olde timers help me out !

[wanderingbob]

My grandson is putting a $1700 front bumper on his truck ! I giggled and said that my first new truck was a 1960 GMC that cost $1,600 , he said ' no way '. New trucks came with no spare and no back bumper . For sixty bucks more they had this new thang called a ' step bumper '. We bolted a trailer ball on there and hitched to a 24 foot cargo trailer and hauled Florida produce to Philia and furniture back . Ever week for years and years . Gas was 19 cents in Waycross and I had two tanks . Any yose guys member those days ?

[Hammerhead]

I'm not an old-timer yet, but my first car was a 1975 AMC Hornet purchased in 1984 for around $800. How did I survive without cup holders, power windows, power locks, air conditioning, and just an AM radio to keep me company when I was driving solo?

[DaveF-250SD]

Most trucks were very spartan before the '70's. Used for work most of them were, not comfort. There were options, though not many folks ordered them loaded. A friend of mine recently bought a '66 Chevrolet 3/4 ton (C-20) pickup. Came from the factory with a 327, Three speed automatic transmission (not power glide), power steering, power brakes, and factory A/C. In dash, no less. First factory air I have seen on a pre-'67 Chevrolet truck.

[Lessmore]

stickdog wrote:

Lessmore wrote:

Hank85713 wrote:
bought an 89, Ford F250 in 89, came WITHOUT a spare, got one from a junk yard for $25. Had the chrome package so had bumpers front and rear. and yes I do remember the old days, but pick ups were then work trucks not cars. Folks towed an old masonite trailer from fla to az with a 47 caddie forget how long it took, but mom and dad took turns driving, stopped at roadside rest to sleep/cook whatever, very few if any 'facilities' like now a days. didn't pull a trailer but my dad rigged a motorcycle axle to a hitch and would pull front wheel off his m/c and lift it up onto the axle mount. 52 nash rambler wagon, went everywhere in that ugly ol thing, really moved up in world in 59 when they gt a 55 pontiac chieftan. that car took us around the world just about. yes 19cent gas, (put gulftain in the pontiac and it would barely run!) 2bbl, v8 about 170 hp, bigger than the ol chebby 283 with a couple more hp.

You're right, think the Pontiac V8 in '55 was 287 cubes...vs the Chevy 283 cubes (283 came out in '57).

The Chevy V8 in 55 was 265 cu in was either 165hp or 180hp.

That's right and why I said the 283 came out in 1957.

[RWDIII]

Went all over in 1962 with Grandpa in his Jeep pickup
Anza Borrego,Death Valley,Ballaret ghost town and Monache meadows near Troy meadows in Sequoia nat forest.

[stickdog]

Lessmore wrote:

Hank85713 wrote:
bought an 89, Ford F250 in 89, came WITHOUT a spare, got one from a junk yard for $25. Had the chrome package so had bumpers front and rear. and yes I do remember the old days, but pick ups were then work trucks not cars. Folks towed an old masonite trailer from fla to az with a 47 caddie forget how long it took, but mom and dad took turns driving, stopped at roadside rest to sleep/cook whatever, very few if any 'facilities' like now a days. didn't pull a trailer but my dad rigged a motorcycle axle to a hitch and would pull front wheel off his m/c and lift it up onto the axle mount. 52 nash rambler wagon, went everywhere in that ugly ol thing, really moved up in world in 59 when they gt a 55 pontiac chieftan. that car took us around the world just about. yes 19cent gas, (put gulftain in the pontiac and it would barely run!) 2bbl, v8 about 170 hp, bigger than the ol chebby 283 with a couple more hp.

You're right, think the Pontiac V8 in '55 was 287 cubes...vs the Chevy 283 cubes (283 came out in '57).

The Chevy V8 in 55 was 265 cu in was either 165hp or 180hp.

