The man Driving the Chevy in the towing commercials name is Floyd Veech. He drove a logging truck in Montana and was in the Guinness world book of records in the 70s. He carried this load with a Mack Diesel both up and down the mountain logging trail. You could Circle the front of the rig and touch the bumper of the last set of logs. On the first attempt they ripped the back axel out of the Chevy so they added the overload kit. So Chevy made a deal and put him in the commercial. I still have original 8 by 10 photos. I'm his nephew. He's dead and I'm old now but he was a good man. Glad you like the commercial. I still get a kick out of it.
The fact it explicitly says level road and reccomends you don’t abuse the truck like they do makes this commercial a million times better than today’s in my opinion
@@juansaladzarSounds like a good story... Until you read the tale from the nephew of the guy actually driving the truck in this commercial above. Then we know you're lying.
A company actually sells new body style trucks with the two tone paint and some body changes to really resemble these year trucks. Of course I think it takes 200 grand to buy one but at least a few of us remember back when times were a little better in my book anyway.
That 350 was such a great motor I have a cousin that has a 91 Silverado with over 300,000 miles on the original motor and transmission and it uses the 350 v8 and it still runs
I was a snow plow driver for a season that mainly cleared parking lots, I drove a K1500 with the 350. It had a rust hole through the floor right under the drivers heel so all the slush would get up in your boots. Even though the body was shit the engine was still a work horse and never let me down. It was pretty fun rippin it in the snow in the middle of the night as well
My sister has a 2005 Silverado with about 350K miles on it. IDK what the engine is but it has a four speed automatic. That truck has seen some hard use with firewood and towing heavy loads (although nowhere near 187 tons).
Why can't today's commercials just be straight up like this one. He explained everything that was going on and mods they had to do. But just promoting that this vehicle COULD do this but probably shouldn't; it speaks volumes.
There was one just a couple years ago where they pulled a freight train, I think it was ford. Neither are that impressive, you're only fighting rolling resistance it's not like they towed it up an incline or drag raced it A semi pulled over 100 loaded trailers coming in well over 1000 tons, the weak link is always traction not the hardware of the truck
Back when American companies could make a truck that could work hard and look good doing it. Not to mention any old mechanic could fix the vast majority of problems in their driveway
And they didn't cost 70k! I wish they made a pickup without power windows and seats, just give me the engine and drive train I want and not all the luxury crap I don't need and don't want to pay for. I want 4 wheel drive, V8, manual transmission, limited slip, towing package and nothing else.
Man, whatever happened to GM marketing these days? Commercials used to be good, like this one. Now they're dumping bricks into a brand new $50k truck without a bed liner.... wow
To be fair, this was a brand new truck at the time they shot this and they more than likely destroyed the frame on it. So if your problem with the modern commercials is them scratching the bed, they're doing a lot worse in this commercial.
This is amazing. I own a 1990 Cheyenne long bed 5 Spd 1/2 ton 4.3 L.V6. Assembled in Ontario, Canada. Had 144k miles and I paid $2,500 cash for it. Three years later and it's still a solid, reliable truck. I've only had to replace the fuel pump and the hydraulic line to the clutch. I plan on restoring it and passing it on to my future children. Chevy truck division, brother!
Commercials like this don't exist anymore because people who buy trucks nowadays use them as their commuter cars. Or they put 12" lift with 40" tires and crawl the mall all day.
rubberhamburger not to mention the liability issues. You just know some idiot would try that with a Silverado because "he seen it on tv"...thend the (presumably dead) idiots family would sue for millions and likely win.
rubberhamburger And how 'bout the one's with the exhaust comin up thru the bed and it looks like they robbed the local woodburner store of their 12 inch black pipe😅
My father's film production co shot this commercial in Big Timber MT in late spring early summer of 1973. He did a slew of Chevy commercials through Campbell-Ewald. .
I believe it was actually filmed on the Thompson River road just east of Thompson Falls, MT. A classmate's father, a professional log truck driver, drove the truck.
Modern day GM: These people who are totally not paid actors are really liking the features of this new fully loaded Silverado 3500, even if they won't really use it to its full potential. Old School GM: Hold my beer.
Used to have a Chevy Cheyenne with the side step and wood bed. Beyond rare, and I'll never have another one again in my lifetime. We never would've gotten rid of it if the circumstances we were under put us without a house.
