by "Pickup_man" (zekeh)
Published 12/07/2017 at 16:36
by "Pickup_man" (zekeh)
Published 12/07/2017 at 16:36
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STARS: 16
Decided to hang it in my office cube. This was taken by one of the engineers who worked here for 50 some years, and who’s father was involved in starting the company. He designed and we built all of the bumpers you see in this picture. Unfortunately he passed away around this time last year, but recently we’ve been going through some old drawings and documents and I decided to save some of the cool ones. Some I’ll hang up around the office, some I’m going to bring home.
Here’s another one of my favorites that I hung in my cube. This is a hand drawn, 24" x 36" print for a grille guard that fits a 1968 Diamond Reo truck, drawn somewhere around 1973. We have stacks of these drawings. I haven’t been through the whole stack but some of the ones I plan on framing include grille guards for the 64-73 Ford, International Harvester trucks, and the Mazda REPU.
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
12/07/2017 at 16:50, STARS: 0
WOW that’s cool! Late ’80s/early ’90s, judging by those pre-GMT400 Suburbans in the background.
"Highlander-Datsuns are Forever" (jamesbowland)
12/07/2017 at 16:51, STARS: 2
Looks very early 90's to me. Back when a truck was a truck.
"Pickup_man" (zekeh)
12/07/2017 at 16:52, STARS: 2
I’m assuming then too. Another thing that amazes me. Not an extended cab to be seen, let alone a crew cab. Single cabs for daaaaayyyssss. I don’t even think I see a shortbox in there.
"fintail" (fintail)
12/07/2017 at 16:53, STARS: 0
I see a couple of squarebody (barn door) Suburbans in the background, assuming they were new, no later than 1991. Dealer ID tags on tailgates, too.
"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
12/07/2017 at 16:54, STARS: 1
And people say the RAM lettering is too big
"Pickup_man" (zekeh)
12/07/2017 at 16:54, STARS: 1
On second look I think there’s a couple extended cabs in there, way back in the right hand row.
"Party-vi" (party-vi)
12/07/2017 at 16:57, STARS: 0
Very cool. I’d have all sorts of those drawings hanging in my office. Flex-N-Gate or somewhere similar?
ETA: Nvm. I know exactly where that is. Sweet job, man.
"Pickup_man" (zekeh)
12/07/2017 at 16:58, STARS: 1
Yeah, I think these were new when the picture was taken. That dealership is still there, and still a Chevy dealership, it’s gone through a couple name changes though.
Crazy to think, if this is no later than 1991, was was about 1 year old at the time. And that drawing is nearly 17 years older than I am.
"Brickman" (legomaniacman)
12/07/2017 at 17:00, STARS: 0
Great picture. Those are some tough bumpers. Still see old chevy trucks around all beat up and the original bumper is a bit rusted but strong.
"Pickup_man" (zekeh)
12/07/2017 at 17:01, STARS: 2
Somewhere similar. Wont say the whole company name lest I say something that pisses someone off and comes back to bite me in the ass.
"Pickup_man" (zekeh)
12/07/2017 at 17:04, STARS: 0
They were some good bumpers, our grille guards were too. We haven’t made any bumpers for probably close to 10 years now, same with the grille guards, and we still occasionally get calls from someone who wants replacement parts, or are restoring an old truck and want new parts, or the pulled one out of junk yard and want to put it on their truck.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
12/07/2017 at 17:05, STARS: 1
For a period in my life, I wanted to be a draftsman. I loved the precision, and the pencil and paper. I’m not sure I’d enjoy doing CAD nearly as much.
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
12/07/2017 at 17:06, STARS: 0
Hey now that’s not fair. Chevy crammed three times as many letters into almost the same amount of space. RAM should have turned out more like this:
"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario)
12/07/2017 at 17:07, STARS: 1
Man, I can’t imagine having to hand draw everything. Doing it through CAD is so easy.
"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
12/07/2017 at 17:09, STARS: 0
Yeah, but, that truck’s like half the size of current ones.
