GMC Palm Beach

GMC PALM BEACH!

I was riding my bike along a grimy stretch of 58th Street in Brooklyn between 1st and 2nd Avenues when this mighty vision presented itself:

Abbondanza!
This colossus is a 1973-1978 GMC Motorhome wearing its original Palm Beach livery.

These capsule shaped RVs are unique for several reasons. First of all they are the only motorhome manufactured by a major automaker in history. The fact that the truck division of General Motors designed and built this RV start to finish in-house means the components all worked together beautifully and parts remain available.

The other wholly unique feature is that these motorhomes were all front wheel drive! They incorporated the Olds Toronado running gear, starting with the 455 V8 and moving to the 403 in later years. Some of them used the Cadillac 501 that came in the Eldorado

Because the engine and transmission were sitting with the drive wheels up front there was no need for a driveshaft hump that would require a higher floor. Much like the Toronado and Eldorado, these rides boasted a low, flat floor front to back. One quirky solution to keep the low floor full-length is that the rear wheels are not connected by axles! Each pair of wheels on each side were connected to each other, but not to the ones opposite. Only the wheel wells themselves would encroach on the interior, and not by much.

From the above angle we can see that this is the full size, 26 foot model. There were some 23 foot ones too but they are much more rare.

While it's not a door the entire rear panel can be taken out by removing all of the bolts you can see here. This allows for an easy remodeling of the interior or even installing an entire store-bought bed.

This single door is the only way in or out. The body is fiberglass over an aluminum frame which was strong and aerodynamic.

The fact that it was a large fiberglass shell allowed for more window space than any RV previous.

You've gotta love the original color scheme and decals. Palm Beach only denoted this color combo as well as matching interior. The 260 designation meant that this was the 26 footer.

That huge roll out awning on the door side would give you a righteous side yard. From this angle you can see the burgundy and silver model lurking in the background. Either these folks are rolling insanely deep or one of these is a parts rig.

Well there you have it; an innovative motorhome parked amidst crumbling warehouses. A total of 13,000 of these were built by GMC over the span of 5 years, and an impressive 7,000 of them are still registered today! That makes this one of the most durable and reliable vehicles ever made, which on the surface seems absurd. If you have the parking space and want a vacation cruiser I think this is the way to go. There are serious fan clubs and aftermarket suppliers looking to keep every one of these on the road. For $15,000 you can find one in just about perfect condition with all the mechanicals rebuilt and the interior upgraded. Happy Trails!

Topless Americana

TOPLESS AMERICANA

Robin from Omaha sent in these pics over a year ago. I don't remember exactly but I think he might have been visiting some friends along the southern shore of Long Island. Regardless, look at this all-American beauty!

This is a 1966 Chevy Corvette convertible in some aftermarket blue (the closest factory color I could find was Marina Blue but that's not as dark). These mid-'60s 'vettes are some the of the quintessential years of the brand.

Dig this long nose with the hideaway headlights. The engine would originally have been a 327 V8. There was a 427 available as well but the hood would have a prominent bulge just to fit it.

This is one athletic, sexy ride. As with all Corvettes the body is fiberglass, engine up front, and drive wheels in the rear. The big wheel wells and rounded fenders make this thing look like it's going to pounce at any second. Those rims are from a late '70s 'vette.

Behold one of the worst gas cap placements for paint jobs ever - right in the middle of the trunk! This flip-up fuel door looks super cool, but dripping on the body is pretty much guaranteed.
That body-width line above the gas cap is the hinge side of a lid covering the space where the convertible top lives when you lower it. To access that hidden well you simply lift up on the rear edge of the top which will disengage and swing forward. Then there is a button under the front of the lid behind the seats to unlock the lid. It opens to the rear, allowing for the entire top to fold back into the space behind the seats. When you close it again the look is sleek as the top is completely hidden.

1965 and 1966 Corvettes were almost identical from the outside but there is one telltale clue: the Corvette script on the front driver's side of the hood means it is a '66. The '67 looked similar but those 3 big gills on the side would be 5 smaller ones. If this were a 1964 'vette there would be two indentations on the hood on either side of that middle spear. 

This is a perfect example of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". The 1965 Corvette sold like crazy. Then this 1966 comes along with basically zero changes and it continues to sell like nobody's business. The combination of lightweight, sexy body and enormous motor proved irresistible to the public. The next generation would come along in 1968 looking like a mako shark. It would continue all the way up into the '80s, proving that Chevy had a real winner on their hands for decades.