The other day I showed you some outtakes from this neighborhood taken in 2011. The streetscape is always changing, but lest you think it’s all new silver CUVs now, here’s a couple of shots taken just two weeks ago. One of these vehicles really doesn’t fit in, though.
Here’s the view from the other direction. This old Chevy truck has been hanging out here for as long as we’ve lived here. There used to be a nice big old American wagon in the driveway too, but it’s moved on and given up its space for a Squareback. As I said, things do change, just slowly. Or sideways, if that makes sense.
I’ll take the Volvo please
No, I’ll take the Volvo.
And sharrows in the street. The future of transportation in Eugene is . . . . . the bicycle!
Hey! Who let that Ford pickup in from the future?
That Super Duty could easily be 15+ years old by now!
I’ll take the Squareback…
Wow – is it fifteen years already? Time flies!
+1 on the Type 3.
I like the Volvo Amazon (122S), the Volkswagen Vanagon, and the 1969-70 Chevy truck.
Nice photo Paul and I wonder what the two pickups are used for?
One is obviously being used for ambience. (c:
Is that Chevy truck stock? The front axle doesn’t look like a 1 ton front axle to me.
Did they used to make them without the dished out hubs on the fronts?
No it is not stock, if it came with dual rear wheels then the front wheels would have matched. Based on how far the rear wheels don’t stick out past the cab I’d say that this one started life as a standard single rear wheel pickup and once the regular bed was out of the way they put on the dual rear wheels. It is a simple bolt on affair once the inner fender wells are out of the way.
That makes sense! I thought that axle looked like a 2×4 setup for a single rear wheel truck.
I think that this front end looks better, though. It makes the truck look more “utilitarian” to me.
I wouldn’t want to have to carry two spare tires, though.
I’ll still take the Chevrolet. Thank you very much!
No real reason to carry two spares, just one zero offset wheel will suffice. If one tire goes flat on the back just limp along and go easy on the loading until you get it fixed. If both rears fail then you can take them both off and put the single “front spare” on though depending on the exact rear wheels in use you may need some extra lug nuts.
I’m 50/50 on the truck being a dually from the factory. The wheelbase looks a little long for a truck with a bed. The rims on the front don’t look original, I had some 90’s Ford rims that looked exactly the same. I’ll bet that the owner replaced the front tires for safety. On a dually truck, a blowout on the rear axle isn’t the end of the world
To put zero offset wheels on that DRW truck you would need to change the brake drums too or the wheels would be sticking out 3-4″. Now later trucks with 4wd used an adapter to compensate for the offset of the dualie style wheels.
I do agree that in looking at it again the WB looks a little long to have started life as a pickup but it could be that it was a Longhorn Fleetside with the 8 1/2′ bed or 9′ version of the step side bed.
The wheelbase of this truck is decidedly longer than any pickup. It’s a C30 with factory duals; I’ve looked at it many times. Why they changed the front hubs and wheels is a mystery.
FWIW, I’ve seen some early 70s Dodge van cut-away motorhomes that had dually rears but the conventional type front wheels. Odd.
Well they could have worn out the drums and not been able to find replacements anywhere near as cheap or available as those from a C20/30 with single rear wheels. Probably much cheaper to get the SRW drums and a set of wheels.
I stand corrected. Those hubs looked abnormal, but I like it. The truck struck me as being long, too. Now that you mention it, there’s a Dodge Kary Van in service around here that has the 2 wheel drive style hubs. I wonder what they do for brakes. I’d assume that box vans would be really hard on front brakes.
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I used to own a 1997 E350 Box Van. I had one rear tire flat- on each side. This was right after I bought it. That pretty much set the pace. I had to go 40 miles until the next services, and the truck made it. Duals are definitely great for safety.
Typically the hydraulics, friction materials and hardware are the same on the front of a SRW and DRW 1 ton, it is usually just the drum or rotor assembly that is different on these older models.
Gimme the squareback a friend wants one he might even swap his split screen van for it though that would be wishful thinking after all the rebuilding and ebaying of suspension parts lately for his van hes likely to keep it another 12 years or so.
There’s a fastback near me on chrome ‘fuchs’. Modding these is becoming the thing; I don’t think they’ll ever see the prices of a splitty though.
Nice!
Mom had not one but two Squarebacks in that exact shade of orange. Still my favorite color, but I don’t care to ever ride in one again. Just the smell of the Fine Wolfsburgian Rubber interior would probably make me ill.
I want the VW Van, I see these all over Portland.
Love that colour on the Squareback.
Remind me of the residency qualifications for Curbsidelandia, and please check if I qualify!