Hooniverse Asks: What's your favorite factory truck stripe package?

By Peter Tanshanomi Feb 10, 2011


Two weeks ago, during our discussion about whether or not wagons should still have woodgrain, the comments drifted into a discussion of various malaise-era truck graphics. Black Steelies suggested that we make it a Hooniverse Asks entry for Truck Thursday. Today, we dutifully comply.

During the Malaise Era, truck manufacturers were eager to increase truck sales by pitching them as not just utilitarian cargo carriers, but “lifestyle enhancements” that would turn on the chicks, earn other guys’ respect, and provide all the fun and excitement that the post-embargo/pre-ECU world had to offer. But how? Increasing the horsepower or fuel efficiency of their emissions-strangled engines was pretty hopeless. But they could at least make them look fun and exciting. The solution? “Sport Stripes!”
Functionally neutral but visually entertaining, ranging from subtle to absurd — what is your favorite factory “sport truck” graphics package (of any era)?

By Peter Tanshanomi

Tanshanomi is Japanese [単車のみ] for "motorcycle(s) only." Though primarily tasked with creating two-wheel oriented content for Hooniverse, Pete is a lover of all sorts of motorized vehicles.

78 thoughts on “Hooniverse Asks: What's your favorite factory truck stripe package?”
          1. A lot more than Billy Hays tried to get out with. I remember seeing that film in the theater. Intense.

  1. I would have to say that the Ford "Free Wheeling" stripe kit was one that I always thought was cool. Very dated look, but I think that is part of the reason I like it so much. It is probably one of the best recognizable '70's era stripe packages that I can think of.

    1. Back in the day, a friend of mine replaced the dying 4-banger in his early '70's courier with a rotary liberated from an RX-7. After painting it resale red, he replaced the script on the tailgate. Instead of "ROTARY POWER" he went with "RAPPIN' CHAINSAW POWER". Not long later, he lost his license.

        1. Did they all have that? I spent many hours riding around in my buddy Dave's Brat and never knew about it, if he did.

        1. The last new episode of Cops featured a man getting arrested after pulling a baseball bat out of his T-Top Brat and hitting another guy with it.
          America, fuck yeah!

          1. I thought beating people up with baseball bats taken from the back of your T-Top Brat was your Constitution?

      1. My Norton Commando had the black tank and gold graphics. I don't think it looked cheesy at all. Nothing whatsoever wrong with that Bultaco, either.

  2. Man, this is a great thread. I'm gonna pinch some of this (with hat tips) on Chevy/GMC truck Tuesdays on the Classic Industries Facebook fan page ( http://www.facebook.com/classicind )
    We actually have reproductions of these stripe packages including the Beau James and Gentleman Jim.
    I always wondered whatthe hell those looked like!

    1. That's PURDY! If I were your wife, I'd totally forgive you for bringing that thing home. And in fact I think you may have just called the winner, as I think that's my favourite in the thread so far.

    2. It seems like just last week I was talking about the Macho Power Wagon. Oh yeah, it was!
      Pure 70's urban cowboy cool.

    1. I still want a Baja S10. They are getting pretty rare. I overpaid for a rough one several years back, but I was living in a city where my neighbors decided that I didn't need my wheels or radiator. And when the city issued a warrant for my arrest for failure to maintain my property (having a truck with no wheels in my driveway), I had the wrecker tow it away.
      I live in a better area now, so I'd love to find a nice one, preferably without the troublesome digital dash.

  3. I feel your pain. 60s A100s are NOT cool everyone. Not cool at all. Utter trash.
    /Until I find mine.

      1. That's awesome. I've got a whole bunch of odd Nissan die-cast from back in my 510-nut days. But I've never seen that one!
        I wonder if that engine is supposed to be driving the wheels, or just being delivered to the racecar shop?

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