Anyone know the story....

[Skunksmash]

Anyone know the reason why GM made one bodystyle of truck for the short time of 67-72 (or whatever the exact years were for that bodystyle) and then right after that one was over they made one that lasted 15 years? Just something i have always wondered i guess.

[Lt.Del]

they sold and
it was cheap for them and
If Ford did basically the same thing, there was little pressure to modify and
Toyota was not in the picture then

[Blazin]

Dodge was the same way from I think 73 or 74 until the early 90s. Just changed the grill, interior, and power train options. 55 - 57 the same 58 & 59 where a two year thing, they had similarities to the  60's version. 60 - 63 was different from 64 - 66. Very similar but doors and cab glass etc. would not interchange. Then the 67 - 72's

[Lt.Del]

Being the mustang fan I am, Iaccoca simply put a new body on the carriage of a Falcon.  They were engineered and begun in record time.

Mustangs had the same body style, just different grille, side emblem in 65 and 66.  Then the same in 67 and 68, then the same in 69 and 70, then the same 71 - 73 before they became different looking Pintos in 74. 74-78 were the same.  79-87 were the same basically. 88-95 ish were the same.

So, the Chevy trucks aren't the only things that the styling engineers didn't work overtime on through the years.

[Blazin]

Have restored a few Rustangs over the years, and two Falcons. They are very similar but the floor pans frame rails etc. don't interchange. Just some useless info!!! LOL.

[Dragon]

Popularity and Sales is what caused GM to keep the same Basic Design from 73-87 for Pickups(There were/are even some Early '88 Pickups as well), '73-91 for Fullsize Blazer's/Jimmy's/& Suburban's('90 for Crew-Cabs).....  Yet oddly GM did a longer stint, when it came to the '71-Early '96 Chevy/GMC Fullsize Vans(Their Military Popularity was the main drive behind it)......   The Designs were not only Popular with the General Joe/Jill Public, but they also had some of the Bigger Portion of the Commercial Fleet/Government(City/State/Federal/Military) Markets, that all threatened to walk their business elsewheres, if GM changed the designs too much....  GM almost lost a large portion of their Public,Commercial Fleet Buyers, when they first showed the front clip changes for '81-87's models.

[Captkaos]

The Government/Military contract was also what influenced the continuation of the 88-91 series

[VileZambonie]

Biggest mistake ever. Going from this for such a short period of time...




to this....

[Prong]

What's worse than that is what they did to Chevelles in 1973 

[Captkaos]

I personallly love the 1970-1973 Camaro's, MORE than the 67-69's.

[Lt.Del]

I agree Vile, those cars are as sweet as the 69-70 mustangs.  SWEET!  But, I still like the stangs better.

[78 Chevyrado]

I agree Vile, those cars are as sweet as the 69-70 mustangs.  SWEET!  But, I still like the stangs better.

Me too.   Used to have a 69 coupe, but I always wanted a 69 fastback with the mustang front end and shelby rear (love the thunderbird sequential lights).

I love that front end better than about anything else

[fitz]

G.M. got one thing right after the 68 camaro. The 69!!!!!!!!!
Although a 79-81 Z28 is still on my list of cars to own.   

[oldwhity]

Any vehicle(with few exceptions) can be cool as long as their not wasting away in the woods, junkyard or in the crusher. There were a lot of cars that I disliked for whatever reason growing up. Now I can look at the same cars and see what they can be. It's weird but the older I get the more open I get about certain things like wagons, 4dr sedans, gassers, rat rods and what have you. I know crazy right?

[eventhorizon66]

It's weird but the older I get the more open I get about certain things like wagons, 4dr sedans, gassers, rat rods and what have you. I know crazy right?

Not crazy at all.  I've always thought an 80's Volvo 245 GL wagon with Chevy SBC or LSX engine would make an excellent sleeper.  Solid rear axle, stout chassis, not too heavy, and stone ugly...perfection.  Now who's the crazy deviant.