GMTruckGuy74

infant

Just found an article about teh Rob Ida Tucker that shows Chicl DeLorenzo's Tucker in the photo: http://njmonthly.com/articles/lifestyle/dream-machines.html Also, here's Chick's obit: http://www.northjersey.com/obituaries/136922698_Carlo_DeLorenzo__76.html; http://www.richardsfuneralhome.com/delorenzo_carlo_f.htm{/url] (reference to his Tucker ownership in this one)

bar

quarter

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2012/01/spied-2014-silveradosierra-winter-testing.html I meant to post this the other day.... BigPontiac, from other places sources have stated that rear hinged extended cab doors, a'la Ram 1500 and Tundra, are going to be on the new GM pickups. Not only is having a B-pillar more structurally sound, but the convenience of accessing the rear seat is better than having the suicide half doors. If you notice in all of the spy shots the half door area seems to be larger (longer?) than the current models... which would make sense with rear hinged doors. Though don't get upset yet.... camo is good at disguising and misleading spy shots, so until the official pictures are released we really won't know what is to be offered. My gut feeling is that we'll see these new trucks in the flesh at the Chicago show in a couple of weeks.

Happy belated Birthday!!

Sheldon

#1057 (convertible) is not recognized by the Tucker Club of America (TACA), as balthazar already pointed out. It is supposedly constructed out of a totalled Tucker (I think #1042) using leftover parts sourced from other collections and fabricated parts to make the convertible top. The owner states that this Tucker body was pulled off the line in '48 and sent out to another shop to be custom made (TACA has no documentation of this, and those that were around at that time state only one Tucker body was pulled off the line to make changes for the '49 model year [this is documented, along with pictures, that show a panoramic-type rear window]). Why Tucker would send a car outside of his shop is the question, as he had designers in his own shop in Chicago. Anyway, the owner of the 'vert wouldn't allow TACA members to come and inspect the car, so there's definitely tension between the two parties about the truth behind the convertible. TACA's website (forum) has a whole interesting story on this. Do you know what # Tucker they have? I saw the Ida Automotive Tucker at the 2011 NYIAS - it was in the basement in the Dub section. Pretty impressive car, though it's only link to "Tucker" is the body The guy that owns #1051 lives up near you I think... while his isn't officially one of the factory made Tuckers in '48, the chasis and body were produced in the factory and were on the line when it was shut down. TACA members recognize his Tucker as an official Tucker, but being that it was constructed from sourced parts out of peoples collections and finally built in the '80s, they don't consider it to be one of the original 51 Tuckers (the Tin Goose prototype and the 50 factory-produced cars). A side note, he claims it was featured in the '88 movie but that has been debunked on TACA and those owners that were actually at the filming with their cars. I believe #1057 uses a lot of parts off of #1027- only known stuff that has survived from #1042 is the trans & frame... and the frame isn't under #1057. Sending it out indeed is illogical; it would've been sent to Tucker's Ypsilanti shop (where the Tin Goose was built) before anywhere else. I have read long discussions on the convert, have seen in the construction photos as it was being converted from a 4-door. I agree with the TACA position. I assumed the Tucker Ida owns was the only NJ Tucker listed: #1051. I saw their first repro, the dark blue job powered by a Northstar engine, at Lead East right after it was done. Rog- I see you are a big Tucker fan, too - cool. I have a letter that Alex Tremulis wrote to me personally back when I was going into automotive design, one of my auto treasures. Have loved the Tucker for decades now. #1051 is owned by a guy named Carlos DeLorenzo in Butler, NJ; here is information I was provided by a TACA member back in 2006: I have been in love with the '48 Tucker since my parents took me to see the 1988 movie when it came out (I was 13 y-o at the time, and the '57 Chevy Bel Air was my favorite car until seeing the Tucker on the motion screen). I wish I could devote more time to learning the knowledge of all Tuckers, but for the time being I'll be content with what I know and can find out from TACA (to which I am an offical member). One of my goals this year is to finally go and see the Cammack Collection in Alexandria, VA, in addition to getting out to the Swigart Museum to see the original Tin Goose. I've also learned that a Tucker is on display at the America on Wheels museum in Allentown, PA, so that will be worth a trip out that way soon too. I'm wondering if there would be an interest by any other northeastern C&G members to visit the Cammack Collection? Those are private tours only. When I sold new Buicks, Pontiacs & GMCs in '99-'00, I sold a new LeSabre to an older gentleman that was also a Tucker fan (he claims he had one of the Tucker models sold by the factory that he ordered as a young boy). He told me of the time he saw one in Trenton, at the franchise at the time. He couldn't remember where it was located, given that his memory "wasn't what it once was". Though I have never made it a must learn goal, I would eventually like to know where in Trenton this supposed Tucker dealership was.

