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Has anyone ever seen this factory option?

AbramJ

AbramJ

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So I've been collecting brochures and I've noticed that from 1973-1975 one of the factory options includes a lockable tool/storage box on the drivers side of the long bed fleetside pickup trucks. I've never seen a truck equipped with this option, has anyone here seen it? (you can see it in the brochure page below from the 1975 Pickup Brochure [taken from http://brochures.slosh.com/ ])

pickups12.jpg
 
I think they were a fiberglass inside. Used to see them in yards back in the 80's. Here are a few pictures if that helps you.
 
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Yep, "reinforced plastic" is "fiber reinforced plastic", aka FRP, aka fiberglass.

I don't recall ever actually seeing one, though I've seen a few 70's Ferds with 'em.

(Oh, and thanks for using the Brochures site :haha: )

-- A
 
I've seen a few on '70-72 "Longhorn" pickups before,but none in person on a '73 up truck...but the brochure says GM offered them,so they must exist..
 
I remember a friends dad had one. His beer was stored in it. He drank it warm. Even when I was a kid, I thought that was wierd. Thats why I remember the box.
 
I've seen many of them on 67-72 trucks and a few on 73-later trucks.
 
I've never seen a 73 or newer truck with that. I'm guessing they very rapidly turned to dust around here.
 
I saw one several years back, in a junkyard. The door was rusted badly. It seemed to be more popular of an option on the Furds, because I remember seeing several of those when 70's trucks were still a common sight on the roads.

And I have referenced the brochures site quite a bit over the years :waytogo: I'm very thankful it is there.
 
I have a 74 with the box. it was way rusted out though.
I pulled it all out and had a panel made to cover the hole.
 
Not that rare our 77 caddy had one (ordered it) also I have seen several in cars and trucks. They would cut the music when some one talked. I had thought about putting one in the Suburban.
$_12.JPG

This is like the one the caddy had.

Here is one on evil bay new old stock it was a dealer add on. This is what I would go with.
$T2eC16FHJF0E9nmFQUsDBQm0mSvddw~~60_12.JPG


Here is auction
 
Metrodps said:
Not that rare our 77 caddy had one (ordered it) also I have seen several in cars and trucks. They would cut the music when some one talked. I had thought about putting one in the Suburban.
$_12.JPG

This is like the one the caddy had.

Here is one on evil bay new old stock it was a dealer add on. This is what I would go with.
$T2eC16FHJF0E9nmFQUsDBQm0mSvddw%7E%7E60_12.JPG


Here is auction
Click to expand...


That's really neat! I had no idea that such radios were offered (straight from the factory, right?)

Also, the pictures above seem to be on the passenger side, vs. the driver-side box offered in the ad. Were the boxes offered on both sides? It seems like they would be quite useful if the doors didn't rust out, but isn't that spot where the fuel tank(s) are located on the 73-87 trucks? So the box and the second tank are mutually exclusive? I don't see the typical driver-side fuel filler in the advertisement.

I've considered adding a similar box under the front seat of my Suburban (where they borrow the fuel-tank hump from the pickup cab). Not as accessible, though.
 
Old cars sure had some offbeat options. And to thinked everyone pissed themselves with excitement when Dodge came out with the Rambox like it was something new...
 
the only couple of the lower storage boxes I've ever seen in MI the door was rusted off and just a hole in the box was left....I hate salt!
 
campfire said:
Also, the pictures above seem to be on the passenger side, vs. the driver-side box offered in the ad. Were the boxes offered on both sides? It seems like they would be quite useful if the doors didn't rust out, but isn't that spot where the fuel tank(s) are located on the 73-87 trucks? So the box and the second tank are mutually exclusive? I don't see the typical driver-side fuel filler in the advertisement.
Click to expand...

The typical driver side filler was in the 80's. 70's trucks with a single tank had a filler on the passenger side, like Burbs and K5's. And correct, the toolbox was not available with dual tanks since they occupied the same space.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys and the pics from the late 60s and early 70s trucks. Anyone have pics of an actual 73-75 with the compartment?
 
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I have one of those radios,and it even works--but not in stereo any more,one side doesn't have any audio output...but it does work on AM,FM,and CB...probably needs one output transistor,I hear its not a real difficult thing to fix..

This one is all self contained,I had another one from a'77 Caddy that looked exactly the same,but used a separate "box" under the dash for the CB part of it..

I have no idea what they are worth now,but when I took both to a swap meet a few times,only one person wanted the CB "box" only--I was reluctant to sell it separate,but he didn't want it--so I got the 15 bucks I was asking for it all,and I left the radio part in the free pile,seeing it was of no use without the CB "box"..

I kept the other one in case I decided to use it in my van or some other GM truck,but its still in storage...
 
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