The iconic GMC 'Crackerbox' returns to Biglorryblog thanks to 'CrackerboxJimmie'!
How about this for a bit of classic American trucking history? Yes it's a GMC 'Crackerbox' and I am most grateful to 'Crackerbox Jimmie' who originally sent me this e-mail saying: "I drove two 'Crackerboxes' in the late 60s, a '61 and then a '64. The '61 had a V6 Detroit Diesel, rated as I remember at 218hp, pushing a single screw through a five-speed Eaton with a two-speed axle. The '64 has a 238hp Detroit, single screw with a ten-speed Fuller Roadranger. These trucks were very basic, with a narrow bunk, wider at the passenger end of the cab. Leg room was extremely limited and instumentation was mimimal. no aircon and heaters were weak. The '61 was a piece of junk, nothing but trouble with it. The '64 was a good truck for its day. The 238 was a strong engine and I hauled household goods all over the eastern US, west to Colorado and New Mexico." Well BLB naturally asked Jimmie if he had any shots of his trucks and he's come back with this absolute 'cracker!' for which I am most grateful. Now click through for more from the man himself....
Jimmie says: "This phto shows the '61, good-looking old truck, but I had a lot of trouble with it. I have a picture of the other one too. but don't know where it's at right now.. I'll send it in the future if I run across it. One peculiarity of those old two-stroke Detroit Diesels was that if you let them idle very long they would start pumping oil out through relief tubes onto the ground. So in very cold weather you had to keep a very close watch on your oil level. The name on the door is Airline Vans, Dallas Texas. Tractor was unit # 234D, Trailer was a '70 Nabors furniture van unit # 293A." Thanks CJ and as one good turn deserves another here's a repeat of a previous crackerbox story I ran in BLB a while back...
This day cab version comes from the excellent 'GM Next' history website on http://wiki.gmnext.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page I stumbled on this great shot of a 1960 GMC Model DF7000 Tractor (the image is courtesy of D.E. Meyer) AKA as the Crackerbox. And perhaps Martin Phippard would be so kind as to send me again the shot of the Canadian Crackerbox he provided a while back---sorry MP I can't find it!