Actually, this was Tucker's next automotive desire: The 1955 Tucker Carioca: As such, it was never built, most likely due to his death in 1956 (and of course being broke from the '48 venture too didn't help).

frail

Another thought... seeing as how there are very few GMC Medium Duty dealerships around anymore (and come to think of it, I don't see many Chevy ones either now that the Isuzu-based W & T series are gone and the Topkick/Kodiak trucks are gone too), I wonder if GMC is going to offer a commercial truck line anymore? I'm not talking about not offering commercial vehicles, I'm talking about no longer offering work truck trim on any of their models (currently, only the Savana, Canyon, and Sierra offer work truck trim levels - Yukon/XL, Terrain, and Acadia don't but are still part of the GMC Commercial Truck business). The Savana brochures have been very thin the past 3-4 years, and for 2012 the Canyon Mid-box prep package was deleted; seeing as how these are the oldest GMCs available, I wonder if the Savana will be gone in the near future (leaving either the Chevy Express as the sole van offering or bringing in an Opel van, a'la Ford Transit as a replacement) and if the Canyon gets a replacement, it too will go upmarket like the Sierra? Time will tell...

I believe we are going to see three models of Sierra.... you're going to have your standard models, with SL/SLE/SLT trims, you will have your luxury models with the Denali trim, and a new model line will be offered based on the All-Terrain package that debuted in 2008 (but takes it more serious, a'la the 2011 Sierra HD All-Terrain concept). I question if the W/T (Work Truck) models will remain, as this may become a Chevy-only trim (I never understood this with the GMT-900 pickups - prior to the 900s, the trims were SL, SL W/T, SLE, and SLT; with the 900s came W/T, W/T SL, SLE, and SLT - why make the W/T the standard model when it was suppose to be a very decontented SL model? [value leader]). Anyway, looking at the Terrain & Acadia as inspiration for the new uplevel models, the Terrain starts with the SLE level, while the Acadia added a SL model in 2010 (very decontented SLE model). Even in fleet mode these two CUVs don't offer a W/T package, again start with the SLE (Acadia SL) and go up from there. While I know some GMC owners like their decontented W/T trims, I think GMC may now be moving to the SL or SLE model as the standard trim, leaving the W/T trim to Chevy to be the value leader of GM's pickups.

gap

I will look for you (assuming you'll be there on the 4th too?). Do they have the basement area this year? On the TV and radio ads they keep saying all one floor now that they opened the new section that was being built the past 2-3 years. PM sent. Thanks! Too bad I'm going on the 4th (Saturday)... would have stopped by and said hello

#1057 (convertible) is not recognized by the Tucker Club of America (TACA), as balthazar already pointed out. It is supposedly constructed out of a totalled Tucker (I think #1042) using leftover parts sourced from other collections and fabricated parts to make the convertible top. The owner states that this Tucker body was pulled off the line in '48 and sent out to another shop to be custom made (TACA has no documentation of this, and those that were around at that time state only one Tucker body was pulled off the line to make changes for the '49 model year [this is documented, along with pictures, that show a panoramic-type rear window]). Why Tucker would send a car outside of his shop is the question, as he had designers in his own shop in Chicago. Anyway, the owner of the 'vert wouldn't allow TACA members to come and inspect the car, so there's definitely tension between the two parties about the truth behind the convertible. TACA's website (forum) has a whole interesting story on this. Do you know what # Tucker they have? I saw the Ida Automotive Tucker at the 2011 NYIAS - it was in the basement in the Dub section. Pretty impressive car, though it's only link to "Tucker" is the body The guy that owns #1051 lives up near you I think... while his isn't officially one of the factory made Tuckers in '48, the chasis and body were produced in the factory and were on the line when it was shut down. TACA members recognize his Tucker as an official Tucker, but being that it was constructed from sourced parts out of peoples collections and finally built in the '80s, they don't consider it to be one of the original 51 Tuckers (the Tin Goose prototype and the 50 factory-produced cars). A side note, he claims it was featured in the '88 movie but that has been debunked on TACA and those owners that were actually at the filming with their cars.

gate

Well & accurately stated. Thanks!!

