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The 10 All-Time Most Attactive Pickup Trucks


Dave@Moon

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Guest DeSoto Frank

My vote for most attractive p/u is the 1957 Dodge Sweptside

Well, aren't the Dodge "swept-sides" car-based, as they use the rear quarters from a Dodge station wagon, grafted onto the Dodge step-side box ?

;)

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Well, aren't the Dodge "swept-sides" car-based, as they use the rear quarters from a Dodge station wagon, grafted onto the Dodge step-side box ?

;)

Yes, but if you look at history, a lot of trucks were car based at first. I should correct myself...the Sweptside was not car based. It was a truck with car fenders. I would consider an El Camino or Ranchero "car based".

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Guest DeSoto Frank
1937 Studebaker coupe express pickup.

That has to be one of the slickest-looking pick-ups I've ever seen !

Love the old-time mirror-arm sticking-out from the driver's side door hinge !

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That has to be one of the slickest-looking pick-ups I've ever seen !

Love the old-time mirror-arm sticking-out from the driver's side door hinge !

I think it's the cutest truck ever. Even rusty it's cute.

post-37352-143138131236_thumb.jpg

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Well, aren't the Dodge "swept-sides" car-based, as they use the rear quarters from a Dodge station wagon, grafted onto the Dodge step-side box ?

;)

No it is different. A Ranchero or ElCamino is based on the car or station wagon. Parts are interchangeable with the car it is based on.

A Dodge Sweptside is based on the Dodge pick up. While the rear quarterpanels came from the Dodge wagon (and I think those are modified, you can't just replace them with ones from a Dodge wagon, but I am not 100% sure on that.) the rest of the truck is based on the truck and does not have interchangeable parts with the Dodge wagon or any Dodge cars.

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No it is different. A Ranchero or ElCamino is based on the car or station wagon. Parts are interchangeable with the car it is based on.

A Dodge Sweptside is based on the Dodge pick up. While the rear quarterpanels came from the Dodge wagon (and I think those are modified, you can't just replace them with ones from a Dodge wagon, but I am not 100% sure on that.) the rest of the truck is based on the truck and does not have interchangeable parts with the Dodge wagon or any Dodge cars.

I was waiting for this one...;)

Yes, they are modified as they were lenthend in the Dodge special equipment group shop. You cannot just pull the rear fenders from a Dodge 2 door wagon and bolt them to the truck sides as they are too short. It was built to be a truck and built on a truck chassies. It shares only part of the car fender. Tail lights, and rear bumper. :cool: Dandy Dave!

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Guest Big Jake

MY pick is the 60-63 GMC and Chevy I like the curved glass and I'm parchall to the big V-6 as you can see.

The next one I will probaly buy is a 58-59 GMC because she just looks Tough!

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  • 2 weeks later...

  1. 1930 Ford Model A ( enclosed )
  2. 1931 Ford Model A Deluxe (...it's a rare body style with chrome-plated metal rails along the top of the bed sides)*
  3. 1988 Jeep J-20
  4. 1987 Jeep J-10
  5. 1992 Jeep Comanche
  6. 1991 Jeep Comanche
  7. 1990 Jeep Comanche
  8. 1989 Jeep Comanche
  9. 1987 Jeep Comanche
  10. 1986 Jeep Comanche

* I've been a Model A owner for 40 years and have never seen one. They must be about as rare as Model A Town Cars!

Edited by jeff_a (see edit history)
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keiser31,

They're all pickup trucks. The J-20 is a 3/4 ton -- the J-10 is a 1/2 ton -- both usually with 360 V-8's {a 401 was available, too}. The Comanches all look like Jeep Cherokees and usually had 4.0 L I-6's {if you believe me, a diesel was actually offered when they were introduced in 1986}.

Edited by jeff_a (see edit history)
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Are those Jeeps pickup trucks?

The Comanche was the pick-up version of the Cherokee, like Jeff says. It's days were numbered after Chrysler bought Jeep shortly after introducing it's own Dakota.

The J-10 & J-20 trucks were the last versions of the Jeep Gladiator truck introduced in 1963. My list had the first version, which I consider a cleaner design.

jeep-gladiator-parts.jpg

MarshalZalewski86j10.jpg

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  • 3 months later...

Robin Coleman,

I'm sorry to take so long to reply. Your opinion was that the 1966 Ford pickup was the most attractive design. What I was going to tell you was that my boss at the body shop I work at in Idaho finished restoring one last spring. It is for sale, it is red, and has a 352 V-8. If you're interested, please send me a PM. Asking price was $25K last summer.

----Jeff

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Guest DeSoto Frank
There you go. Looks exactly like the car from the front, something like the Chevy El Cameo of its time, I guess.:)

Well, sort of... El Caminos and Rancheros are more "station wagon-based"....

