Just when did the 1st crew cabs come out ?

Me Again wrote:
We had a USCG International Harvester crew cab pickup in 1966 in Thailand with right hand drive. Also a right hand drive International Travelall and a right hand drive International Harvester 2.5T truck. I was really skinny back then. Our 1.5T Dodge with left hand drive. I was part of the SE Asia electronic war. Chris



Crew cab pickup looked like this travelall from the front.





I took this picture from the top of the 625' Loran C tower during construction summer of 1966.

Man, love the old Loran pics! I'm currently active in the CG, and used to support the LORSTA's around the west coast before they were decommed...very unique community!

My first car was a 1973 IH pickup with the 392cu engine...that thing had entirely too much power for a 16 year old, but what a truck!

The Mad Norsky wrote:
Boy have you guys jogged the old memory cells this morning.

I had forgotten all about the old USAF vehicles I used to see around North Dakota growing up. Indeed, the first crew cab pickups I've ever seen, and then I went and forgot about them even existing until this thread.

I do recall now how ugly and unusual looking they were for pickups, at that time of course. And, as others have said, seeing a regular cab pickup now is the strange thing.

Good thread.

That is where I seen the crew cab for the first time USAF truck painted dark blue. I guess you had plenty of Nuclear silos as well.

In fact isn't there a silo you can tour in South Dakota?

45Ricochet wrote:
Not sure if anybody is reading the link, but this is the truck with a 2500 Ram power train.... plus the super charger.

I need to get serious about playing the lottery and get one of these as a daily driver.

Me Again wrote:
I was part of the SE Asia electronic war.

What was this? Cool pictures though!

I bought a 1976 GMC 3x3. Boy was that a rough riding truck. The back seat was almost impossible on a rough road. And it had the turning radius of a freight train. I have no idea how many times I would open the door and get in the back seat before I realized, oops, wrong door. It was a 2 wheel drive and had an 8 foot box as well. A long beast that was useless in the winter unless you had 1,000 lbs in the box.

I had a 1975 F-350 supercab! It was one of the 'early' supercab models. Also featured in Trailer Life Magazine in 75.

Mine had a 460" engine, the first of that displacement in the trucks. 74 and earlier was popular to have the 390" V8 or smaller, such as the 352, 302, or inline 6 300". The weight certificate for camper loading showed that you could have bought it with the inline 6, 302, 352, 390 or 460" engines, auto or manual transmissions.

The in the cab fuel tank was dropped in 1974 because of government regulations. Mine had dual tanks, 20 rear and 16 front. Front one was between frame rail and driveshaft.

GM trucks in the 70's had a fuel tank between the sidewall and frame rail, and that was subject to leaking in a t-bone crash into the sidewall of the pickup body. GM had a recall many years ago, but it was in the late 80's and not much was really done about the then 10 year old trucks, as GM stated most where off the road now anyway, and retired.

You can tell the 1978 trucks by the over the shoulder seat belts. My 75 still had lap belts only. Pre- 1970 they did not require lap belts. They where optional on my dad's 65 Mercury wagon. Ours had the $25 optional seatbelts.

I think that back in 1960 they had signal cylinder reservoirs for the brakes. Then dual reservoirs with 2 circuits where required, so that you would not lose all brakes at once - should one brake line start leaking. . .

I think that by 1970 front disk brakes where required on most heavy trucks. That was another great safety feature, that helps a lot!

Thanks for the memories!

Fred.

Boy have you guys jogged the old memory cells this morning.

I had forgotten all about the old USAF vehicles I used to see around North Dakota growing up. Indeed, the first crew cab pickups I've ever seen, and then I went and forgot about them even existing until this thread.

I do recall now how ugly and unusual looking they were for pickups, at that time of course. And, as others have said, seeing a regular cab pickup now is the strange thing.

Good thread.

Me Again wrote:
3 in front seat and 3 in back seat. We had a friend with one. It was easier to drive around the block than turn it around. Chris

:B dat true. So most all of us have 3+3 now days? Unless you have buckets then what? 3+2 or 2+3 :W
I had a cap on and would haul another 3 kid hockey players in the back with equipment bags! So is that a 3+3+3 :B
Enjoyed the photos

DaveF-250SD wrote:
Would like to see a photo of a '65-'66 Ford crew cab.

Here you go...1965

3 in front seat and 3 in back seat. We had a friend with one. It was easier to drive around the block than turn it around. Chris