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Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Well, I knew I had a small window of opportunity to do this before my 61 takes residence in the garage, so it was now or who knows when...

After countless photochops to play with the proportions, I ended up using the longbed-to-shortbed conversion dimensions. For those who aren't familiar, it's -12" in wheelbase and -8" from the back end for an overall reduction of 20" (that's a LOT of garage space)

This is the rendering that really sold it for me:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178507606

I would have posted pics in process but I literally had two weeks to get this done and it ended up taking three...

Here's the final pic of the Sub life; the before pic:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...1550Medium.jpg

Here we go...:hm:
Tear Down:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...1552Medium.jpg
Gates off
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...1553Medium.jpg
That's gonna have to go...
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...1554Medium.jpg
These were nice while they lasted... I'll make new ones
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...1555Medium.jpg
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...1556Medium.jpg
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...1557Medium.jpg
Roomy...
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...1558Medium.jpg

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

You can't simply take 8" and 12" slices out of this thing and weld it back together like a truck bed. These have C-Pillars, a third door, and rear quarter glass to consider.

This is where all my Tahoe Photo-Chopping really paid off. I found when I did the renderings that it was easiest to just move the rear wheel wells forward 12" and then the rear and roof forward 20". I also knew from that experience that the roof was slightly domed, so the further forward the slice, the better.

Here are the exterior layout lines:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178510730

No turning back now!!!
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178510730
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178510730
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178510730

By including the braces and fuel filler passage in this section I can just move it all forward as one unit:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178510730
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178510730

Ouch :lol:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178510730
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178510730

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Thats going to look sweet when you get done with it. Looks like you had a couple of good hands helping you out to.

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

oh my god...this is going to be so sweet.....i was waiting for someone to hunker down and get this done.....i'll be watching, i got 2 extra burb bodies that i think are wanting to get cut up soon too......looks sweet so far!!! keep up with the pics.....

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Well...wow...I have three extra burbs I was going to just going to get rid of. This makes me want to just cover em up for now and see what yours looks like finished. I think if I destroyed two of em trying to figure out how this works the third one may get finished...lol...someday.

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

i assume this is going to stay a 3 dr for now?

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

:jdp: That's just incredible! Can't wait to see it completely finished. :metal:

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Way cool!!.. cant wait to see more pics..
I can really appreciate a guy who is not afraid to cut one up!!
I love it!!

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

FINALLY, someone is going to build one. I was wondering when this was going to happen!! Looks awesome, the fun part is going to be the other side with the door!!

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

dont like it, i saw one at a show last year,looks like a swb with a burb roof on it.

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Awesome project, Mike! It just makes me feel badly about going fishing this weekend...LOL!

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

I think that is will be real cool. Nice work. Looks like lyou are having a good time with the kids. Keep it up.

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Quote:

Originally Posted by 72CSTC5 (Post 2162604)

FINALLY, someone is going to build one. I was wondering when this was going to happen!! Looks awesome, the fun part is going to be the other side with the door!!

The 3rd door is pretty much done. Just needs some finishing work. The truck was 90% done and driving before I even started this thread. I just don't have the time to post all the pics in one sitting :o More to come today. But ya, you're right. It did take some on-the-fly-engineering. That's why I did the driver's side first ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3/4tonterror (Post 2162632)

dont like it, i saw one at a show last year,looks like a swb with a burb roof on it.

Well, I appreciate your honesty :) Are you sure you saw one with a 115" wheelbase and notched 3rd door? I have looked and looked and have never seen one done this way. I've seen this:
http://customclassictrucks.com/event...maria_15_z.jpg

...and I've seen them with a some rear-end trimming, but never the way I'm doing it; "Tahoe Style." If you or anyone else has pics of one done this way I'd love to see them!

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

<click> Subscribe.....

Killer build. That had to take some serious cajones to bring the cutoff wheel to clean original sheet metal. The progress looks great. I like the on the fly engineering too.

