Square-body?

JD Miller · Oct 8, 2024

Who came up with the Term Square-body and when?

Ive owned my 81 since it was a few years old. I thought it was just a 1981 Chevy truck, a Silverado 4x4 k20.

Then a few years ago I was told it was a called square-body

:shrug:

Grit dog · Oct 8, 2024

I never paid attention to them since the time they were just “trucks” to me, until about 4 years ago when the boy wanted an old truck for his first car. By then, they were popularly called squarebodys.
However the age of this forum may be a good clue and it’s about 15 years old I think.
That said, the internet says they were nicknamed squarebodys back when the first models were produced. I don’t believe it stuck as no one called them that in the 80s/90s.

TotalyHucked · Oct 8, 2024

The funny thing is they were called "Rounded Line" by GM when they came out. I remember them being called Squarebodies when I was a kid in the early-mid 90s even

dd1990 · Oct 8, 2024

To be fair what 80s car truck is not a "Squarebody"

bucket · Oct 8, 2024

It probably varies greatly by region. I never heard them called squarebodies at all in the 90's. Just "old body style", and it wasn't even really that common to hear.

I never really heard them called that until a couple years before this forum came about. Then all of the sudden, that's about all I heard them called.

fast 99 · Oct 8, 2024

Probably originated after the later body style was introduced. Comparing the 2 they are squarer.

WFO · Oct 9, 2024

dd1990 said:
To be fair what 80s car truck is not a "Squarebody"

80-81 Camaros, Firebirds and Corvettes of all eras.

David King · Oct 14, 2024

As mentioned above, they were originally labeled as Rounded Lines pickups when they originally came out in 1973. Customers/Owners actually coined the phrase "Square Bodies" and it has stuck ever since. Square Bodies: 1973-1987

Tyger13us · Oct 14, 2024

I dunno, back in the olden daze we called um "Bricks" because they are as aerodynamic as a brick. lol

Hunter79764 · Oct 14, 2024

For a fair amount of time, I was confused as the 90's style seemed to be more described as "square" based on design elements (door shapes, tail lights, grill shapes, etc) where 73-87 seemed to have generously rounded corners, but then if you look at a blank side profile, I suppose the overall share is blockier.

Either way, I think it's a better term than what's used on the new ones, as we went from Square Body, to OBS Old Body Style, to NBS New Body Style, to NNBS New New Body Style... Not even sure where it's gone from there, I quit paying attention to all of them after about 2010, only mildly aware to be able to answer other people's questions.

Keith Seymore · Oct 14, 2024

We never called 'em that.

They were C/Ks, then GMT400, then GMT800, then GMT900, then K2 and then T1.

Then I retired.

K

Fat 454 · Oct 15, 2024

Keith Seymore said:
We never called 'em that.

They were C/Ks, then GMT400, then GMT800, then GMT900, then K2 and then T1.

Then I retired.

K

Ha Ha, that's the best post I have seen all week!..

Craig Nedrow · Oct 15, 2024

Dang, all this time I thought they were talking about girls.

slammed84 · Oct 17, 2024

We were calling them squarebodies in high school 22 years ago, so I know it's been around at least that long.

What throws me is calling 88-98 "Old Body Style"

JD Miller · Oct 17, 2024

Craig Nedrow said:
Dang, all this time I thought they were talking about girls.

Spud butts, and race horses

Square-body?

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