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| I am starting to feel the after effects of the Huntsville Show already. A friend went to the show with me, and upon returning promptly bought an Astro GMC he said he had known about for years, but never thought about how much fun it would be to restore and show it. At any rate, it is a single axle, 8V71, RTO9513, and with the excepton of a little rust at the bottom of the doors, it in quite good shape. The question is, can someone (like Dan???) decode/decipher the VIN number to tell the year? One old tag reqeipt says 1973, another says 1975, and the owner thought it was a 1970. Since the 8V71 looks original, I'm thinking pre 1975 or so anyway. The tag reads TFH92AV613171. Next question, does anyone have experience with finding parts for these? Now that GM is in turmoil I'm not sure how available anything would be for them. He will likely be needing stuff like window gaskets, a few interior parts, and has already mentioned he has to have a outside sunvisor on it. Yes I know, pics would be nice, but haven't had time to snap any yet. I typically mess with Paccar stuff, so the GM will be a welcome new experience. Another friend bought a '79 W900A on Monday after the show, so hopefully it is contageous. Thanks for anything anyone can provide.
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TonyM (6/18/2009)
The question is, can someone (like Dan???) decode/decipher the VIN number to tell the year? ..... the year is still coded ....Jim. 
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| I will have a '69 Astro available for parts as soon as I get the engine pulled for my Dad's Crackerbox.
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I have a 70's GMC Astro 95 and I asked a similar question a couple months ago but I still haven't figured it out. Below is the VIN and I think it's a 1973 model because I came across a sticker on one of the valve covers of the 8V71 in it that identifies the engine as meeting 1973 specs.
TDH92AV603XXX
I bought the truck for the drive train and the cab is going to the scrap heap. So if you need any parts from the cab (almost all of it's still there) let me know and I will send them to you for the cost of shipping (I'm in Alaska so small parts won't be a problem but big stuff might cost a bit of $$$ to send). If anyone in the Anchorage area wants the cab and chassis after I remove the engine and tranny let me know and you can have it for free.
Edit - forgot to add a comment about parts. Most of the truck is off the shelf commercial truck stuff so much of it should be easy to get. What might be tricky to find will be GMC made parts for the cab and interior except the gauges and air controls (which are also off the shelf commercial truck parts).
Ruppster
www.dodge-semis.com
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Standin' Dan ATHS Member
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There's a brand new factory crate cab for an Astro with sleeper and a daycab General sitting at a former GMC dealer about an hour west of St. Louis. The cabs are still in the crate and have been sitting outside for years. The plastic in them is deteriorated, but the cabs are in overall very good condition. I can point you that way if you need them.
Danwww.stlouisdumptrucks.com
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| Best way to hunt for those specific GM parts is first to get a dealer parts manual. These show up on Ebay from time to time, and usually cover several years. Then, you can look up the GM part numbers. With the part numbers, you can check availability at your local GM truck dealer. Some stuff is still around, but with numbers you can also check obsolete parts dealers such as 'Parts Voice': http://www.partsvoice.com/ You would be surprised at what is out there. Good luck!
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| I have passed the info along about parts. I will probably be doingthe contacting as soon as he figures out what all he will be needing. The process is slow right now becasue he had hand surgery last week and will be in a cast for a while. At any rate, I appreciate the help. I had already thought about a parts book, and have been checking fleabay regularly. The year question has been solved. While cleaning out the garbage from inside the cab, he ran across a plastic bag with some manuals in it. Turns out to be the owners manual, a maintenence manual, radio manuals, tire warranty, etc. Inside the owners manual is the original order sheet, and bill of sale. It was ordered by General GMC in Nashville, TN on June 9, 1973, and delivered early August. Everything listed on the sheet is exactly the way it is now so I guess its as original as it looked. Thanks again. Tony
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Tony-----So your buddy already learned to drive that Detroit,and slammed the door on his hand ! I wish him a speedy recovery .
Trying to verify a vin # by year is a little vague , but some parts manuals have a little information ,[not that you need it now ] ! At Huntsville, I bought a GMC heavy duty parts book 1973-74 , series 7500,8500, and 9500 commencing with chassis serial 555001 . I had the same problem trying to identify the year of my MH 9500 when I got it with a bogus title that called it a 83 vintage . I knew it to be bogus because the 77 model year was the first for the General . My vin # was TMH90DV595203 , had the low mounted cab, but had the dual 7" headlights mounted in the bottom of the grille shell . One of our NEO club members had a similar long nose, his was 53 vin #s lower and titled as a 73 , so thats what I called mine .
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| Just be patient at keep your eyes open. I found 2 brand new still in the box cylinder heads for my 351 V-6 and got them for less money than it would have cost me to fix the seats and guides in my old heads.
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As I recall with GM heavy trucks, prior to 1974 there was no model year designation in the VIN. For example a heavy duty truck built in 1970 that was not titled until 1972 could be titled as a 1972 model. The law changed for 1974 year models and with heavy duty GMCs and Chevrolets, the numeral 4 appeared before the V which is the Pontiac GMC Truck and coach plant designation. 4 for 74, 5 for 75 etc until 1980 when it became A and was alphabetized for that era. Your truck is a 73 or prior year model.
Ashton Lewis
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| Another clue is on the engine.........if remnants on the option tag remain, it could have the year built , also we have the chart with the 1st vin #/per model engine,built in the various years .
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| Dan, That is a great suggestion. The engine in my truck is 12VA030516. The engine was delivered to truck and coach in November 1972 and the truck was built 8-10-73. There weren't many Astros or Titans built with 12V-71s but 10 months is a long time for an engine to sit at an assembly plant. I have also thought of a change that occured with the 1973 model and that is the right cab hinge hydraulic cylinder assembly was redesigned. 1969 through 1972 were of the same design. There also are some dash changes that occured during the years and the sales brochures show that better than the parts books.