Don't worry about the one guy that hates it. Your building for yourself, not him. Anybody that doesn't like it can click the back button and go look at another thread.

I like "phantoms" or versions of trucks/cars that could have been made but weren't. If done right (and it looks like its going in the right direction) its probably going to look like it was factory when completed. Then you'll get the folks coming up saying they remember having one like that as a kid or an uncle had one a long time ago.

Very unique, keep up the good work!

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

I know you did this just so you can place in the top 10 at that Porsche auto cross!!!!!!!!!!

You NEVER asked for anyone's opinion about this but I think this is an awesome project and a great idea. I still can't believe you got it done in 3 weeks while losing one weekend to an injury! That is one "stinking" complex conversion!

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

thats goign to be freakin sweet

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Nice job Mike!:metal: . Can't wait to see it completed!:)

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

That is an insane amount of work, can't wait to see the finished product. :D

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

You've got more guts than I do. That looks good sof ar,cant' wait to see the finished product.

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Thanks everyone :) And I don't mind opinions, for, against, or even suggestions.

Now for the 3rd door...

This side obviously takes a different approach than the drivers side. I did the driver's side first because I wanted to build some experience level before tackling the pass side.

Here you can see I already started cutting. The blue line (center one) is level reference:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

Again, this ledge/cap has to go:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

Prep'ing for surgery:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

Here we go...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334
Rust repair via elimination of the area :lol:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Quote:

Originally Posted by 67sub (Post 2162921)

You've got more guts than I do. That looks good sof ar,cant' wait to see the finished product.

X2

Your "test fit" looks better than the majority of body work I've ever done, so I'm sure it'll be sweet once you get done.

Thanks for sharing.

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

On to the rocker.

Old one removed (left the front turn up section in place):

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

POR 15:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

I had a front/pass side rocker replacement laying around, so...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

You can see here that I had to extent the rear of this rocker by about an inch. Also added the outer lip to the wheel tub:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

On to the door.

Here's where the wheel well will come through (black line) and some blue cut lines:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

I didn't take a lot of pics of this, but here's the door cut and POR 15'ed:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

I moved the inner door corner forward and tilted it back slightly to line up with the rocker:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

Last shot of this rig with a square 3rd door...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

Cut the outer skin to accept the panel I cut from the wheel arch earlier:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

It's coming together now... :metal:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178562334

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Man this thing is looking good! Cant wait to see it finished.

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Crazy, just crazy! Gonna be a sick ride when it's done.

Mike

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

For those who have yet to replace your body mounts :lol:

These are the rears:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178566233

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

12" from between the trailing arm member and tranny member:

I envy you guys that got to do this on a bare frame...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178566233

Coming together. I used a floor jack on the trailing-arm member and a trailer strap between that and the front susp member. Getting this all to line up took several hours and some help. I don't have a shot of it, but 12" put the trailing arm member just in front of a floor support. Like it was meant to be...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178566233

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178566233

ECE Boxing plates in. I was only able to use 13" of it. Not sure what the other guys are doing?
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178566233

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178566233

All POR 15'ed up
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178566233

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178566233

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178566233

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178566233

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Sweet project I will be watching this one.

Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

To make room for the rear frame kick-up I had to notch the body/floor brace (front of cargo area) pretty severely. I also had to take quite a bit out of the rear passenger floor and seat mount (front of middle row seat).

The body mounts for this position were on the side of the frame before; like the ones in the previous post. But because I notched the body member to clear the frame I had to do something to restore strength in those areas.

I came up with one solution for both issues: Reinforce with 1/4" plate and use that as the new body mount location. So now, the body mounts sit on top of the frame like the rear do.

You can see in this pic where I cut 1-1/4" holes in the frame for this purpose (already POR 15'ed). You can also see the Flintstone treatment in the rear floor...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178567653

Here's how that all came together:

The plate is angled to match the frame.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178567653

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178567653

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178567653

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178567653

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...g?t=1178567653