My Dad took me to local car dealership to see Mr. Blocker who was there to sign autographs. He picked me up ( I was about 3 ) and I asked him where his guns were...He said, they’re back at the Ranch. Great memory, priceless.
Michael Landon told the funniest story about Dan; he fell off a horse and broke his collarbone, the bone was literally sticking out of his shoulder, Dan told a stuntman to just push it back in. He did and Dan said “Damn! Feels better than before I broke it!”
Me too, and I’m from England. Is it too late to vote for Hoss in your elections? He would be upright and for the true American way. Or maybe Jimmy Stewart?
@Gus VanHorn Yeah, the Vietnam draft almost got me. Such a wasted war & all the lives lost (for what)! Some things never change - wasted wars & corrupt politicians!!!!
Sticking to the subject matter of the video, 1964 was an *excellent* year for the U.S. motor vehicle industry, which had many, many American breadwinners working on their assembly lines.
I like how Dan Blocker is dressed in 1880s style clothes, talking about a 1964 line of trucks, and I’m watching him in 2020. And you’re reading this comment in...
Don't know what year it was , I was around 64 or so , I lived in Richmond Virginia, there was a new Chevy dealership opening , for the grand opening Dan Blocker was there , my dad took me to see "hoss" . He shook my hand and talked to me for a long time , my hand disappeared in his as we shook hands , to me as a little kid , he looked like a giant. He talked to Dad for a long time too . Answered every question we asked and I think he really enjoyed it. I'm hitting 70 now but I will always remember "Hoss" .
@@barryminor6245 Most likely both . He was "riding the payrool", but most likely strongly Believed in the Products also....made me a believer / have been using Chevrolet products ( 98% of the time) for the last 42 years.
breakawaymotorsports, I agree. I love these old trucks for the same reason. Too bad they now make ugly, aggressive-looking trucks for impatient, power-hungry people with huge egos who like to bully and tail-gate.
@@scootergreen3 adding to your right on comment, 4dr pickups with only one person in the cab and not hauling in the bed with a payment as large as a mortgage
@@vichy7661 Yes, vichy76, You are So right. I also see 20 year old girls dragging main in these things and people in general who use their big pickups as cars going everywhere in them and driving up the cost of gas prices. They are not using them for what the purpose of a truck is Thanks!
I gotta admit, Hoss Cartwright did a great job in this commercial. While the advertising agency wrote the script on what Dan Blocker said, Dan came across in a believable and honest way. Gosh... it makes me wish it was 1964 again so I could buy one of those trucks when they were new, and Dan Blocker could sell one to me.
@@dhart8451 depends what you value in a truck. I'd rather have something simple that looks good and is easy/cheap to repair than a truck so expensive I'm afraid to scratch the bed and needs to be dealer serviced.
Yep, those were the good old days. Had to rebuild the engine after 70,000 miles and got 6 mpg. No safety features and rust is guaranteed. Todays trucks are mych safer, more powerful, more comfortable and reliable, not to mention capable. The one area the 60s had the current generation beat is styling. Man, that corvair pickup was sweet! Actually, all the trucks looked better then.
Still have a 65 K10 short step side. Pretty much retired to a sunny weekend driver now. The old 292 with a 3 on the column still hauls a few 2 x 4s and a few bags of feed once in a while.
Back when the only people who bought trucks had a reason to. Contractors, farmers, etc. There was no such thing as a luxury truck. Now everyone drives a luxury truck and never uses it to haul anything.
I know right everyone of my neighbors own a truck and the never use it as a truck the most they do is let them sit and collect dust while here I am driving a 2005 dodge ram 1500 single cab 8 ft bed manual windows no power windows, mirror's, door locks and I'm just like it must be nice to spend 50,000 on a truck and never use it as one
@@dalehummel4225 oh ya my mom is like that be ashamed to get a scratch on it, I take my truck or when I use to have a car everywhere even off roading, nothing crazy but other people are afraid to use the full capabilities of there vehicles
It's a multi-ethnic banana republic economic zone. Only exists for the rest of the world and Israel to take advantage of now. Our election fraud has proven that for anyone still doubting.
Back when Merica was based on trucks, cars, testosterone, red blooded American stuff right here, Hoss was the man! Damn........what happened???? How did we get here ???
How many auto commercials today actually tell you about the engine or suspension details. Most people couldn’t even tell you how many cylinders their cars have.
It is true. I am a customer service agent and I schedule high end vehicles for maintenance. People do know about the electrical gadgets in the car, but nothing about what is under the hood.
