In the late ’90s and early 2000s, America’s largest manufacturers overhauled many of their truck designs, and needless to say, fans of the previous look weren’t happy. Today, more than two decades later, classic cars are more popular than ever, and OBS trucks are in high demand. What the heck is an “OBS” truck, you ask? It basically refers to vintage body trucks that were invented before the 1990s. These trucks feature a classic design not found in most modern trucks. Let’s take a deeper look at the meaning of the word.
Most Common OBS Trucks
OBS trucks are becoming much-loved classics, and as a result, their price tags have become very affordable. If you’re going to buy one, you should act fast before the price rises further.
As mentioned above, most vintage body trucks are American-made. Without a doubt, the most popular models come from the Big Three: Ford, Chevrolet, and General Motors. Below are key specs and other information on the most famous models.
Chevrolet and GMC C/K
The Chevrolet C/K series is sold under the Chevrolet and GMC brands and was manufactured by General Motors between 1988 and 1998. While pickup trucks are the most common, the C/K family also includes medium and heavy-duty trucks.
Each version in the range is offered with either a two-wheel drive or a four-wheel drive powertrain. “C” means two-wheel drive, and “K” means four-wheel drive.
In 1988, General Motors released eight different versions of the C/K series, each in 2WD or 4WD: Fleetside Single Cab, Fleetside Extended Cab, Fleetside Crew Cab, and Stepside Single Cab models. The 1988 version was available in three trim levels, including Cheyenne, Scottsdale, and Silverado.
The shared fourth-generation C/K platform is known internally as the GMT400. The C/K term is only used by Chevrolet, and GMC originally named its full-size pickup the Sierra.
Originally produced as a full-size pickup and chassis cab, the GMT400 platform expanded into a full-size SUV a few years later. Like the 10th generation of the Ford F-Series, the GMT800 platform that follows the GMT400 isn’t as hyped as its predecessor. Today, the GMT400 is used as the basis for many of the most popular vintage body trucks.
In 1990, Chevrolet introduced the 454 SS high-performance variant of the GMT400 under the Supersport emblem, available only as a two-wheel drive half-ton regular cab short box in Onyx Black. The 454 SS features a Garnet Red interior and unique exterior features including special rims, red trim badges, front air flaps with fog lights, a black-painted grille, bumpers, and mirrors.
The high-performance 454 SS is powered by a 7.4L V-8 producing 230 horsepower and enhanced by a 3-speed automatic transmission, Turbo Hydra-Matic 400, and a 3.73 rear axle ratio. The axle itself is unique and is a 14-bolt semi-floating setup that uses standard Chevrolet 5-inch wheels, the only factory-made 14-bolt axle with such a wheel-bolt pattern.
The 1990 model had an MSRP of $18,295 and 13,748 units were sold in its first year of the introduction alone. In the four years that the 454 SS was in production, 16,953 units were sold.
If you like the old-school look that only trucks with vintage body styles can offer, check out the following models, which all share the class-defining platform and unique aesthetics of OBS trucks:
- Chevrolet C/K
- Chevrolet Trailblazer
- Chevrolet Tahoe
- Chevrolet Suburban
- Cicero
- GMC Suburbs
- Yukon
What Does OBS Truck Mean?
What does OBS truck mean? It means “old body style” and refers to the boxy and sturdy trucks designed by American manufacturers in the 1990s. The standard for OBS trucks is rather loose, as it is the term used by fans of this old body style.
Generally speaking, OBS trucks are limited by the year of production. Interestingly, some gearheads also coined the term “OOB” to describe the “old, old body style” that would distinguish it from OBS. The only other criteria for an OBS truck is that it is American-made, but sometimes the ideal imported model with the same style is also called OBS.
The early 1990s, and especially 1988, marked the birth of the classic OBS truck. Trucks from 2000 onwards are referred to as “new body styles” due to the overhaul of pickup truck designs that took place around 2000, which marked the threshold for trucks to be considered OBS.
Why Are OBS Trucks Popular?
Customers are generally interested in more modern cars. However, this is not the case with American OBS trucks. Until now, people are still wondering why OBS trucks are so popular?