Ashton Lewis
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Ashton------Did GMC ever add a 2nd cylinder on the left side for cab lift ? I thought ,especially on the sleeper version, that one was'nt enough . Plus the tendency to jack down when the cab was down in the run position. That jack would pull the gusset down out of the floor ..........I noticed that in checking trucks in junkyards .
6-8 months to round up the special parts.........2 air cleaners etc . 60MM injectors was all they'd put in at the factory,if I remember right. Lack of cooling for more fuel ?
Other than the change to generic guages in later production, what else comes to mind ? Speedo and tach heads remained at 5" ,or whatever it was .
PS: Don Myers will be proud of you , nice job ! Can I drive it ?
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| Dan, The newest brochure I have is for the Aero Astro in '84 and it still shows a single cylinder.John
_____________________________________________ John Costley ATHS Online Division Charter Member Sabattus,Maine
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Heres some brochures from Clayton Hoak's excellent GMC literature collection.Looks like the only obvious change from '69 to '70 was the front bumper.'71 and '72 were essentially the same brochure, only change in '71 was the addition of the 12V71 and V903, no visual changes from '70 to '71 or '72.'73 shows the addition of double round snorkle type defroster ducts on the dash, thats about the only obvious change.Looks like its going to have to be ID'd by component tags, Engine/Trans/Rears.John
_____________________________________________John Costley ATHS Online Division Charter Member Sabattus,Maine
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---->
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| Dan and John, You are both so knowledgeable and now you are putting me to the test. I sold heavy Chevies from 70-77 in Portsmouth, VA and my 12V-71 Titan is one that I ordered for stock to have the biggest and badest thing around. They never added the second cylinder and many cab sill kits were sold to repair the damage. GMC truck sales engineering told me at the time the 65mm injectors were not available because of the transmission rating. When Fuller changed from the RTO1213 to the RTO12513, this should have taken care of that issue and by '73 they were all 12513s. I thought all other truck brands offered 65s. The radiator is 1300 plus square inches so I can't believe cooling was an issue. John, thanks for posting the brochures. Please refer to 70-06, 72-03, 73-03 and my posted picture of my cab. The change that I am referring to may have taken place in '71 but from the brochures it had occurred by '72. Illuminated labels for most of the knobs were added where prior they had insignias on the headlight, marker light and wiper knob. The labels were illuminated via fiber optics. In the '72 brochure also note dual wiper knobs and eventhough you cannot tell they have illuminated labels. I find it interesting that the '72 does not have air conditioning. The picture of my cab was taken prior to getting the correct radio knob as this radio came out of '70 cab. The bottom two gauges are dual air filter restriction gauges. With the restoration, I opted to add a brake application gauge which is mounted in front between the parking brake valve and the trailer supply valve. Dan you are welcome to drive it when done hopefully by June 2010.
Ashton Lewis
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| I've had my eye on a early '80s Astro ,[with the wide grille], that's been setting in western Pa. with the engine apart. 8V92TA,RT12609 , Eaton tandem on 4 spring ,supposedly apart for 10 years, velour interior,generic guages,Budd wheels , outside of cab unmolested . But it's a chore for old folks to get in or out..........I'd probably break my head !
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| Ashton, Hopefully youre knowledge, and those brochures, will help them figure out what year it is.It can be tough to go by the brochures sometimes, seams like GMC ( and others ) used a lot of stock pictures from the file cabinet when they did the early ones. That Jimmy of youres is a beautiful truck, love that solid red paint with no stripes, looks just right.Must have been a real magnet when it was sitting on the lot new.Dan and Joe Ditchkus pointed me towards a slightly plainer version sitting down in PA., still a solid truck that could be saved, but its way beyond my means to buy it and transport it, let alone take it down to the frame and bring it back right.Maybe someday,lol.John
_____________________________________________ John Costley ATHS Online Division Charter Member Sabattus,Maine
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| I figured this post had passed out of memory, or I'd have posted the outcome. We had decided it was between a 1972 and 1974. One day while cleaning out the cab he found a plastic bag containing the original bill of sale, order sheet, warranty card, etc. It was ordered in May 1973 and built in July I think, and sold through the GMC dealer in Nashville, TN. I can't remember the price, but with the renewed intrest, I'll get the envelope again and post the info, it may help someone else along the way. The owner had hand surgery on both hands and progress has been slow, but he has got a few things done. One oddity to me was that it has the CB built into the AM/FM radio, all original looking. It also has a power right hand window, which still works. It is relatively unmolested and should turn out to be a nice truck. Tony
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In the early 70's, GM offered a CB built into the radio -- I had one in a '81 Olds Cutless wagon --with the infamous V8 Diesel. I really liked the the CB radio combo in the car because you could listen to the am/fm, but if a CB call came, it would override the radio. I THINK you could make it only radio or only CB if you wanted. As for the engine, I bought the car when it was one year old with 20k miles and a new short block. After about a year, I was getting really nervous about the engine and decided to sell the car --get out while the getting is good. My wife thought I was crazy --best car we ever had--comfortable and 30 mpg. A year after I sold the Olds, you couldn't give them away as their reputation for self destruction spread.
Life is like a roll of toilet paper --the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes! Enjoy each day.
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| I believe Larry Shinoda did the design work on the then new 1969 Astro, although I don't remember what part he played. Working with Bill Mitchell, Shinoda refined concept cars that became the 1963 and 1968 Corvettes. He did some work for Foed also, but only cars. I also recollect he invented the cowl induction used on the late 60s and early 70s Chevelles. As I've said before, I wish I still had my 1973 Titan 90. Larry
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