The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Federal mandate on large back windows in '68?

I just read where the Fed mandated big back cab windows from '68 on.
Anyone know why?
So the driver could see out, or the cops to see in?

my cpa has a 71 small window, whatcha tryin' to say?

oh, and before any of you "experts" try saying that it's been recabbed, you are wrong, it hasn't.

tomslik - feeling feisty today?

Crowbar - who knows what stupid thoughts were going through the fedheads in '68? It is possible but I have no idea... myself.

-W

I also had a 71 Chevy with the small back window.

crowbar - what you just read was in error - the GM trucks started using the 'panorama' back window as standard in 68, but the small window could be had until 72, end of that cab - seat belts and side markers were the only thing mandated by the feds - you might also be interested to know that 68 was the first year there were more V8 trucks produced than 6's

Bill

It was a manufacturer thing, not a Fed thing. My '69 Dodge D-100 parts truck has a little back window, and I had a '71 short step Chevy with just a 250, 3-spd and a heater that also was a small window.

I apologize for my error. It's a bit of info passed on to me at some time in the past. I was told it was to easier facilitate the extraction of an injured person from the cab, where access wasn't possible otherwise. Probably the reason for my thought that it was something mandated by a "higher" authority. Although I must say, I have never seen a "light" truck later than '67 with a small back window,(not even a Dodge)I'll take your word that they do exist.

A sad time in the history of trucks!

What?!?!?!?

Scott

my thought too, Scott, but I think what he's really refering to is the demise of the 283/327 and birth of the 350

Bill

I only ask due to this previous post:
"In '68 the Federal gov't mandated all light duty trucks to have large back window, and side marker lights on the fenders.

Well, whatever the reason we now have large windows, I LOVE my small window '65, it keeps most of the Texas and Arizona sun off my neck.
As an engineer, I would rather have a small window, more steel, less glass.

You don't need a back window at all as long as you have mirrors on both sides.

woog,just trying to set the record straight.

btw, it WAS fed mandated about the side marker lights in 68

dual m/c's in 67 altho studebakers had 'em WAY before that.

ya know. i'd LOVE to find a REPUTABLE site for "federal mandates"


seriously.

i think it would be really interesting.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/import/FMVSS/#SN101

This is a list of the FMVSS, direct from DOT. It doesn't go into a bunch of detail, rather it lists what that standard applies to.

Once you find the specific FMVSS you're looking for, you can Google that specific one, i.e. "FMVSS 101" and see it in much more detail.

Pretty easy, no?!

good one for the summaries Patrick, but don't even hafta google they\'ve also got the whole list in text or pdf formats -can't get more "reputable" than that

isn't the net the greatest resource in history!?

Bill

I could totally understand a federal mandate requiring a bigger back window.. since (unless you have a 5 window cab) it might be hard to see stuff over your shoulder..

... but there are alot of vehicles out there with NO back window. Vehicles with boxes on the back come to mind, as well as alot of cargo vans i've seen with no glass in the back doors.