The 350 is a great engine, but I didn't think it was capable of this. Also, love how the frame was bent, but they didn't give a fuck! They still showed it, just to demonstrate what it _can_ do, then they openly say you still shouldn't do it! What happened too the '70's?..
IrishThunder2020 so true. They're adding more and more bells and whistles to truck and jacking the prices. I remember when tilt steering and cruise control were big features. And electric windows.
I remember this commercial. There was also one where it was pulling a 747. Today the commercial would tell you about its wifi, it's I pod/pad docking capabilities, it's road side satellite tracking of your every location, it's surround sound speaker system , video entertainment for passengers and kids, extra cup holder and lap top recharging, climate control and data management system which makes one wonder if there talking about a truck or server closet for a corporate day care center. If you want to know about fuel range and handling capability under maximum load on a dirt fire road during a cloudburst forget it. Yet these are the real world conditions encountered once beyond soccer mom suburban limits. They use to boast of massive girder beam front suspension. What does it have today? A arm? Torsion bar? Can you get it with rugged stamped steel wheels or those idiotic gangsta aluminum rims with racing tires that buckle under the first pothole. The commercials today only reflect our obsession with all things fluffy and insubstantial.
+Dragon Butt (ThatsNoMoon) really??? 3 times more capable?? my ass... you can get a really nice early 2000s 3/4 ton Ford or Chevy for about $4,500 cash.. or blow $45,000 plus interest plus all the little fees they add on, and end up paying $65,000 in total truck payments for a truck that is nicer and maby a little more capable.....for wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more!!!
kevin voss What does price have to do with capability? Modern trucks are: Safer Faster Stronger framed Have better weather proofing Have electronics that help you More economical More comfortable Are rated to tow or carry more Dont leak like every pickup from the mid nineties and earlier. Oh, and modern trucks are more powerful as standard now too. There are even some smaller trucks that kick dirt all over older trucks in every aspect. So yes. Modern trucks ARE three times more capable. Price is another matter entirely.
Ha! And even then there was probably a lawyer at the office going "guys.. Is that disclaimer really necessary? No one is dumb enough to try that, and if they are it's not going to come back on us"
Most “truck guys” now a days drive their luxury 2020 Silverado high country to their desk job and back into their garage. No need to worry about pulling anything with modern day trucks
You are correct. But my dad has a 2020 Silverado 2500hd and he mostly uses it for hauling his race car. Even then my dad says when it hauls the car it drives like it is not there.
did you really feel the need to include the units? It's quite obvious that when referring to engine sizes, liters, cc's, and ci's are the most common measurements. My gut tells me that you just wanted to feel like a smarty-pants.
ChaotiX - I am sorry you did not find the "Humor" in my comment. It was simply a poke at 18 year old kids these days that drive around in their new trucks blowing black smoke from their Duramax Diesel engine, and think that they have the most powerful truck in the world... and not having to state the obvious that this oldskool chevy truck with a small block or also Commonly known as a "350" can do a lot of work. So yeah I did intend to leave the comment just as i typed it out.
Yeah I actually kind of gathered that you were addressing him after I left the comment. But to his defense, I actually mistyped 305 instead of 350, and he was correcting me.
It's amazing to look back and see trucks pulling huge loads with engines that made as much power as Honda civics make today.. Obviously it was possible because of the gearing but it is still interesting to see
The square body style trucks are considered to be the most durable pickups GM ever made. Back then a lot of farmers used a 1/2 ton truck for their work. Now they use 3/4 tons. These new ones just won't hold up like those old ones.
Car commercials back then: this car is good because... Car commercials now:this car has 6 cup holders which is more than the competitor which has 5 and of course the "real" people
Wish they would make similar trucks again. No thrills,manual trans ,floor shift transfer case,rubber floors, two tone paint!!!! Gun rack ...I'm in heaven
It wasn't nearly the load in the ad, but I used my 75 K20 with the 350 & granny 4spd to clear an intersection of a C65 flatbed, loaded with sand and cement in bags, pulling a trailer carrying a tractor with a scoop in front and a backhoe. No telling how heavy it all was, but it wasn't light. When I hooked up and started to pull, the pickup started bouncing. The cop figured it wouldn't work, but I popped the transfer case into low range and put the transmission in granny low and away we went. I pulled the kit and kaboodle through a big intersection and into the parking lot of the bank on the corner. That pickup was the best truck I've ever had, bar none. After I wore out the engine, I rebuilt it and turned it into a working hot rod. Sure wish I still had it. BTW, the truck in the ad is either a 73 or 74. Automatic with the abominable full time 4WD. It appears that the driver pulled the shifter to low and likely the transfer case would be in low lock position.
