Pulling 187 tons with a Chevy...

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
Back when they were built to last. JMO


Except for the hood and beds on those GM square-bodies. The hoods always bend in the middle, and the beds rust like mad over the wheel wells (even in Texas with no salt). From that era, I'd prefer a Ford or Dodge. But go back to ~64, and give me a GMC with a 305 V6 any day, I've always wanted one of those.

Other than that, yes the square-bodies are good trucks. Simple, rugged, serviceable. Basically no change to the front suspension from the early 60s trucks, and a change to leaf springs from coils with the first year of the square-body.

 

[ls1mike]

I have owned a 1971 K-5 Blazer, 85 Square body, 1989 GMC 1 ton and my Current 02 2500HD 6.0 4L80E

The current truck has been the best hands down, tows circle around my old 1 Ton TBI 454 and when it requires service, which is basically oil changes, it is easy.

No carb issues, no rust issues, no suspension issues and the reliability of a gas 6.0 with fuel injection and a 4L80E. Frame is leaps and bounds above all the other ones I have owned as well.
Better brakes, I could go on and on.

 

[PhillyJoe]

Originally Posted By: gman2304


Remember a couple of years ago Toyota had a commercial with their Tundra pulling a space shuttle? Any 3/4 ton truck with comparable equipment from that era could have done the same. It's called "marketing".


Funny how the lawyers insist on the disclaimer "professional driver, closed course, do not try this at home."

I was just about to pull a space shuttle down my street before I saw that disclaimer.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

I think Brian Oldfield pulled that train of logs faster with his teeth on "Superstars" back in the '70s on ABC...
;^)

 

[Propflux01]

I remember the one with the Dodge truck pulling a rail car.

 

[bullwinkle]

That was around a '71-'73, likely with full time 4WD, amazingly appears to be a 3 on the tree manual?? Those weren't bad trucks, but the '73-'87 GM pickups had the worst steel ever in a pickup-they rusted so fast that the vast majority were scrapped in 10 years or less.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: gman2304


Remember a couple of years ago Toyota had a commercial with their Tundra pulling a space shuttle? Any 3/4 ton truck with comparable equipment from that era could have done the same. It's called "marketing".



This one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLdA8tEpO0k

but the Space Shuttle at only 292000 pounds means the Chevy wins!

 

[OVERKILL]

What about the Ford commercial where it hauls the ice breaker?

 

[clinebarger]

I've had a 1969 C10 350/TH400, 1976 C10 Suburban 454/TH400, & a 1985 C20 Suburban 350/TH400......Everyone was a really good dependable truck. No rust issues or camshaft issues.....Though my '76 had a 454 so I didn't go through the SBC camshaft problems.
The '69 was the best built of the three. The GMT-400 platform ('88-'98) are the trucks that gave me the most trouble. The GMT-800 platform is leaps & bounds better.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
What about the Ford commercial where it hauls the ice breaker?

LOL I will say those are probably my favorite body style of the super duty. The newer ones are so incredibly ugly.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
, but the '73-'87 GM pickups had the worst steel ever in a pickup-they rusted so fast that the vast majority were scrapped in 10 years or less.

And yet, they made so flippin' many that they are STILL the most common pickup of that era. Or at least it seems so in my area. Don't know where all the Fords went, but they certainly didn't rust as badly. There never were nearly as many Dodges, and they seemed to fall between the Fords and Chevies of the time in terms of rust. More rust than the Fords, way less than the GM square-bodies.