The reason is clear, we traced what happened when people switched to new body trucks. We found that newer body-on-trucks were aimed at a more cost-effective construction style, and as a result, newer trucks lacked the unique designs and attractive innovations of older trucks.
So, immediately after the introduction of a new truck, customers miss the old truck and are encouraged to seek out the classic truck in the market. That’s why you see those OBS trucks are very popular.
How Did People Modify the OBS Trucks?
While the design of OBS trucks is very popular, the love that people have for these trucks hasn’t stopped people from making some modifications to enhance the overall look of these trucks. Most OBS truck enthusiasts tend to keep the engine and major components the same while making some modifications to the exterior and other minor features such as:
Repaint
Since classic OBS trucks may not have the best paint color to the last longer, many owners decide to replace their vehicles with higher-quality paint.
There aren’t any specific trends in paint colors or brands for OBS trucks, but general reasons to repaint these trucks are:
- Adds additional appearance improvements, especially duotone shades
- Improve appearance by styling the paint with a high gloss finish
- Change the color to a more protective color to keep the metal structure safe
Headlight upgrade
Since most OBS trucks are not equipped with top-of-the-line and most efficient headlights, many customers tend to replace headlights and taillights and upgrade them to better ones. For example, by installing new LED lights, customers are able to achieve better visibility and save a lot of gas while improving the overall appearance of such trucks.
Window tinting
Another group of clients preferred to change the overall look of the windows here, as some of them tinted the windows to make them look sleeker and more attractive.
Vehicle Exhaust System Upgrade
Many OBS truck owners decide to swap out their exhaust system for a more powerful system. So don’t be surprised to see some vintage trucks with chrome exhaust tips.
Tire upgrade
Upgrading the tires and replacing them with larger-size tires can give the OBS truck a more attractive look to attract people on the road. As a result, many older body trucks have decided to lift the suspension system to make these trucks more visible on the road.
Interior upgrade
Finally, some OBS truck enthusiasts decided to upgrade the interior and install new custom seats. However, the upgrade setup is not a common upgrade as most OBS truck enthusiasts prefer to keep the classic interior design of these trucks.
Why Are Chevy Trucks Called OBS?
Sometimes people refer to Chevrolet trucks as OBS, which means the truck spirit of the old body style; however, that doesn’t mean old Chevrolet trucks are old-fashioned, as they will be we only show those vehicles made before 1988. However, Chevrolet then built multi-ton trucks.
Chevrolet trucks are sometimes referred to as OBS because they are so popular that many people want to buy unique vintage Chevrolet trucks. , these vintage trucks are even more popular than Chevrolet’s more recent trucks.
How Much Does It Cost to Buy An OBS Truck?
It depends on the truck you plan to buy. For example, if you’re looking for a Ford or BS truck, like the F-150, F-250, and ask 350, you might find one in good condition for around $10,000.
However, if you decide to choose a Legendary product in a larger size from the same list, the price could be closer to $20,000.
Keep in mind that the price of a truck is highly dependent on the truck manufacturer, size, power and extras. For example, if you plan to buy a truck from Ford, you want to find it for the same price as buying an OBS truck from GMC or Chevrolet.
As you may have noticed, even though OBS trucks aren’t modern, they still hold their value, and they’re still not cheap.
If you want to know the exact price to buy an OBS truck, you can refer to some of the bigger platforms like CarMax or Craigslist, as well as eBay motor.
Is It Worth Buying An OBS Truck?
Again, a lot depends on your own goals and objectives. For example, if you’re looking for a unique classic truck that will entice people around you to hit the road, you can go for a vintage body truck.
However, these trucks don’t offer all the features you might need, especially if you have a family or a lot of people driving every day.
Therefore, it is recommended that you evaluate your goals before making a final decision and invest about $10,000 (if not $20,000) in a vintage body truck.
Summary
OBS trucks represent vintage body style trucks designed prior to 1988. These vehicles feature a unique design that you won’t find in newer upgrades, as most upgrades focus on cost-saving designs.
Automotive experts recommend that you evaluate your situation and accurately determine your goals before making your final decision to buy an OBS truck. These trucks aren’t super cheap, as they’ll probably cost you $10,000 to $20,000. Therefore, you must be clear about what you are buying this car for, and at the same time understand its limitations.