I've seen three now in the Princeton (NJ) area. The silver one that I took pictures of at my employer (our field sales qualify for fleet purchasing), and two black ones (one more in a basic trim, the other in an uplevel trim with polished spoke rims) in traffic on Route 1 North. They are definitely getting out there... but no sightings at two different Chevy dealership lots.

This is where we differ... I hate the rear styling of the Chevy Traverse, with those too tiny tail lights on that huge, bulbous rear end. My wife really likes the Traverse but the rear of the vehicle kills the deal for me. Now I can agree with your assessment of the '59 Chevy-inspired bits

Remember, GMC is a cash machine for General Motors and as such I don't foresee this new plan for the GMC Sierra to be a nail in the coffin. Remember, this plan worked for the Terrain and it's not that the Sierra won't offer basic trim models, but they will come with more standard features over the basic Silverado. That is, unless GM is going to identify Chevy as the fleet leader in trucks and move GMC pickups upmarket with SLE as the basic trim. This now leads to the question of the future of the Savana, as it and the current Canyon will be the oldest models in GMCs lineup.

Currently, I would not buy a Silverado, though it is nice it's just not what I prefer in styling. Thankfully GM offers a 2nd pickup - the Sierra - that I do prefer the styling of. WIN = GM, because they would keep me as a customer (say from going to Ford or Dodge). Now conversely, I like the Tahoe/Suburban styling much more over the Yukon/XL, and again WIN = GM, as I wouldn't go to Ford or a foreign brand for a SUV purchase.

The old Gast Museum? Yep. I think that's where I saw my first one. There are a couple in a museum in Maine and two more at another museum in Pennsylvania. I think the Petersen in LA may have one...can't recall if I've seen one there, though...I think Jay Leno may have one, and I've read that George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola (of 'Tucker' movie fame) used to have a couple... Check here for a complete listing of all known Tuckers (click on the pictures for more info & pics). #1024 was the one purchased by the Gast Collection in October of 1989 and they sold it in October, 1997 (I got to see it one last time at Gast in June '97). Jay Leno wants to buy one, as was the word on the street in 2010 (it was rumored he was flying in to Hershey to check out the convertible, but those rumors were false). George Lucas owns #1009 and I believe it is on display at Skywalker Ranch. Francis Ford-Coppola owns two - #1014 and #1037. Both him and George produced the 1988 movie, "Tucker: The Man and his Dream", as they have quite a passion for their Tuckers.

Happy belated Birthday, 67impss!!

thrill

What's important to note is that this does not mean that top-of-the-line models are only sold. The base Terrain, for example, is priced slightly higher than the base Equinox because it has some of the Equinox's options as standard equipment. When all is said and done, you can fully equip a Terrain and an Equinox and they'd likely be very close in price - but you;d still have two distinctive looking CUVs. I think this is what Reuss means and that you will see more of a styling distinction between the next Sierra and Silverado. Actually, compare the two current 2012 models and you'll see that they are more different than the previous models (GMT-800): both have different styled front ends, including front fenders, hoods, bumpers, and grilles/headlights; the bedsides are different, as the Sierra has an exaggerated fender flare style while the Silverado gets mini dually-inspired fender embossing; the tail lights are different in lighting patterns from the Sierra to the Silverado (Sierra: red bulb, red bulb, white bulb/Silverado: red bulb, white bulb, red bulb - each has its own look). Now cabs, doors, and tailgates are shared - which means the 2013(4) models could have different shaping to the doors and tailgates (I can't see a major difference in cab design). The major distinction can come with the interiors - where the Sierra has a different interior from the Silverado. The first series GMT-800s ('99-'02) had some notable differences, but it wasn't until the second series GMT-800s ('03-'07) that even more differences were made (and GM made even more with the intro of the GMT-900s, as I noted above). The beloved GMT-400 pickups are hard to tell from the side and rear if you remove all of the emblems (well, that's not completely true, I can tell a Chevy C/K from a GMC C/K) - it's all in the front end styling, just like it was from the beginning with GMC and Chevrolet pickups.