What is really sad here is the fact that they no longer build such tough, top quality trucks anymore. Those who own one made by Chevy from the last 10 years or so know exactly what I mean by that. Models 2010 and newer would fall apart on site if the same feat were attempted again.
The "train" was actually pushed from behind to give the whole thing momentum. Once you get going you can do this with any engine/car above a certain capacity. Oldest trick in the book.
The Prepper I remember my dad buying a c30 every time he got a chance then new trucks started to come out and he bought a ford and everything went shyt
NFS4LFE my dads 2000 k2500 has a 6.0 liter vortec with a 4l80e trans and it pulled a mini excavator on a 20 foot dump trailer which together weighed about 10-15 tons over multiple dirt roads in 4 low in northern Pennsylvania. The only thing it had done to it was timbrin blocks and a cherry bomb. The transmission got a little hot but did not really come close to overheating. But I agree that truck would be in such sad snape after that.
Nobody is willing to work their trucks because they cost a small fortune, they're more tall luxury sedans than trucks anymore with the short bed/extended cab anyways
The weight of the first trailer alone would make the truck bottom out! The leaf springs and shocks would break instantly, and the bed of the truck would be on the ground
i have a 1973 chevy cheyenne and i through a 20 pound tool box in the back and guess what this amazing thing happened no dent. who would've thoght that making a truck bed out of old mtn dew cans wouldve put a hole the size of texas in the back
Chevrolet quality at its finest. GM really cut down on the Flint, Michigan assembly plant where this work of art was produced. Most new Chevy full sized trucks come from Silao, Guanajuato Mexico. THAT PISSES ME OFF. Build em here or don't build em at all!
Dang, I wish I could go back and buy a couple of these. I bought a 79 Square body back in 89. I think one of the best trucks I had. Since then, I had a 90, 04, and now my 19. Nothing compared.
This looks like something my daddy and brother would have tried we've always been a Chevrolet family Chevrolet is without a doubt the only model that would be able to pull that load
Man, that’s a beauty right there; they don’t make trucks like they used to. I see plenty of those vintage trucks in my town, and they’re so cool to look at, and they’ve all got some character to them.
My dad picked up a new 3/4 TON gmc 4x4 1975 I put 3.4 tons of asphalt debris. And turned it into a dumper as well . And pushed snow .it lasted 18 years . Thank you Lord
My dad had one of these trucks and we pulled a huge trailer with the complete track assembly off a d9 g cat dozer from Staunton ill to Springfield to get them replaced. Was a ride.
Grandma has a 1990 ford with the 5.7 and it’s got almost 300,000 miles and motor still runs like a dream only think barely starting to go out is 3rd gear 🥲
When trucks were actually good and there was a thing called skill where you don't need all these things on your truck to drive without crashing a 30k-40k truck at the CHEAPEST... but the older vehicles weren't very fuel efficient unfortunately. :< but that's because they were built like tanks and to last :D
I wish you could actually buy a truck like that today. Just a purpose built, simple pick up. I don’t want a truck that is a computer. I would spec out a truck like this with a/c, and a tilt wheel and I’d be happy 😄
Still have my tatas 73 cheyenee with a 454 and 90k. Origional! Love that truck and am going to give it to my nephew when he is old enough to drive. Runs like a beast and i love her
or pulling nothing at all ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qI0vWhBvuR0.html the viral gladiator and zr2 bent frame videos leave out the part where owners jumped the trucks with trailers attached
I'm a chevy guy but your right they rusted bad my dad had a 1977 blazer it rotted pretty bad I remember the door latch we tied with rope till he got it welded back this was in West Virginia 1973 though 1980 was really bad I hate to say it we had 1973 ford f100 it didn't rust like the blazer 1981 though 1987 didn't rust as bad in WV