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History 1957 Chevrolet NAPCO

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ryan, Apr 9, 2008.

  1. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,632

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

  2. JESSEJAMES
    Joined: Aug 15, 2006
    Posts: 339

    JESSEJAMES
    Member

    NAPCO's are Gay!
     
  3. JESSEJAMES
    Joined: Aug 15, 2006
    Posts: 339

    JESSEJAMES
    Member

    cept for Fight'n Commie's!!



    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

     
  4. 1950ChevySuburban
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 6,187

    1950ChevySuburban
    Member Emeritus
    from Tucson AZ

    NAPCOs are fun. I forget what NAPCO stands for... North American Power co.??
    something like that.

    I think Napco pretty much made ALL the 4x4 stuff for Gm, Ford and Dodge back then.
     

  5. FritzTownFord
    Joined: Apr 7, 2007
    Posts: 1,020

    FritzTownFord
    Member

    Like a lot of cool trucks and cars, a stock NAPCO is more fun to look at than drive. I had a '59 LWB NAPCO Chevy pretty much like the one in the reel and it beat me to death! Even on the streets. Traded it for a '55 F-100 and never looked back.

    A great film though - those old announcers could really pitch the deal!
     
  6. the-rodster
    Joined: Jul 2, 2003
    Posts: 6,945

    the-rodster
    Member

    C'mon Jesse, tell us what ya really think.

    Rich
     
  7. Gas Huffer
    Joined: Feb 26, 2007
    Posts: 271

    Gas Huffer

    Granted, they had their purpose and they were much more utilitarian than the 2 wheel drive, but they sure do look out of place (about like a lowered Jeep Wrangler). Sorry, just not my thing.
     
  8. fiat128
    Joined: Jun 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,426

    fiat128
    Member
    from El Paso TX

    I've seen a few of those over here in Mexico still in use.
     
  9. Bigcheese327
    Joined: Sep 16, 2001
    Posts: 6,694

    Bigcheese327
    Member

    When my Dad was service manager for a Ford dealership, they took in a '59 Ford NAPCO. He said it had a Y-block, I think. He also said he almost bought it instead of the '79 F250 he ended up with. Too bad. We've still got the F250.

    -Dave
     
  10. '57 NAPCO
    Joined: Dec 17, 2007
    Posts: 4

    '57 NAPCO
    Member

    [​IMG]
    '57, First Chevy 4x4 offered by Chevrolet. Here's mine
     
  11. Faded Love Garage
    Joined: Mar 30, 2003
    Posts: 961

    Faded Love Garage
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Spring, TX

    If you drive a gay truck does that make you gay?
     
  12. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,013

    belair
    Member

    Those babies will pack yer bowels, as my old daddy says. Who was the intended audience? Great video, thanks Ryan.
     
  13. Ghastly
    Joined: Sep 13, 2006
    Posts: 448

    Ghastly
    Member
    from DETROIT,MI

    Too bad on eof those cats didn't get flung out the bed of that sum bitch!
     
  14. stan292
    Joined: Dec 6, 2002
    Posts: 858

    stan292
    Member

    So..."it beat me to death!" he says.

    You're just a bunch of pussies! Trucks like that built this country, boys - and we were damn glad to have 'em. (-:

    Okay.... maybe it was actually my dad's generation I'm talking about. Still, gnarly rigs like that served a real purpose in their time. People were MUCH tougher then too, and didn't think twice about getting jostled and banged around all day, if it meant getting the job done. Probably none of those units came with radios (the vacuum tubes and hand-soldered circuitry couldn't take the pounding), and even heaters were likely a rare option.

    My old man told me he once pulled a low-boy trailer loaded down with a 75-ton battleship turret into (and back out of) Times Square, NYC for a war bond drive during WWII. The load was so heavy they stopped all the other traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge while he crossed.

    Mind you, this is in a truck with straight-cut tranny gears (no syncromesh), so every shift required double-clutching (BTW - how many of you young whippersnappers even know what "double-clutching" is?). Probably mechanical brakes too.

    Every HAMBer should spend a week driving something like a NAPCO, just to get a sense of what it was really like to live back in the days when media bullshit and wannabe posers didn't mean jack. You did what needed to be done and took your lumps. If you had a truck that could take the same punishment, you were happy as hell.

    Great stuff, Ryan!
     
