to the lug nuts in powder, straps and chains wrapped around the bumpers, the outline of the wipers clear in 4 inches of snow on the windshield... A tired warrior of the 1980s in a world of low profile tires, front wheel drive, and plastic bumpers, where people stay in their houses until snowplows move the offending substance from their paths, too helpless to travel without AAA and chains and salt, clearing their windows with longhandled brushes while gently stepping around in the snow trying to stay nice and dry.
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Old 07-10-2010, 06:08 AM   #11
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Re: love at first sight?

Well
for me i had never seen Squares before ever in my life never heard of them
but i allways love USA and all things about them and allways loved what had to do with the 80s. whats most famuors thing thats we still has from the 80s the SUV crazy
well 6 years ago we finaly got kabel TV and i was watching MTV late one night i was just starting to understand english at the time
the show "Pimp My Ride" with host Xibit the veichel this time was a 1985 Chevrolet Suburban This beast


i have been in love with this body style ever since so yes you could say love at first sight
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Tonight mine pulled a few cars out of snowbanks, and is sitting in my driveway, icicles on the grille, wheels just white cakes of snow, buried up to the lug nuts in powder, straps and chains wrapped around the bumpers, the outline of the wipers clear in 4 inches of snow on the windshield... A tired warrior of the 1980s in a world of low profile tires, front wheel drive, and plastic bumpers, where people stay in their houses until snowplows move the offending substance from their paths, too helpless to travel without AAA and chains and salt, clearing their windows with longhandled brushes while gently stepping around in the snow trying to stay nice and dry.
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Old 07-10-2010, 07:09 AM   #12
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Re: love at first sight?

The first time i noticed a squarebody truck was the Fall Guy tv show in the 80´s
and i loved it eversince then!
In ´87 i traveled to the US and there i met my father who picked me up in his brandnew 87 K 20 Scottsdale Longbed!
We drove around for one day and he showed me his little ranch and horses and introduced me to my two brothers and one sister !
I was overwhelmed from all the impressions and i still fight with my feelings sometimes but that Squarebody truck was like a tatoo to my brain! i loved it!
He gave it away in 2004 with only 87k miles on it!
In the early 90´s there was a nice blue K 10 shortbed in a used car lot around here and i dreamed of it but it was very expensive!
One day i had some money saved and wanted to buy a truck -- a ´56 Ford F 100 --- and when i came to look at it there was this big black dieselpowered Sqaurebody for sale and i bought it! That was in ´93! I fell in love with it and i still love it.Especially after building it up for about 15 years but thats another story!
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my dad!
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my dad´s 87
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my truck after i bought it!
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my truck now!
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Old 07-10-2010, 09:36 AM   #13
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Re: love at first sight?

the fire cheif in my town in Maine had one, it was 1974, he was cool, the truck was cool...

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Old 07-10-2010, 10:12 AM   #14
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Re: love at first sight?

For me it was "un-love" at first sight, I guess you could say....

By working at the truck plant I was exposed to the advanced models.

I saw the early 1981 models and did not like the new front end as well as the current truck, so I hurried and bought one of the last 80's.



I guess tastes change, because the same thing happened when I saw the new GMT400 versions in 1988. I didn't like them as well, so I hurried and placed and order for an '87.... (the truck I still have).





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Old 07-10-2010, 10:26 AM   #15
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Re: love at first sight?

I wanted this truck & Heather Thomas Sooooo bad in 1985!
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Old 07-10-2010, 10:47 AM   #16
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Re: love at first sight?

The fall guy truck was defintely a looker no to mention heather Thomas i rember my dad built a 79 80 chevy swb fleetside when i was growing up we have since had several of these year trucks love them i love both my 87s now God Made Chevy=GMC
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Old 07-10-2010, 01:02 PM   #17
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Re: love at first sight?

The minute me and my Dad spotted it on the car-lot back in 89, and took it for a test drive... I.. or my Dad and I...were hooked!! I was like 12 yrs old..., but we had to have it.. Pops told me he always likes those year chevy's.. the Square style. Of course, we were suppose to only go 'looking'.. at trucks, but you know how that goes...LOL Hours later, and tons of dealer/customer negotiations.. (dealer always on top, of course)... Pops drove it home that night, and It's been a family member ever since... and now it's mine! WOOHOOO!!! Chevy ain't lying when they claim..."The most dependable longest lasting trucks on the road".. our family proved that theory 400K miles on the original 305.... 20K on the new 350... same transmission.
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Old 07-10-2010, 01:04 PM   #18
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Re: love at first sight?

Here's a Pic:
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Old 07-10-2010, 11:29 PM   #19
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Re: love at first sight?

i always loved chevy's and was never a fan of s10. then a pretty pink swb c-10 popped up, so i started looking into truck's like the one i had and i seen all these low clean trucks with v8's and i fell in love. two days later i started ripping the "pink panther" apart.
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Old 07-11-2010, 10:28 AM   #20
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Re: love at first sight?

Over the years I've owned 20 or so Chevy trucks, panel wagons, Suburbans and so forth. I like all of them. But I think parts for the square body trucks are the easiest to find and the cheapest, too. That's why I just picked up the heap of crap I have in my garage now. They're so simple and cheap to own and maintain. And handy, too!
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Old 07-11-2010, 10:57 AM   #21
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Re: love at first sight?

Hated Chevs for years. Bought my truck as a project and daily to keep the wear and tear down on my other trucks. Now they sit in the driveway and my square runs everyday! I absolutly love my 80, it has such a tough feel and look to it and i can go anywhere with it! I am definatley a reformed man! Seen the light!!!
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Old 07-11-2010, 11:14 AM   #22
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Re: love at first sight?

Pretty much here:

Really liked the few shots (mostly stunt shots) where they used the pre '81 trucks but I'd hate to think how many they trashed during that series.

Also here in this movie there is stepside that Ryan Oneal drives the wheels off of:
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Old 07-11-2010, 11:42 AM   #23
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Re: love at first sight?

1975- I was a senior in high school and the local Chevy dealer had some special orders on the lot. It was a 76 SWB Fleet that was a Corvette orange color that was not available on trucks.

It had wood grain inserts, and aluminum slotted mags with white letter tires all around. Yeah, it was very 70's and I thought it was "Groovy". Unfortunately it was not in my high school senior part time job budget, so all I could do was bug the sales rep asking questions about it.

I did find out that the dealers were able to order special GM colors as long as they order "X" amount of units in that same color. It was a fleet option that they used to create some pretty cool trucks for the time.
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Old 07-11-2010, 03:31 PM   #24
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Re: love at first sight?

no,it wasn't love at first sight.when these trucks came out i was a ford 4x4 truck guy.but,i loved chevy cars.i also was a lowered vehicle pioneer in my area.fords just don't make cool low riders so,when i first saw one of these lowered in the early eighties i knew i wanted to build one some day.but,i spent my play money on fast boats till the kids got older then i went back to trucks.i had my drivers license in 74 but there was no way i could afford a new one.i would have bought a ford hiboy 4x4 anyway back then.
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Old 07-11-2010, 07:24 PM   #25
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Re: love at first sight?

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no,it wasn't love at first sight.when these trucks came out i was a ford 4x4 truck guy.but,i loved chevy cars.i also was a lowered vehicle pioneer in my area.fords just don't make cool low riders so,when i first saw one of these lowered in the early eighties i knew i wanted to build one some day.but,i spent my play money on fast boats till the kids got older then i went back to trucks.i had my drivers license in 74 but there was no way i could afford a new one.i would have bought a ford hiboy 4x4 anyway back then.
Oh man a 74 ford Hi-boy is one of my dream cars.
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