Chevrolet Utility Coupe Pickup

[HarleyEarl]

The 1941 Chevrolet Utility Coupe Pickup.

Edited March 30, 2008 by HarleyEarl

[vonVeezelsnider]

Neat!

Harley, it's good to see you online again!

[Camino LS6]

Ah yes, the "proto-camino"

[XP715]

What, no love for the Hudsons and Studebakers outfitted the same way?

[ocnblu]

Harley, nice to see you around here lately again. In your sig, is that a fanciful "what could have been" '58 Apache Crew Cab, or was it actually produced? I don't remember ever seeing one of those.

[HarleyEarl]

Hey Blu, VonVeez & others, thanks for the nice welcome back...I much appreciate that.

I love these early 'Caminos'.....interesting vechicles.

And, Blu, regarding your question about the Chevy Crewcab. I believe it was offered for production and I think by a company at the time that did those big airport limos and such....looks great as a crew. I'll do a bit more research on that.

(For some reason pics I'm posting are coming out very small...sorry)

Edited March 30, 2008 by HarleyEarl

[PurdueGuy]

+1 to the welcome back.

any larger pictures of the car in the first post?

[balthazar]

No factory Crew Cab Chevy (light-duty) trucks until '73.

[ocnblu]

Yeah, I thought that, still cool to see. Also back in the day, weren't 4X4 pickup trucks actually converted by outside companies for decades before the factory started building them?

[Sixty8panther]

Harley, dude where ya been? how was 2007 for ya? Go on an African safari? or did you hike the entire Appalachian trail?

Either way it's nice to see you back!

[balthazar]

>>"Also back in the day, weren't 4X4 pickup trucks actually converted by outside companies for decades before the factory started building them? "<<

Yes: IIRC.... Marmon-Herrington did Fords from the '30s thru '58 (light-duty & HD), when Ford offered factory systems for '59, and NAPCO offered aftermarket 4x4s for Chevy, who came online with their own system for '57, but I think NAPCO systems were only offered within the '50s. Dodge is the standout here (in trucks, Dodge has paved the way on numerous features)- the Power Wagon appeared for WWII duty and continued with little change thru circa '68- otherwise it looks like the non-PW Dodges got 4WD for '57, too.

But 4x4s go right back to the dawn of the industry: The Gold West truck Co of '13-22 had both 4WD & 4wheel steer trucks, among others.

[GMTruckGuy74]

GMC has the distinction of offering 4WD from the factory in 1956. Chevy then offered it from the factory starting in 1957. Most of the truck manufacturer's offered factory 4WD by 1957. The NAPCO conversions were easily done by the dealerships back int eh mid-'50s, and the NAPCO system is a highly sought-after component by many in the collectible truck hobby. The '57 GMC in my signature is a NAPCO-equipped truck btw.

[balthazar]

Hey GMTG- you check this link out before?

www.napco4x4.org

According to their history link, I was right: NAPCOs didn't show up documented on GM trucks until the 55 2nd series, due to the earlier trucks' enclosed driveshafts. Also, looks like the 'factory '56-59 systems were in fact still NAPCO packages, until Chevy re-engineered the chassis for '60 with IFS.

Also, I found a feature piece on a sweet '56 GMC in Smoke Signals from earlier in the past year, the truck has 12 forward speeds (4-spd manual, Hi-Lo splitter, 4-spd transfer case). Add in the parking brake and there's 4 stick shifts jutting up from the floor. Love the '55-57 bodies.

[HarleyEarl]

Harley, dude where ya been? how was 2007 for ya? Go on an African safari? or did you hike the entire Appalachian trail?

Either way it's nice to see you back!

Hey 68....all is good here.....still in oil country, no safari....no hiking Appalachian, although on occasion hiking in Banff....glad you are still around...thanks for the the welcome back!