A 'Working Man's' truck!!

[geezer#99]

Cooling my heels in the shade today and this old relic pulls into the street.
A real working man's truck. He's used it for the last 25 years in his landscaping business. Still going strong with a rebuilt 350. Original motor expired 10 years ago. He says it sucks up the fuel. About 40 bucks a day.
But it's paid for and easy to fix on the side of the road if needed.

[Billhilly]

Cool truck! Would love to be able to drive mine for 25 years....

[In The Ten Ring]

Is that GMC a long wheel base? *If so, that's how I like 'em.

He's right about "being able to fix." I much prefer my truck to anything I could possibly buy new if for no other reason than I can fix it myself.

I spoke to the guy that renewed my gas tank. He owns his business and employs about half a dozen guys. He told me "you cannot get a 'work truck' from GM anymore. Every truck has carpet, AC, and an automatic transmission." He's right. Not for me.

[special-K]

That's the 157" WB and a '69 Canadian model...930. Good to see guys running older trucks. I've mostly done that my whole career, but have stuck a newer one in here and there. One new one, and that was a '92 I ordered and worked for 22 years till this time last year. I did get the 5spd manual, but the carpet, A/C, and other comfort features I specified didn't stop it from a lick of work. People said, "That carpet's going to get dirty". I'd say, "So would the rubber mat, but it's easier to vacuum a carpet than scrub up a rubber floor". That's what rubber floor mats are for. Put those where your muddy feet go, pull them out, and dump. Peterbuilts come with automatics these days. But it's true, the working man has fallen low on the target group list for new truck purchasers.

[hugger6933]

The working man has fallen in the target market because they can't afford one or either don't want to spend that much money on one. Around here farmer will spend $60 k on a truck then throw it out in a field but then again they will spend 300K on a tractor and put a guy on it that can't read

[geezer#99]

Yup!!
Around here the norm is the bling bling crew cab 60 thousand and up new trucks pulling a trailer with all the stuff.
Good money in landscaping here. Gotta keep all us senior citizens happy.
There are a couple more of those working man trucks around. One outfitted as a painting truck with a man basket boom, compressor, etc. One of these days I'll see it again when my camera is with me and I'll post it up.

[kingsolver72]

I've haul lots of carpet and pad out of my last 3 trucks, among other things. One of them was a short bed. Good trucks. Never let me down even when my work van was inoperable.
I had a 69 pro street and frame off restoration that never got worked. Cool trucks but the older I get the more I like the original trucks that I can use.
It's good to see that truck is getting worked.

[WIDESIDE72]

He must have a stump puller rear gear ratio to be using that much fuel. Maybe you could suggest a rear axle swap to a 14 bolt full floater with some 4.10 gears!

[geezer#99]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

He must have a stump puller rear gear ratio to be using that much fuel. Maybe you could suggest a rear axle swap to a 14 bolt full floater with some 4.10 gears!

You're thinking in US gallooons!!
40 bucks is about 7 canuck gallons.
On a 25 years used truck with but a motor rebuild, not worth a gear change.

[hugger6933]

I know it is crazy by 1/2 ton standards but my one ton according to the chart has either a 5:38 or 6:17 gears. with the 400 small block I'd bet 5 MPG is about max. Jim