Best thing about 1973 to1987 gm full size trucks

[Hiluxxulih]

There are no extra cabs , or crew cabs unless its a one ton

[Keith Seymore]

Why is that a good thing?

I could use a little extra space in mine.

I had to make an unplanned stop to pick up my twins from school, which meant my computer briefcase went in the back....in the rain.

I just drove really fast so the water would fly over the top of the cab.

K

[Hiluxxulih]

I just don't care for extra cabs , I don't care for short beds eighter so its 50/50 for me with the half tons pretty good odds for me any idea why gm never made an extra cab square body ford and dodge did .

[Keith Seymore]

Nobody thought of it until it was too late.

When the squares were designed there was no such thing as an extended cab, and crew cabs were for the railroads and utility companys.

People who drove pickups for personal use drove 1/2 ton regular cab short boxes (...like mine).



K

[Hiluxxulih]

When did gm start working on the 1988 redesign ? It had to have been 84 or 85 I would think , I wonder how many square body trucks were riding around on the new chassis for testing .

[79Betty]

They have extended cabs, started in '85 i believe... There is a thread or 2 on it

[Just call me Sean]

Originally Posted by 79Betty

They have extended cabs, started in '85 i believe... There is a thread or 2 on it

Not factory.

Ford and Dodge have extended cabs during the comparable year body styles. GM dropped the ball on it.

[Jonboy]

Originally Posted by Hiluxxulih

There are no extra cabs , or crew cabs unless its a one ton

Are you sure?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

Not factory.

Ford and Dodge have extended cabs during the comparable year body styles. GM dropped the ball on it.

No sense revising the squarebody product when the release of the GMT400 models was imminent. The front end refresh in '81 was a stopgap measure.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Jonboy

Are you sure?

Ha! Good catch, since there was a 3/4 ton crew cab available...

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Hiluxxulih

When did gm start working on the 1988 redesign ? It had to have been 84 or 85 I would think

1984 would be a bit late.

My first day in Engineering was the day the truck organization split into carryover product (me) and the new truck (GMT400). That was March 18, 1986, but I'm sure much work had already been started.

I saw one of the body engineers here already this morning. He said Product Planning started in 1982; Engineering was engaged in early 1983 and he joined the group in March of 1984.

Originally Posted by Hiluixxulih

, I wonder how many square body trucks were riding around on the new chassis for testing .

None. The integration builds were done from the ground up.

Although.....the introduction of TBI in the 1987 model year was done as "practice" for the '88 GMT400 models (so that we could get a year of production/warranty behind us before the entirely new truck came out).

K

[Just call me Sean]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

No sense revising the squarebody product when the release of the GMT400 models was imminent. The front end refresh in '81 was a stopgap measure.

K

Oh come on now. That front end went for seven years. Without doing any research I know I've seen Dodge extended cabs as early as '77 and Fords in '78. That gave GM at least ten years to design an extended cab for the square. Even if it took them five that's five more years to sell square extended cabs. I can't see it taking more than three.

[K5owner]

Originally Posted by Hiluxxulih

I just don't care for extra cabs , I don't care for short beds eighter so its 50/50 for me with the half tons pretty good odds for me any idea why gm never made an extra cab square body ford and dodge did .

I have to say for me I prefer a short bed over a long one and I prefer a 4wd over a 2wd. It is variety that is the spice of life.

[gmachinz]

I bet GM's sales figures compared to Ford and Dodge during the late 70's were vast enough they didn't see the point of it but kept it in mind for the new body style. Wasn't the 1985? offered with an extended cab on a limited production run?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by gmachinz

Wasn't the 1985? offered with an extended cab on a limited production run?

No.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

Oh come on now. That front end went for seven years. Without doing any research I know I've seen Dodge extended cabs as early as '77 and Fords in '78. That gave GM at least ten years to design an extended cab for the square. Even if it took them five that's five more years to sell square extended cabs. I can't see it taking more than three.

You are correct that it would probably take about 3 years to pull it off.

I can't comment on when Ford and Dodge came out with extended cabs (and am not curious enough to verify).

But I can say when you are making money hand over fist there's not a lot of motivation to disrupt the flow and deflect a billion dollars of development and investment into a product that is going away.

I don't think anybody ever intended for the square body style to last as long as it did.

You didn't factor in the 5 years of senior management vacillating on whether to do it or not.

K

[gmachinz]

Yep, found some info. Okay, so technically GM didn't offer it but Custom Coach offered extended cab 1985 models with most being half ton, a handful of 3/4 tons and at least 1 1-ton made. So not factory but still relative rare. Do a search for 1985 extended cab Chevy and view for yourself.

[Jonboy]

I know the 3/4 ton crew cab was available in '74. A 1/2 ton short bed variant would have been handy, but I took care of that myself.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by gmachinz

Yep, found some info. Okay, so technically GM didn't offer it but Custom Coach offered extended cab 1985 models with most being half ton, a handful of 3/4 tons and at least 1 1-ton made. So not factory but still relative rare. Do a search for 1985 extended cab Chevy and view for yourself.

"Technically correct" is the best kind of correct.



Custom Coach and Starcraft and their ilk are viewed as "upfitters", not factory.

K

[gmachinz]

Ok....much like cars n concepts did the GM t-tops and power sunroof Gbodies back then. Not done on the GM line per se.....but still something you could order through GM then? As in RPO? Interesting nonetheless!

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by gmachinz

Not done on the GM line per se.....but still something you could order through GM then? As in RPO? Interesting nonetheless!

No. No RPO or ability to order through GM.

It's something the upfitter would do after buying the product, with no GM involvement.

In later years we would begin providing "upfitter prep packages", like blunt cut wiring that terminated in locations that were convenient for them, or leaving pieces of interior trim off that were just going to get thrown away, but we didn't do that back in the squarebody era.

K

[Just call me Sean]

Much like my conversion vans. They are GM vans but the only thing factory about the interior are the dashboard and front seat belts. Can't get the roof from the dealer either, and conversion parts were warrantied by the conversion company.

[Just call me Sean]

And out of curiosity, I looked it up. Dodge made extended cabs starting in '72, Ford in '74. Seems like ball dropping to me.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Just call me Sean

And out of curiosity, I looked it up. Dodge made extended cabs starting in '72, Ford in '74. Seems like ball dropping to me.

If that's the case then I would agree.

I certainly don't remember any back in that time frame but in all fairness it wasn't on my radar.

K

[pontiac6269]

I wish my 81 C20 was a extended cab long box.