The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - View Single Post - How much custom work to put a 64 Suburban body on an 89 Suburban chassis?

Chuck78 · 08-06-2005, 06:06 PM

After going to this old yard to cut some parts off of two 72 Camaros, and dig up a few other things including 9 leaf springs for my 89 Suburban, I have since fallen in love with this purple 64 Suburban body that's there... Man that is one hot ride. Body needs less work than my 89 does, and has some serious style. Not sure how rusty the frame may be, as it's buried in weeds and it didn't quite strike me the same until after going to a ratt rod show immediately afterwards. The engine is a 6 banger that has problems. That would be so great if I could keep my chassis and running gear/drivetrain all together and just clean up the frame, and swap this whole body on. That way I could just worry about things like steering columns, things that attach to the firewall, splicing wiring harnesses together, and instrumentation... It'd be awesome to have more modern suspension and brakes and a solid chassis with a fuel injected 350 and 4 speed automatic, but the killer style of a 64 Suburban body... Man that is a killer ride!

This is seriously all I can think about today.... I become obsessive very easily.

Anyone have any clue as to how easily the 64 body would drop onto my 89 chassis? The bodies 72 or 73 all the way up to 90 Suburbans were almost identical... I know there is a generation gap there (60-66/67-72/73-90) in the Suburban family, but maybe, just maybe!
I wonder if the chassis profile and body mounting stayed fairly similar... as well as the wheelbase. if not, I am good with a welder, cutting tools, and scrap metal! Just want to know how feasible this would be.... Would like to keep all running gear from the 89, not sure how inferior the 64 front suspension would be to the 89.

HELP!!!!! As if I didn't have enough projects to bury me... Now my thought train is "hurry to get the 71 RS/SS Camaro done so I have something to drive while working in the Suburbans!" Before it was "hurry and do some bodywork to the Suburban before the Camaro comes apart in the garage for quite some time..."

HELP!

08-06-2005, 06:06 PM	#1
Chuck78 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 197	How much custom work to put a 64 Suburban body on an 89 Suburban chassis? After going to this old yard to cut some parts off of two 72 Camaros, and dig up a few other things including 9 leaf springs for my 89 Suburban, I have since fallen in love with this purple 64 Suburban body that's there... Man that is one hot ride. Body needs less work than my 89 does, and has some serious style. Not sure how rusty the frame may be, as it's buried in weeds and it didn't quite strike me the same until after going to a ratt rod show immediately afterwards. The engine is a 6 banger that has problems. That would be so great if I could keep my chassis and running gear/drivetrain all together and just clean up the frame, and swap this whole body on. That way I could just worry about things like steering columns, things that attach to the firewall, splicing wiring harnesses together, and instrumentation... It'd be awesome to have more modern suspension and brakes and a solid chassis with a fuel injected 350 and 4 speed automatic, but the killer style of a 64 Suburban body... Man that is a killer ride! This is seriously all I can think about today.... I become obsessive very easily. Anyone have any clue as to how easily the 64 body would drop onto my 89 chassis? The bodies 72 or 73 all the way up to 90 Suburbans were almost identical... I know there is a generation gap there (60-66/67-72/73-90) in the Suburban family, but maybe, just maybe! I wonder if the chassis profile and body mounting stayed fairly similar... as well as the wheelbase. if not, I am good with a welder, cutting tools, and scrap metal! Just want to know how feasible this would be.... Would like to keep all running gear from the 89, not sure how inferior the 64 front suspension would be to the 89. HELP!!!!! As if I didn't have enough projects to bury me... Now my thought train is "hurry to get the 71 RS/SS Camaro done so I have something to drive while working in the Suburbans!" Before it was "hurry and do some bodywork to the Suburban before the Camaro comes apart in the garage for quite some time..." HELP! Last edited by Chuck78; 08-06-2005 at 06:28 PM.