The Hudson Big-Boy, Studebaker Coupe-Express, and Nash pick-ups all had separate cab and pick-up boxes; they may have been based on passenger-car chasses and running gear, but then so were the Model T and Model A pick=ups as well as the early Chevy pick-ups ( through '38 ?)

The Hudson Big-Boy was rated as a 3/4-ton, so it probably had beefier rear springs than the car.

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Have been on the look out for a46-47 Hudson truck. Only one I've seen for sale had more parts missing then present. Got to think, parts are not going to be easy to find. So keep on searching for a more complete example! In the mean time found a REO cab that could be made into a driver with a current chassis. Maybe the other option.

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After reading some of these posts, my top 10 list would turn out to be a top 50 or top 100. There just aren't a lot of 'bad' trucks out there!

The fact is, as Americans, we love and appreciate trucks for the independence and freedom they offer, as well as how perfectly they fit into our history of the U.S. being a self-built country. And, the fact that many full-sized American trucks can now get 20 MPG or better means they will be around for a long, long time.....in spite of the tree huggers in DC trying to kill off anything larger than a Toyota Corolla.

As for my list, I think I would have to have it divided into old and new.

OLD:

1. 1970-72 Chevy and GMC short fleetside pickups with the large rear window.

2. 1964-66 Chevy and GMC fleetside with the large rear window.

3. 1979 Ford F-100 or F-150 (perfect for a shade tree high school kid; affordable, easy to work on, hard to break)

4. Any El Camino, any year.

5. 1968-76 Ford Ranchero.

New:

1. 2003-4 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra (the newer ones look like Mark McGuire on steroids)

2. 2000-4 Ford F-150 (the newer ones look like Mark McGuire on steroids)

3. 1990-92 Ford Ranger

4. The Holden Ute (the modern El Camino that GM will probably never bring to the U.S.: Ute Range - Vehicles - Holden. Go better.)

5. 1989-91 Dodge Dakota convertible

(Bumper sticker seen on the back of a pickup: "Yes, this IS my truck, No, I will NOT help you move this weekend.)

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Guest DeSoto Frank
1941-46 GMC

1970 Ford Explorer F-100

Greenie,

Nice trucks !!!!:cool:

I used to have a '70 Ford Sport Custom (lwb), with 302 / CruiseOMatic, Ford under-dash a/c, PS, PB, aux fuel tank under bed, tool-box in pass side of bed quarter... sadly, it had no front cab mounts :(; was still a good looking truck (same pale yellow), but it was composting faster than I could fix it.

I have always liked the '41-'46 GMC; have only seen one PU in real life....

Thanks for sharing !

:cool:

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Frank: The GMC is mine. It was used by Krause publications in their book: "GMC-The First 100 Years". It has all the charm of a '46 Chevy, but is a bit more Art-Deco in appearance. The Ford pictured belongs to Rick Schmidt of NPD and has less than 50 miles on the clock. My '70 Explorer has 34,000 miles and is the same delightful Explorer Green- with a green plaid seat. Like yours, it is a 302-V8 with AT. Basically a campaign to expand truck sales, the Explorer helped launch the concept of a truck as a suburbanites second car. You might see both trucks at this year's Carlisle All-Ford show. Thanks.

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Guest Siegfried

Ok, here's my vote.

1. Studebaker Lark based

2. Studebaker

3. Hudson

4. Dodge sweptside

5. Chevy Cameo's

6. Chevy Apache's

AND lastly The Mini-pickup series:

1. Volkswagen Rabbit based (AKA. Golf) pickup

2. Dodge Omni based mini-pickup

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Guest billybird
A 1948 Tucker pickup? :eek: How's about a picture, cuz I ain't never see'd one of them aforn. ;) Dandy Dave!

Don't worry Dandy Dave; I'm sure someone will come up with one sometime and have documentation for it! LOL.

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Guest JWBrothers

Most of my favorites are modified, but I love the looks of these. There are a couple of Art Deco full sized trucks too. In no particular order...

1957 Dodge Sweptside

2007 Dodge SRT10

1974 Jeep Gladiator

1939 Studebaker Express Custom

1993 GMC SS

1963 C10 Chevrolet Mild Custom

1948 Divco Milk Truck Street Rod; Stock ones are horrible, lumbering beasts to drive.

1936 Zephyr Land Yacht by Brooks Stevens; Deco

1954 Mercedes-Benz Blue Wonder; Formula 1 race car transporter.

1930's LaBatts Truck; Deco

I didn't have any pictures of Chevrolet Cameos and left out the '59 El Camino and '57 Ranchero per your request.

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  • 2 years later...
Guest marlin65

Not exactly a "styling champ" but probably the most innovative PU ever-the Corvair Rampside.Not only cutting edge but oh so handy.I would sell my blood to find a nice one.Ed in Florida

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