I'll probably get my ass kicked, but I have Scout blood running in my veins. Here's my old Scout II that I totally re-done. It ended up in Michigan somewhere and the guy that bought it put (gasp) fender flares on it. I still miss it from time to time. I don't miss the 8MPG! hc www.monstrosityfoto.com
Rough riding, beats you up, packs yer guts......? They were purpose built vehicles, as in purchased by people that (needed) such a machine. I doubt that there was ever a line of Napco's or Power Wagons in front of the middle school or tanning salon. Great video. Howard
I grew up in a little town on the side of Pikes Peak...at about 8000 ft. elevation. I have back packed up it three times in my teens, I`m tellin ya that is a HELL of an acomplishment for anything !! Yes that was up the back side of the hill , but damn I never knew that could be done !
So these questions remain..... Is the other truck still up there, somewhere? Is that a Mooneyes spot mirror on the door edge Why was the cop there, speeding, crossed the center line, failure to yield....
NAPCO did'nt build 4x4's for Dodge. Dodge starting building there own 4wd's before WWII, and continued into the civilian market when productin resumed in 1946. I hear a rumor that Jesse own's a late 60's diesel crewcab Power Wagon....Jesse? My 1949 Fargo(Canadian Dodge)...
Just got a complete drivetrain, I think it's a '57, frame, front/rear ends, trans.,transfer case, drive shafts...anybody interested?
I was thinking about seeing that truck at the Roundup last year. My first 4X4 ride was in a '57 Napco. Those things had 235s! My first new vehicle was a '70 Blazer. I still drive it and had to chain it up every day to get home this winter! It ain't really a daily driver till you show up at my place!
Man, I gotta tell ya, I really enjoyed watching that '57 NAPCO clip. It was interesting that both of those trucks were longbed Big-Windows with a 235-inch six instead of a 265 or 283 V8. Anyways, that my two-cents, thanks a lot for running it.
The Pike's Peak movie truck is a 261" ... it's mentioned in the narritive in the Jam Handy Chev training film I saw, anyway.
Near the end you can see a view of the bed. Looks like it is filled with either ballast or some very large gas tanks. I'm surprised the tires made it up the mountain.
Ahhh, a 261, lot's of bottom-end torque. I knew these trucks would have to have been some kind of factory specials. Back in those days the GMC's were more of a truck, I guess they used Chevys because of better brand recognition or something. There used to be a red '59 Chevy NAPCO sitting in a field on the 10 in Utah, near Price that I'd see on the way to visit Bo Huff. It's gone now, kind of wish I'd dragged it up to Bo's and let it sit next the GMC Suburban, Bo gave me... Oh well.
Awesome film! Ryan, thanks for posting it. You never cease to amaze us with what you pull out of your **s! Can't imagine one of today's auto manufacturers attemting a stunt like that. The tree huggers would have a coniption!
No shit! Top Gear (British car show) had an episode where they took a Land Rover to the top of a proclaimed "never attempted" mountain in Ireland and the environmentalists had a fit. That one seemed a little more made for TV vs. the cool video of the Chevys.
BWAH HA HA HA... show us a pic of your NAPCO Jesse. is'nt yours a 57 or something in that neighborhood. i seem to recall you mentioning it on here once before... since we are showing pics of our 4x4s here is my 82 Chevy. i blew the stock open dif rear out of it a couple weeks ago on a REALY snowy night doin donuts in the cornfields on my home from the bar. ... damn kids, i know. LOL ...luckily it did'nt actually let go until the next day driving slowly down a residencial street. made such a loud bang the guy who's house i was passing came running outside cussing and yelling up a storm cause he thought i had hit his truck that was parked on the street. i fully expected to find my trans and transfercase lying in an oily heap of gears and busted aluminum under the truck. i did'nt know what the hell had just happened.
I dig the NAPCO's... very cool rides.... What made the GMC more of a truck? My '59 GMC was the same as the Chevy down to the 235 except for the grill... Hmmm.... inquiring minds want to know...
Sorry, try again. You could get the Chevy's with a Nailhead, but nice try... GMC and Chevy's also came with Pontiac V8's before they put the SBC in them....
GMC's always had bigger 6-cylinder motors before and in in the Advance-Design series. When the Task Masters came out in mid 55 the V8 GMCs got larger displacement Pontiac V8s instead of the 265 and 283. On your '59 you will notice the dash cluster is different than a '59 Chevy with more gauges and has about as much style as an orthopedic shoe. Same for the grille, and few other things. There are also subtle drivetrain difference, but I don't remember them. When the C-10 series came out in '60 the... ah, that's enough for the leg-wetting differences, but the GMC until '67 had more meat to it. I have an '05 GMC, and I think the only difference between it an a '05 Chevy is the cloth interior is fuzzier.
Well, crap. I meant to use zman's quote, but ended up with BOHICA's. I'm not what one would consider computer savvy so I hope you guys understood the just of my reply... Maybe it would be best if I was just a lurker.
GMCs came stock with some stuff that were heavy duty upgrades on Chevys, like cooling and springs. In pick-ups before '60 there don't seem to be nearly as many short bed GMCs as Chevys. That could be the difference in who was buying them but generally GMCs are heavier dutier truckier. 216 vs 228, 235 vs 248, 261 vs 270/302 and then there's the bent motors,excuse me engines. My brad new '70 Blazer had a GMC horn button but I don't think it was louder.
There's a '62 Chevy NAPCO panel truck (closed sides, not a Suburban) on Craig's list here. The ad says it was used by the state as an ambulance during the construction of Lake Lanier and the dam. I'd love to have it--I've always liked stock '50s and '60s trucks with the narrow black wheels and skinny tires. The 4x4s just looked like a bunch on no-bullshit, get the job done trucks. You expect to see John Wayne step out of it. Hmmm...I wonder if I could get a grant from the state to pay for the restoration? -Brad
I think you need to revisit your bent 8 selection, as I said the Chevy had the 322 Nailhead before it had the 265 or 283.... So you mean the much uglier dash in the GMC was supposed to make it better? I do like the GMC grills better than the Chevy, though much harder to find...
Six Ball, thanks you did a lot better job of explaining what I meant by more truck. As far as the uglier gauges being better. No, just more function, and a lot less styled than the Chevy... real generic. Okay, I'm done with all this GMC and Chevy stuff, my brain is starting to hurt... Hey, what about those Y-Blocks?
Do you have any proof of this? Not saying you're wrong, I've just never heard anyone else say that Chevy had other engines available.
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