I bet if you measure the width and height of the letters versus the size of the trucks they’d be pretty close, ratio-wise.
"Roadster Man" (roadsterman)
12/07/2017 at 17:11, STARS: 1
I feel obligated to reply because you are Pickup Man and I am Roadster Man, and we have Brickman commenting too.
That’s a very cool picture!
"Pickup_man" (zekeh)
12/07/2017 at 17:17, STARS: 2
I’m not a huge fan of 2D cad, it’s ok but not very satisfying and I haven’t done enough drafting to really get into it. I love 3D modeling though. Something about being able to create something from nothing but an image in my head, and knowing how to build that thing is deeply satisfying to me. Another thing I love about my job is that I get to be very involved in physically building that idea as well. I’ve designed a few things so far that we’ve starting selling, and while they’re not ideally what I had pictured, or are more mimics of competitor designs instead of fresh ones (because bean counters, marketing and sales people, you know, basic corporate world stuff), I can’t wait to see something that I made on the road. When that day comes it will be one of the greatest days of my life. I’ve already seen some of my stuff in videos, or heard some positive reviews and it’s such a weird feeling that someone is willing to spend their actual money on something that I thought up (not that it’s always a solo effort, give credit where credit is due) and designed.
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
12/07/2017 at 17:27, STARS: 0
Haha yeah, I bet yesterday’s “full-size” trucks would be considered “mid-size” today.
Say, does your truck have that lettering? I’ve got the Chevy tailgate on my ’95 GMC. Ain’t nuthin’ more ’Murican than a good ol’ fashioned truck-measuring contest...
"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
12/07/2017 at 17:37, STARS: 1
I parked my lowered ‘97 Silverado next to my co-worker’s 2014 RAM and had a picture I lost, but yeah. BIIIG difference.
Mine has just the ram logo on the back. But I googled it and the RAM letters are 5 inches high, not sure how wide.
"cluelessk" (cluelessk)
12/07/2017 at 17:45, STARS: 1
I regret not at least taking drafting as a minor in high school.
Majored in Autobody.
"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro)
12/07/2017 at 17:58, STARS: 1
Just checked my tailgate: Chevy letters are 4" tall, with an average width of 5" each (51" overall).
RAM letters are 5"? Wow, I thought they’d be bigger than that. Yeah, I guess there’s a bit of an optical illusion there after all.
As for width, as near as I can guess, each RAM letter appears to be the width of an American license plate (about 12").
"Future next gen S2000 owner" (future-next-gen-s2000-owner)
12/07/2017 at 18:14, STARS: 1
Something about being able to create something from nothing but an image in my head, and knowing how to build that thing is deeply satisfying to me.
Best feeling in the world. I’ve had a complete of my designs get built and used. Something so....satisfying about it.
"Quadradeuce" (quadradeuce)
12/07/2017 at 19:06, STARS: 1
I have an old stack of technical drawings of brewing fittings from the old Pabst brewery in Milwaukee. I’ve framed a couple, but I’m trying to decide if there’s a market for these things. It seems a shame they are sitting in my office rather than on someone’s wall, but who knows if people are into drawings of cocks* and nipples*.
*Yes, those are terms for fittings and valves.
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
12/07/2017 at 20:57, STARS: 0
I’ve been through this before. There’s not as much difference as you’d think. It’s mostly just visual trickery.
Here, you do the homework this time
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
12/07/2017 at 20:57, STARS: 0
I’ve been through this before. There’s not as much difference as you’d think. It’s mostly just visual trickery.
Here, you do the homework this time
"Pickup_man" (zekeh)
12/08/2017 at 11:36, STARS: 0
I always wondered the same thing. I’m sure there’s a couple people out there who would enjoy those drawings, like plumbers or plumbing engineers. If not them the I’m sure hipsters would love them because they would look cool in their industrial themed rooms and boutiques. Then there’s the people who would just like one because it’s from the Pabst brewery. Hell, I’d like one just because it’s from the Pabst brewery, and because I think that stuff is cool.