hile short wheelbase, single-cab classic trucks are certainly cool, being able to haul your family and friends in a crew cab pickup is cool too, just on a larger scale.

Early on crew cab trucks were built by a number of aftermarket suppliers for the military and various industries, like railroads, oil companies, and logging operations. It wasn’t until 1957 that crew cabs were offered to the general public and somewhat surprisingly that year the first U.S. manufacturer to bring them to the consumer market was International Harvester with the Travelette. Dodge introduced its version of the crew cab in 1963, Ford followed in 1965, and GMC and Chevrolet in 1973.  

When General Motors introduced the Chevrolet and GMC Crew Cab trucks they were available in 3/4- or 1-ton load capacities as a cab and chassis or a pickup with an 8-foot bed. Of course the big news was the introduction of the Chevrolet “Big Dooley” 1-ton Crew Cab pickup with dual rear wheels. GMC also offered a 1-ton “dualie,” both could be equipped with a 454-inch big-block and were immediate hits with anyone who towed a trailer or boat.

he floor-mounted automatic transmission shifter is little more than a lever moved between shift positions, from Park to Drive, with little other use. Posing as a traditional manual trans shifter, it looks cool but its function is not as impressive. While it could be used to shift between gears manually, that slushbox automatic trans still won’t provide the same gear-slamming action that an old Muncie could provide.

Today however, with the advent of modern, electronically controlled transmissions, not only do we have the ability to tune and tweak the shifting characteristics of said transmission, but, thanks to Lokar Performance Products, we can partake in a more accurate manual shifting experience. In doing so, Lokar has taken the simple floor shift and infused it with influences taken from the exotic car world. The result? The Lokar Electronic Sport Mode Shifter (ESS).

othing makes your classic truck stand out from the rest more than customization. It’s the personalizing of your ride through changes regardless of whether they are subtle—think stance along with wheel and tire combinations, or more advanced including sheetmetal fabrication, driveline upgrades, exotic bed wood, and even a cutting-edge chassis. Seeing that trucks were purpose-built mostly for utilitarian use, it’s easy to see there’s plenty of room for enhancement, including adding a bit of art to their lines.

n eight short years, the Grand National F-100 Show has exploded in growth as it takes over the tourist town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for several days each year. The event is held on the third weekend of May, and takes place at the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge, an awesome venue that features indoor and outdoor space and plenty of room for growth. Hosting an event in a tourist town can be tricky, but Joe Carpenter and crew continue to excel, bringing thousands of people to town every spring.

Inside the convention center, you can count on an outstanding display of show trucks, as well as numerous vendors and food options. The outdoor portion of the event experienced huge growth in recent years, and an updated event layout allowed for additional space for more than 1,000 trucks and an expanded swap meet and vendor area. Free spectator parking and shuttle service adds to the affordable, family friendly atmosphere.

The event filled every square inch of the venue, packing 1,337 Ford trucks into the facility with promises for additional space next year. Of all the trucks, Best in Show honors went to the radical blue Bumpside built by the crew at Scott’s Hotrods. There were plenty of other high-end show trucks on display, as well as some good old-fashioned farm trucks and everything in-between. There was also a great variety of four-wheel-drive trucks, ranging from mildly lifted classics to wildly modified mud trucks.