Contenu
When Don McLean wrote his "American Pie" anthem, singing about driving his Chevy to the levee, it evoked a heartland memory of America embodied in a pickup truck. The 1975 Chevrolet truck was the standard model continued during the same decade and used by thousands of drivers, young and old. The specifications on the truck tell a bit about history as well, designed before the oil embargo and gas line shortages had hit in full effect. Even by todays standards versus SUVs, the 75 model was still a large vehicle in its own right.
Basic Features
The truck was sold in a six-cylinder and eight-cylinder engine design, depending on the owners preference. However, California buyers were limited to just the V-8 engine because state emission standards barring the smaller engine. Six-cylinder engines came in two choices: a 205-cubic inch model and a 292-cubic inch option. The eight-cylinder design offered five different choices with the bottom of the range providing a 307-cubic inch engine and the top monster sizing in at 400-cubic inches. The truck grille sported the horizontal, body-wide truck emblem on the front of the vehicle. The truck body shape continued the "rounded body" features of design started with the 1973 model. This same 1975 shape continued until changed in 1991.
Changes Made in 1975
The 1975 model marked the first year the smaller 307 V-8 engine was not used in the Chevy truck. The eight-cylinder engine built with the 75 truck model had an output of 6,000 pounds of towing with a 400-cubic inch engine. The matching transmission to the V-8 engine makeup was an automatic with an NP 203 four-wheel drive design. The manual transmission choice provided the NP 205 transfer case.
Options
New trucks came with three different trim options. The standard package provided was the Custom trim. The Scottsdale provided the middle of the road option, and the Silverado trim was reserved for the full-price choice. The chassis type came in four different options which include the standard two- and four-wheel drive choices and then package designs for light duty or commercial use. The transmission on the automatic was limited to a three-speed package, but the manual transmission provided a choice of four speeds.