@@The_Dudester yeah it's sad when you think about it. I remember watching an episode of the Amazing Race a few years ago where one of their tasks was to take apart the bell housing of a transmission and several of the teams didn't even know what that was and some didn't even know the right tools to use
@@austinpricer8207 For me, it started with lawn mower engines, then I was taught how to rebuild carburetors. From that to axle work (bearings, brakes, etc.). Finally, to rebuilding an entire engine. With that said, don't ask me about fuel injection. Once that came into play, I knew zero, zip, nada. A mechanic told me that it is the same as an old engine, only the "overhead" is different. Scheduling high end cars, I have learned a lot about sensors. Sometimes, when I get questions about the inside panel I fake it. Scheduling those kind of cars has taught me never to own one of those kind of cars because it is actually about being part of a lifestyle (if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it). I have a dealership looking for a 71 Ford Maverick for me because that will be my next vehicle.
@@piratecat4519 both loveable characters. The set of Gun Smoke still a working movie studio called the Melody Ranch. It north of LA in the town of Santa Clarita. It is closed to the public but opens once a year for the Cowboy Poetry Festival. As you walk around it so many parts of it are familiar. The saloon, the jail, Doc’s steps still come down the side of the building. Its give you a déjà vu feeling walking around it. I remember sitting on the couch with grandma watching Gun Smoke. She was a huge fan of any western on TV. Everything stopped so she could watch her show. Fond memories of a simpler time.
Yeah... and Vietnam was about to happen, black people were still getting lynched and women couldn't get a divorce without a man's permission and the trucks last 40K miles before falling apart.
Me too! A classic. In the early 70s first learned to drive a '64 Chevy 3/4 ton with a 283 V8 and granny 4-speed. It was used on a South Texas cattle ranch and could easily haul a fully loaded gooseneck cattle trailer. Later, the rancher (my Dad's best friend) traded it in on a late 80s Chevy Silverado 3/4 ton with a 454 V-8 automatic. The rancher complained bitterly that although the newer Chevy was more comfortable and had more amenities it didn't tow nearly as well as that old barebones '64 did with that mouse motor.
As a kid, Sunday nights were a family time....Bonanza was a huge part of that! Dan Blocker was a big part of Bonanza...a different time for sure! Never much on Chev trucks, but who can afford a new one today!
Simple retro vehicles styled like this would sell like hotcakes! Everything now looks like a Tylenol capsule on wheels! Zero character. In early 60's my grandparents nicknamed me Hoss after him. Proud of it too!
I had a 65 custom . It drove like a car and hauled like a car. The rear swing frame went under the axle , great for getting hung up . Definitely a grocery hauler .
I can picture one of today's "petunia's" going up to Dan Blocker, eyeing him up and down, then asking him, "So.......... are you REALLY a 'Hoss' Big Boy???" ............. Blocker would knock his teeth out!!!
We used to love across the street from Dan. My dad said he used to see him driving a small 2 seat Mercedes Benz. I was too young but imagine Hoss stuffed into a convertible 2 seater. He probably had to have the top down to drive it
I recall seeing a photo from around this time period of Dan Blocker in full Bonanza garb riding a mini bike on the back lot of the studio. It was hilarious and I never forgot it.
Dan mentioned the trucks alternator charging at idle. I've rewired several tractors and installed GM 3 wire alternators that will charge 14 volts at idle, especially good feature since tractors have low RPM engines.
@@danmyers9372 just because they sell more doesn't mean they better than any other truck. All trucks has their major pros and problems (cons) to me and my family we have better luck with the bowties than the blue ovals in terms of engine reliably and fuel efficiency which matters to me than looks and substance.
@@danmyers9372 Did Ford trucks outsell GM in '64? Maybe, but it wasn't because Fords were substantially better. GM built a decent truck back then, and did until around the 90's. And neither should brag about outselling Dodge. They outsold IH as well, does that mean IH was crap?
My old man was a producer at Campbell Ewald the ad agency in Detroit that had the Chevy account in this era. One of my earliest childhood memories was meeting Dan Blocker in his Bonanza garb, with total astonishment that he was the same person that came in on our B&W TV...I asked him if he was gonna shoot me. He was very kind and said no, but my memory fails me from there. I was a small child.
They started building junk, long before that. Though, even the junk was better, before they started putting computers in everything. Now, instead of cars with computers, we've got wheeled computers, encased in cheap plastic. I don't think I've seen a real truck, of any size, manufactured in over 2 decades.
@The94GTC I assume that you are referring to the creation of the EPA? The EPA is part of why I like my vehicles to be post-war, pre-Nixon. I like the bold styling of the period, and the minimal government intrusion.
@@donculp9563 There are many models, made in that time frame, that I would much rather own, than anything produced afterwards. They were still making comfortable interiors, during that time. Cars had real headlights, that could be changed easily. Batteries were easily accessible. You didn't have steering wheels with 40 unneccessary buttons, and airbags weren't required. Mainly, though, most models were easily and inexpensively maintained. You didn't have to kidnap a computer hacker to keep your wheels turning. My preference is vehicles made from mid-50's to early 70's, but I can deal with 80's era vehicles.
Corvair was a poor implementation of a rear-engine car and unlike the VW it was too easy to lose traction in a turn and have the car do a spin. It deserved its fate.
