How Did They Do It ?

[54blackhornet]

I drove my 68 GMC to the Oregon DMV for a VIN check. Putting original Oregon plates on it from 1968, found out I only need one plate if you register it as a special interest vehicle. Back to the How did they do it question I asked,How did the original owners drive these trucks full time in the winter ? My 68 is a stock 292 3 speed, it has no ps, no pb, no heater, single speed wipers, G78X15 Bias ply tires, bought at Sears in the 70's. it has no inside rear view mirror Thank god it has a BIG Rear Window ! The day started in the 30's with light snow, well you can't believe how hard it is to drive a 1/2 ton 292 lwb in the snow! add in the lack of equipment most have come to take for granted and all I can say is it was a real white knuckler ride. I was cold with two layers of jackets, gloves and my 100lb lab Simon in the cab fogging up the joint ! The up side is I got my new "old" plates approved by the DMV so it was worth the trip and I did get a lot of thumbs up by people at DMV and the gas station when I filled her up with premium no ethanol . You might be able to see me in the picture I enclosed...

[Dingfodgy]

I would venture to say that whoever ordered that truck with the heat delete, no rear view mirror, no power equipment, inliner with granny tranny, etc...was using it as a tool on the farm. It probably worked it's butt off from April through September and then put in (or beside) the barn for the winter. Probably didn't get driven much in the high desert (aka-freakin' cold) winters ya'll have out there!

[Stocker]

I grew up in the PNW and was driving all around there in that time period. Never saw or heard of a truck (or car) in that area without a heater..... doesn't mean a few didn't exist. As for winter driving, snow tires and weight in the back was about as good as it got. If that wasn't enough, it was time to chain up.

Let me re-state that about heaters -- I briefly owned a '62 VW bug that claimed to have a heater / defroster, but it was worse than a bad joke. A hamster blowing through a straw would have been more effective.

[PanelDeland]

wHO EVER ORDERED IT THAT WAY "wALKED TO AND FROM SCHOOL 5 MILES EACH WAY,uPHILL"

That and some of them old birds was tough Bastids.

[special-K]

I don't get the whole heater delete thing anyway. I mean,they come free in every truck. Even if you think you won't need it,why not have one? My windshield fogs up when it's hot out in the rain and you don't get a defrosted w/o a heater.
It's so cold without a heater in a vehicle when it's freezing out it's not even safe! The rest,I don't see a problem. I don't see why having a 292 would be an issue,plenty of power there. I didn't have power steering or brakes in many vehicles and never missed it. I felt safer in snow with manual everything because the brakes weren't so touchy,the transmission holds you back,and power steering takes a lot of "feel" out of steering.
Heck,the mountain folk got by without 4wd while city slickers felt they needed it where the snow is cleared withing hours from falling.

[Meatman]

I think people were alot tougher back then. But yes, no heater would just be nuts unless your lived on the border of Mexico or something.

[webfoot]

Where in EO are you? Here we have gotten nothing but rain all morning. I bet that is not much fun in the winter. Good thing it has not been much of a winter around here this year.

[54blackhornet]

North of Elgin 3500 ft level, had to get on the JD today to blow another foot ! Late winter for us. Hermiston is like another country compared to us up in the Blue Mountains.

[webfoot]

Ya i have spent a lot of time around those parts, and went to college in EOU. (From Heppner originally.) Only 600 ft elevation here; Eugene got 8" of snow this morning, if you can believe that.

[RustyBucket]

[QUOTE=54blackhornet;5264281]
That was back when ships were wood and men were steel. Apparently "PLAIN JANE" is popular out yonder... looks like maybe a '67 or so Biscayne 2dr post between the two trucks in the picture.
I was lookin' at a '66 Biscayne 2dr. post at a big AACA show in Melbourne Fl. last Sat. Black exterior, rubber mats, red bench interior, 425hp/427 4spd. and NOTHING ELSE. Whoever ordered it obviously had a plan for it.

[Mike C]

They did give you a credit when you got a delete on an option. You could get the truck even cheaper that base price with delete options.

A stripper model anything is no fun for a daily driver. In muscle cars they are usually desireable because of either being or wanting to be converted, into a factory style hot rod. Big motor, no other options.

I drove my '70 GMC all the time in any kind of weather. But it was a big blcok truck with factory heart and air, power steering and brakes, and TH400 with 3.54 gears. After a stereo upgrade and disc brake swap, it was as nice as a base model newer truck as far as creature comforts, and much cooler when parked!

