1960 GMC Suburban
 

Hi all

In the process of bringing my 1960 GMC Suburban back to life as a driver. My father is the original owner purchasing this in late 1959 several months after I was born.

Learned to drive in this rig and it was my first driver. Heck of a party wagon in High school.:ennyd:

Time to rejuvenate this puppy. It's all original. Finished the front end, brakes and clutch slave cylinder. Drove it for the first time since 1980.

What a TANK !:burnout:

So anybody else have a 60-62 Suburban ?

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

Congrats on getting that thing back on the road! I know its a wonderful feeling to bring something back to life. Are you going to keep it original? I see a lot of these trucks tricked out at shows, but I like the original look with minor upgrades the most.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

Going to keep it, and restore some minor things back to original. MY son originally wanted to "lower" it, boom box it etc.

That AIN'T going to happen !

Still have the original hubcaps. I do need to find 2 -16-inch rims to match the other 3.

I am having a hard time on what color to paint it. I am leaning towards the original dark green and white.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

I have a several different original rims that I'm not going to use. Let me know if you're interested

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

CaptainFab,

Do you have any 15-inch original style rims for a 1960 GMC ? I can send a picture of what I need to match. I definately need one, could possibly use two.

Have some body work finishing up, should be primered in about a week, and then I get it home to start on the interior.

Bill

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

:wop:

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

OK...here is a picture just as body work was getting started. By next week it will be primered and most body work completed. There will still be some left to do.

It runs, and is drivable if driving a tank on city streets is legal :lol:

In process of getting some tires on it that aren't 28 years old.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

I don't know how traffic is is Tucson these days but you might want to think about a brake upgrade. Drum brakes in todays traffic are scary anymore.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

That Burb looks to be in pretty good shape.

PM sent

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

It really is in good shape. All original. In fact my father just found, and gave me the original invoice, window sticker, owner's manual, sales brochure and some other logs and paprework. :)

Here are some shots of the body being stripped down to bare metal. Should be primered today.

Does anybody know if the rear window side rubber molding is "special" or is there a "roll" that can be bought? Wondering if it has to be premolded due to some of the curves of the windows.

This is the original paint. Seeing it stripped off is like seeing your own sister naked. :lol:

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

Here are some of the original documents my Dad gave me

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

This one too. Turn signals and a heater as an option. :lol:

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

The tires are more than the two tone paint... I wish vehicles were still this classy looking and as cheap.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

And I guess that you are wishing that you made the wages that they did in 59-60
I can remember making $2.07 in 1962 which was pretty good then
ron

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

Thats cool as hell...In 1958 grandfather used to drive a 58 impala as a cab and had a 58 Impala conv. as his everyday car. He had the vert still after i was born and always told my mother he was saving it for me! Needless to say I never seen the car? I always thought it would be cool to have a car or truck passed down. U know how much 58 verts are going for these days? $$$$$! Not that i would have ever sold it!

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

By the way I have a 65 Sub im doing. I wish mine was an early 60s...But I still love it!

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

That green one is a cab over??
I never seen a 60s gmc cab over.
Im going to do a cab over soon. Make it a crew cab dually!
Channeled on big semi's.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

If you look in the background of this picture, you will see the 65 pick-up my friend customized into a semi-extended cab. That was his dad's 65 P/U that was handed down to him.

He had to add to cab once kids were added to the picture.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

Cool 'burb. You don't see many Gmc's that vintage.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

A quick hijack for sixty2large:
the tower of power gmc, and the red one was on ebay last week in pa(kinda your area) 409 powered , and sold for 3200, top speed 45 mph! there was no way I could have driven to montana at that speed.
My local wrecking yard has a chev and a gmc of those type cabover, both 6 cylinders though...
OK now back to the Burb, love it , can't wait to see all the progress....

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

Heres my 66 suburban that is in the factory two tone of dark green and white. I drive it everyday !!! :lol: hope these get you pumped up to get that suburban on the road !!
Steve

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

The red one is bad....3200.OO? Did they make crew cabs?

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

one might have seen one extended for a fire engine perhaps in that style of cab
ron

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

this was all I had...
that burb with the twin turbos... wow! must be fun!

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

try www.steelerubber.com for weather stripping. They are a bit pricey but I have heard nothing but good things aobut their products. I think if you are going to restore it, it needs to be the original colors and you can get that paint at www.tciglobal.com They are based in San Diego.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

I am pretty sure classic parts of america has the rubber for the windows.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

forgot to mention that the Steele Rubber is Molded. Not just straight and you cut them. I heard from a burb guy that the others are not but I have not seen it personally. I know windshield rubber is molded because I bought one from a vendor and I think it was chevy duty at the time.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

Nice Burb ! post a side shot with a clearer view of the paint color.

Bill

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

Sweet burb man...:metal:

And the best part is that it has a history!

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

I want a burban so bad

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

Yea good history. Myself and my two brother's learned to drive in that beast. :cool:

Here's a picture ( of a picture) on a camping trip in the mid 60's. In the White Mountains, East Fork of the White River, White Mountain Apache Reservation. ( Arizona)

Lot's of good High School memories...party truck..take out the rear seat...makes for a good "camper":ennyd:

Never did quite adequately explain to my dad why there were "foot prints" on the inside roof. :but:

That night at the sand and gravel pit.....hmmmm...wonder what ever happened to Kathy.....:hmm:

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

OK..so I only had 3 of the original 4 rims. Kept looking for a replacement and kept looking around my dad's place for the 4th rim.

Yesterday a thought crossed my mind about an old little flag pole that my dad had in front of his house. He used a rim and some concrete. I asked him what ever happened to that rim after he built the big flag pole. He stated that it was "still out there" just a "little buried".

Well, out came the shovel and a pick axe. Guess what. Found the fourth rim. In pretty good condition. Probably need to remove some of the concrete to balance the tire.

If my wife knew I was "digging out rims" instead of working....well...let's just keep it our lil secret. Still the original color !

The last picture is of one of the rims on the Burb.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

Sorry.....Didn't upload after picking the photos.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

So here are the latest as of yesterday. Got rained on, but was already acid washwed so it is surface rust that was sanded off today. Most of it has been primered as of today. Rest should be done tomorrow. The body work should be done in the morning primered in the afternoon.

THe last picture is my friends 65 that he customized into an "extended" cab when the kids were born. His is next in line when mine leaves.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

I am not doing well in the picture posting department.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

Getting closer. The metal work keeps taking a little longer. The body is looking better that it has in 40+ years.

Started to rain just after shooting some more primer.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

KIC.................I used the new rear window rubber out of a small window pick-up truck in my burb..........It was the same size and didn't need to be cut or anything......................most everybody carries them at a reasonable price............Hemmit

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

The Body work continues. They are chasing every spot of rust, not that there is very much since this has been an Arizona truck for 49 years.

Really leaning towards painting the original color. White over dark green.

So can anybody tell me how to find paint numbers to match paint today ?


Thanks to all of you for your encouraging responses.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

find lilred66 here on the board, he will know.

Re: 1960 GMC Suburban
 

I think I have 2 of the wheels you are looking for. They came on my 65 1/2 ton. I dont know if they are factory or not but they are 6 lug and look just like the ones you posted.