[Ming]

Shorter-bed full-size pickup to be built at GM plant
May 15, 2004

Fort Wayne -- General Motors Corp. intends to make a shorter-bed full-size pickup truck as an optional model in 2005 at its assembly plant near Fort Wayne, GM spokesman Dan Flores said Friday.

The new version of the extended-cab Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra would be about 18 inches shorter than the 227.6-inch length of the present short-box, extended-cab pickup, which will remain in production.

GM has requested $30 million in tax breaks from Allen County to pay for body shop and general assembly equipment necessary for the new version, Flores said.

Article Here

 

[logansowner]

Well atleast they aren't getting rid of the other one. The short box we have now is useless enough, cut 18 inches off it and then what the hell are you going to put in there. It will probably be similar to the Ford Spotrac I assume. Just what we need, useless trucks. Whats the point?

 

[3eb]

the point is so that wealthy enough people can buy pickups that they don't need so they can feel in charge of the road and safe. oh, and this way we can all use/waste more gas too.

 

[airbalancer]

Short box is great that they have now. You can still fit a 6 foot ladder inside,
Have been use one for 4 years as sevice truck and it have been fine.
But a short box not good.

 

[gmmerc5]

The purpose I believe is to offer choices to consumers who want one, and if the new short-short bed doesn't sell well, GM probably will stop making them. It is very simple folks.

 

[ibechip]

Well the idea goes that some people buy pickups just to say they're proud to be Americans and just incase they might someday actually use them. This idea created the Lincoln Blackwood (and we all know how well that worked) But it is true that some people would prefer a very short box and a large cab in kind of a mini-SUV. Whether they'll actually sell any, who knows. You gotta give em credit for giving it a shot tho.

 

[Dumb_Ass_2003]

I can see this being popular for people who need to parallel park in the city and still have towing capacity. It's probably a lot cheaper than a regular box with quadrasteer.

 

[GNX238]

Originally posted by gmmerc5@May 15 2004, 06:04 PM
The purpose I believe is to offer choices to consumers who want one, and if the new short-short bed doesn't sell well, GM probably will stop making them. It is very simple folks.

But if it doesnt do well, that money they spent to bring that model up, could have been used for other things as in improvements on other vehicles.

 

[GotAWD]

Originally posted by ibechip@May 15 2004, 08:24 PM
Well the idea goes that some people buy pickups just to say they're proud to be Americans and just incase they might someday actually use them. This idea created the Lincoln Blackwood (and we all know how well that worked) But it is true that some people would prefer a very short box and a large cab in kind of a mini-SUV. Whether they'll actually sell any, who knows. You gotta give em credit for giving it a shot tho.

isnt this idea already exist under the name Avalance. but if it works then kudos to GM.

 

[TimR]

Shortboxes are useless?? I have a 97 reg cab shortbox (which has been a great truck BTW), and I am hauling all kinds of car parts and home construction material. Sure an 8 foot sheet of plywood won't fit with the tailgate up, but it will fit with it down. In the last month I have moved 3 rear diffs for the car I am restoring (parts), fenders, a hood, doors, two rad supports, a trip to the dumps with 600 pounds of scrap, my freinds new TV, and a loveseat.

Nothing useless about a shortbox, and although the new one will be shorter yet, I am sure people will find uses for it.

Its funny too, before this truck I had a reg cab longbox, and it was a pain to drive aorund town (parking mostly), this one is excellent, so I can see that people who need an extended cab might appreciate the shorter truck.

Just my thoughts.

Later
Tim

 

[laserwizard]

Why should GM get millions of dollars of tax breaks. This will continue to be an inefficient vehicle with now less cargo capacity and won't add substantially to the employment picture. GM also earned hundreds of millions in profits this year to date. I think that the municipality should tell GM to go to h#ll.

 

[neotoxin1]

why all the hate? I just started working that the GM Fort Wayne Assembly plant and we've built a few test models recently. They displayed a green extended cab, with the short bed and 20 in rims last week. Its a sweet looking truck, the overall shape kind of reminds of the Ford Explorer Sportrac.

You can still haul and tow stuff, you just gotta make sure it isnt very long.

 

[BigAls87Z28]

Wow, its like GM is gunna stop making pick ups all together here?
So this is only for the crew cab? You cant get this new short bed on a standard cab truck? 18inches is quite a large amount of weight. Now if they only offerd the 6.0 with this new short bed, and standard cab.
I think this is a cool deal.

 

[Z28x]

I think it sounds like a good Idea. ext cab trucks are too long for many people, and reg cab short bed can't hold as many people, so it will solve both problems.

I imagine it will look just like the 2000 SS concept

 

[T-Keith]

This is kind of like the new crewcabs, they have a shorter box than a normal short box.

Same idea right? Basically it's an extended cab on a regular cab/short box wheelbase.

 

[Z28x]

Originally posted by T-Keith@May 17 2004, 07:56 AM
This is kind of like the new crewcabs, they have a shorter box than a normal short box.

Same idea right? Basically it's an extended cab on a regular cab/short box wheelbase.

Yup, that is what it sounds like to me. ext cab & the new crew cab bed on a reg cab/6.5' bed chassis.

 

[doh]

Hello people! Ford already has them, they call them garagable. I don't believe that they have a very large take rate but they still offer them.

For years GM has said to sell thier heavy crew cabs against Fords 1/2 ton Super Crews, because of the 6.5' box that can tow a fifth wheel. Then GM makes a 1/2 ton Crew Cab and uses the shorter box, and now this.

It's time for GM to lead again instead of follow, how about a 1/2 ton crew cab 8' box or atleast 6.5' box.

 

[Z28x]

Originally posted by doh@May 17 2004, 08:26 AM
Hello people! Ford already has them, they call them garagable. I don't believe that they have a very large take rate but they still offer them.

For years GM has said to sell thier heavy crew cabs against Fords 1/2 ton Super Crews, because of the 6.5' box that can tow a fifth wheel. Then GM makes a 1/2 ton Crew Cab and uses the shorter box, and now this.

It's time for GM to lead again instead of follow, how about a 1/2 ton crew cab 8' box or atleast 6.5' box.

GM makes a 1/2 ton crew cab 6.5' box, they have for at least 3 years now. It is called the 1500HD and come with a 6.0L standard

I've never seen the Ford truck you are talking about, I don't think they make them in the USA, got any pics?

 

[doh]

Originally posted by Z28x@May 17 2004, 02:21 PM

GM makes a 1/2 ton crew cab 6.5' box, they have for at least 3 years now. It is called the 1500HD and come with a 6.0L standard

I've never seen the Ford truck you are talking about, I don't think they make them in the USA, got any pics? [/quote]
Yes they do build a 1500HD which is really a 3/4 ton truck just named different to atract the 1/2 ton market.

And sorry it is only a Super Cab 5.5' box.

 

[MelvinJ]

Originally posted by Z28x+May 17 2004, 01:05 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Z28x @ May 17 2004, 01:05 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-T-Keith@May 17 2004, 07:56 AM
This is kind of like the new crewcabs, they have a shorter box than a normal short box.

Same idea right? Basically it's an extended cab on a regular cab/short box wheelbase.

Yup, that is what it sounds like to me. ext cab & the new crew cab bed on a reg cab/6.5' bed chassis. [/b][/quote]
Actually, I'll bet it's on the regular cab/long bed chassis instead of short bed. The extened portion of the cab is about 2 feet long. Taking just one foot of bed out of the regular cab short bed doesn't leave enough room for the extended cab.

The regular cab/long bed wheelbase is 12 1/2 inches shorter than the extended cab/short bed wheelbase. Taking a foot out of the bed should make it fit.