  15. I LOVE vintage factory 4x4's! Heres my 1960 1/2 ton, my daily driver and all orriginal excpet for the 16" wheels and 7.50's I put on it. It will go about anywere at a crawl. This is a factory Ford 4X4, not a Napco although Napco did make them as well as Marrmon-Harrington. Mine has a 292 Y block, stock Ford 4 speed, Spicer transfer case and a Dana 44 front.


    [​IMG]
     
  16. 1950ChevySuburban
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 6,187

    1950ChevySuburban
    Member Emeritus
    from Tucson AZ


    We still have some of the old heavy stuff around at the UofA where I work. One gets retired every so often, but driving them around sure is fun!
    Its more like controlling a machine, rather than motoring around casually, thats for sure!:D
     
  17. stude_trucks
    Joined: Sep 13, 2007
    Posts: 4,755

    stude_trucks
    Member

    I thought someone else posted this yesterday, but now thread seems to have been deleted. strange time warp?
     
  18. Rolleiflex
    Joined: Oct 25, 2007
    Posts: 1,243

    Rolleiflex
    Member

    Great video, the helmets the drivers wore must've been to keep from beating their brains out on the cab, lol! I remeber getting to ride in stuff like this growing up in Wahington state. You really know you're riding in a truck, unlike the stuff today they really feel solid.
     
  19. autobilly
    Joined: May 23, 2007
    Posts: 3,123

    autobilly
    Member

    Can't say that I really dig 'em, but they look like they could be fun off road. You know, just for the adventure, like climbing Everest without oxygen
     
  20. Fry
    Joined: Nov 14, 2002
    Posts: 986

    Fry
    Member
    from SK, Canada

    Wheres the pics of your blue fleet side

     
  21. SinisterCustom
    Joined: Feb 18, 2004
    Posts: 8,277

    SinisterCustom
    Member

    True heros drive Powerwagons........
     
  22. InDaShop
    Joined: Aug 15, 2004
    Posts: 2,796

    InDaShop
    Member
    from Houston

    There was a yellow one at Roundup in '07. Beautiful truck, the guys a hamber but I cant remember from where, College Station?
     
  23. JD's 32
    Joined: Dec 30, 2005
    Posts: 873

    JD's 32
    Member
    from TX

    Man i love these old videos, this was a good one, thanks.
     
  24. PurHell
    Joined: Dec 17, 2004
    Posts: 375

    PurHell
    Member
    from So Cal

    "I'm Gay .. till it's my turn !...."
     

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  25. PurHell
    Joined: Dec 17, 2004
    Posts: 375

    PurHell
    Member
    from So Cal

    McQueen didn't think so ....
     

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  26. jchav62
    Joined: Jan 30, 2007
    Posts: 1,932

    jchav62
    Member

    I think Napco's are pretty cool. I've never ridden in or driven one. I imagine it would be a rough ride...that's fine with me... They're pretty rare too...Rare is cool...
     
  27. el Scotto
    Joined: Mar 3, 2004
    Posts: 4,698

    el Scotto
    Member
    from Tracy, CA

    I've often thought about converting my '57 over to a 4x4.... I have the perfect parts truck now....

    Do you think lowrider shops would grind whitewalls into a set of 33" Super Swampers.... Hahaha!!!
     
  28. Gas Huffer
    Joined: Feb 26, 2007
    Posts: 271

    Gas Huffer

    Steve McQueen's favorite one was a baby blue '58 GMC 2WD though, if I remember correctly.
     
  29. alleycat
    Joined: Jan 29, 2008
    Posts: 5

    alleycat
    Member
    from Oregun

    I had a 1952 Marmon-Harrington Ford p.u. Sold it couple years ago...It had been restored...should have kept but had to make room in shop.
     
  30. Algon
    Joined: Mar 12, 2007
    Posts: 1,129

    Algon
    Member

    I'm not sure I understand the nancy view on the ride in one of these... The only difference in suspension between a Napco of any ton rating and its 2wd counterpart 55-59 Chevys and GMCs are a pair of rear lift blocks. I do have to admit some bias since I learned to drive in a 58 Napco suburban but its not that much worse than a modern 3/4 ton truck if you actually rebuild the suspension and certainly no worse than any other leaf spring truck from the same era.

    Now if your riding in one of the Napco 9 foot cab/chassis 1 ton trucks with the sixteen per side rear leaf packs without any weight on it, l would agree with you.
     

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