[Lessmore]

Hank85713 wrote:
bought an 89, Ford F250 in 89, came WITHOUT a spare, got one from a junk yard for $25. Had the chrome package so had bumpers front and rear. and yes I do remember the old days, but pick ups were then work trucks not cars. Folks towed an old masonite trailer from fla to az with a 47 caddie forget how long it took, but mom and dad took turns driving, stopped at roadside rest to sleep/cook whatever, very few if any 'facilities' like now a days. didn't pull a trailer but my dad rigged a motorcycle axle to a hitch and would pull front wheel off his m/c and lift it up onto the axle mount. 52 nash rambler wagon, went everywhere in that ugly ol thing, really moved up in world in 59 when they gt a 55 pontiac chieftan. that car took us around the world just about. yes 19cent gas, (put gulftain in the pontiac and it would barely run!) 2bbl, v8 about 170 hp, bigger than the ol chebby 283 with a couple more hp.

You're right, think the Pontiac V8 in '55 was 287 cubes...vs the Chevy 283 cubes (283 came out in '57).

[Lessmore]

In 1969 I bought a new VW Beetle ...Deluxe...yes Deluxe. I looked at the new Ford Mavericks and they were going for $ 1969 CAD. I remember clearly as their price was the same as the year. These stripper Fords had a 3 on the tree and an inline six.

I recall going down to Grand Forkd, North Dakota in my 4 speed, '67 Camaro in '69. Gas was 26 cents (American :B ) per U.S. Gallon for regular. That was pretty good, given my Camaro's mileage was pretty poor, mostly because I drove it very hard, being around 19 years old at the time.

[Hank85713]

bought an 89, Ford F250 in 89, came WITHOUT a spare, got one from a junk yard for $25. Had the chrome package so had bumpers front and rear. and yes I do remember the old days, but pick ups were then work trucks not cars. Folks towed an old masonite trailer from fla to az with a 47 caddie forget how long it took, but mom and dad took turns driving, stopped at roadside rest to sleep/cook whatever, very few if any 'facilities' like now a days. didn't pull a trailer but my dad rigged a motorcycle axle to a hitch and would pull front wheel off his m/c and lift it up onto the axle mount. 52 nash rambler wagon, went everywhere in that ugly ol thing, really moved up in world in 59 when they gt a 55 pontiac chieftan. that car took us around the world just about. yes 19cent gas, (put gulftain in the pontiac and it would barely run!) 2bbl, v8 about 170 hp, bigger than the ol chebby 283 with a couple more hp.

[Lessmore]

Our first tow vehicle was a new 1959 Chevy Parkwood (Bel Air) station wagon, with a Turbo Thrift inline 6 cylinder...and a Powerglide 2 speed transmission. We pulled a heavy 15 foot travel trailer through 4 states, 4 provinces and across the Rockies. Five in the family,a beagle and luggage.

No problems, it seemed to work ok.

[rockhillmanor]

Paid just over $5,000 for a special order 1973 Grand Am with a 455 HO.
My Father just about had a stroke when I bought it because it cost SO much money he almost disowned me!

Fast forward to a couple of years ago when I was going to buy a new truck and a 5th wheel to go full time.......

"I" almost had a stroke when I looked at the sticker price of $60,000 for the truck!!!:B

[GeoBoy]

I had a brand new 1972 GMC 1/2 ton, 250 cu. in., 3 speed, 8' box with optional full foam seat and gauge package for $2,500.00. Your right I put a painted grey step bumper on it because it came with no rear bumper.

[Dave_H_M]

Well Bob, surely the grand parents are not paying for that bumper. :W

[JIMNLIN]

I graduated from HS in '60 and bought a long narrow bed '58 3/4 ton jimmy (GMC) with a 258ci 6 cylinder/granny 4 speed tranny for 600 bucks.
I made a weekly run from Newton KS to Tulsa OK delivering doors and windows with a home made 22' tandem axle trailer.

[wanderingbob]

My first truck was a 50 Ford flathead that I bought in 58 for three hundred bucks . I was at the time making 85 cents an hour walking behind a dozer picking up the branches the rake missed . Ever Friday after work we stopped and bought a pizza , large , $2.40 .