[54blackhornet]

My 68 GMC 1500 was a gift to the 1st owner when he retired in Boise ID. The only option was WSW tires, not even a mirror inside ? I obtained it from his daughter when he died. It only has 56k documented miles, he was in bad health when he got it so all he did was drive back and forth to his old job site and watch his fellow workers continue what he used to do. He would sit in the truck with the window down, arm out the window and smoke cigs all day long. At 5pm he drove back home and parked her. The paint on the drivers door inside is wore all the way down to primer, and it still rides on the Sears tires from the 70's ? Still have a lot of tread on them but I don't push them to hard, mostly back country roads at about 45mph....slow and easy so people can enjoy it when I go by.............love the site ! keep up the great work all....

[FrankieD]

That truck new was probably under $1800 new, every thing was taken off when ordering it like Mike said made it cheaper it probably was a farm truck. My Dad bought a new 69 Custom/Deluxe he paid $2400 I got it 6mo later from him for $1800 a lot of money when you are only making $2.35hr. it came with Bias 15's then I put 10.00x16.5s on the back for better hauling ability. Back then you had to be pretty well off to have A/C in your car and in a truck in the mid west was almost unheard of. You have to remember back then you could add or remove any thing you wanted you could order a cheap truck with the best interior if you wanted.

[Tomahawk30]

Nice to see another Eastern Oregon owner! We've been getting a bit of a late winter down in John Day as well, but nothing like the foot of snow at a time you are dealing with. Ours seems to just melt off everyday by noon or so. It has made for a couple of interesting drives to work in the 72 Jimmy though...

[54blackhornet]

Mine was never on a farm till I got it in 1994 ! Lived in Boise all its life. It sat outside so the paint was shot, but no rust at all ! no salt on roads I guess ? The tailgate was never used at all, not one dent scratch or ding at all. Wood bed is gone so I dropped in a plastic bed liner from a 95 chevy, worked perfect. I kind of like the stripper aspect, every truck around this country is a 350 something with bla bla bla bla bla ! power this and power that. Lowered with a/c and every goody you can think installed. To each his own I say thats what made America great, but I think the less expensive route like a lot of grandparents and parents did years ago is a lesson well learned.Thanks to all for chiming in on this post, the trip to DMV to get my 68 plates registered was a trip back in time, I had never driven her in the snow on a 30 degree day before, mostly driven in summer time for fun. So lets get out and enjoy them like they where when new and when you get home pull out your computer and tell us all about your ride and the thumbs up you got......jack

[jchav62]

Back then is when men were men. They just needed snow/mud tires in the rear and a little weight in the bed. I've often heard old timers say "We never needed four-wheel drive!"...

As for the heater delete thing, it must've been a hot climate truck. I've never seen that...

[webfoot]

Originally Posted by jchav62

As for the heater delete thing, it must've been a hot climate truck. I've never seen that...

Over 100 in the summer, below 0 sometimes in the Boise winters.

[54blackhornet]

A lot of people don't even know where Boise is located

[70STOVEBOLT]

I've been driving my 70 base model virtually every day for the last 11 years. I used to get the thumbs up a lot, but it's getting pretty rusty now. I have put p/s, p/b, automatic, and a cigar lighter in it as well as cd player, so it's not too bad now. I'm slowly gathering parts for a resto someday when it gets retired from daily driver use.

[FrankieD]

Originally Posted by 54blackhornet

A lot of people don't even know where Boise is located

that's where they make paper isn't it

[special-K]

I know Boise is loated where you would want heat. I think it'd common sense talking saying it must be a warm climate truck.It's hard to imagine an Idaho truck would be ordered w/o heat.
Like I said before,no heat makes no since nowhere. Even in Hawaii your windows will fog up when it rains. I jump in my truck out of a summer rain and I have to blast the defroster.

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by special-K

I don't get the whole heater delete thing anyway. I mean,they come free in every truck. Even if you think you won't need it,why not have one? My windshield fogs up when it's hot out in the rain and you don't get a defrosted w/o a heater.
It's so cold without a heater in a vehicle when it's freezing out it's not even safe! The rest,I don't see a problem. I don't see why having a 292 would be an issue,plenty of power there. I didn't have power steering or brakes in many vehicles and never missed it. I felt safer in snow with manual everything because the brakes weren't so touchy,the transmission holds you back,and power steering takes a lot of "feel" out of steering.
Heck,the mountain folk got by without 4wd while city slickers felt they needed it where the snow is cleared withing hours from falling.

Municipalities and Maintenance shops often order heater (and radio) delete so that the employees don't want to spend time in the truck. I had a friend that worked in a repair shop for Roadway. They got a new/used shop truck and the first thing they made them do was remove the radio, heater hoses, and a/c compressor. I agree with you about defrost though, seems dangerous not to have that at least.

[54blackhornet]

You guy's did not read my post about this truck being a gift from the company he worked for all his adult life ! They must not thought much about him Ha ? No heater in Boise ?

[FrankieD]

All these trucks have a story and a little mystery behind them. With a heater delete, the bed never being used and no mirrors makes one wonder what it was used for.

Is there a tag on the glove box door if so how about a picture.