1954 Suburban "Buster"

[Dan Bowles]

After years of buying, selling, parting, assembling, and never really owning what I want...I cleaned house and sold all of my trucks and put the money up for a bit while I searched for what I wanted. A 1954/55.1 Chevy Suburban.

My mom bought a 54 3100 when I was 8 and drove it for 3 or 4 years. I remember her scraping windows with a Montgomery Wards Auto Club card when it was frosty. I remember her chugging through the column shift. I remember when she sold it. After 30 years my son has what is left and we made a heck of a hot rod out of it together.

Now it is my turn!

I'm still waiting for the shipment from Phoenix but a bright yellow 54 is on it's way in the next month to me. In the mean time I've started assembling a stock 54 panel chassis that my son found in Chicago a few years ago. I've got front disc brakes swapped, a POL Power Steering conversion kit to go on, a 350TPI/700r4 with computer combo, CPP engine and trans cross members, a ZR2 disc brake rear axle, and an underfloor power brake unit. A set of Posie's lowering springs are in the front.

The intent is to look fairly stock but underneath have some go and whoa.

My younger son took a look at the photos and said "call it Buster because it looks like a school bus" so Buster is the name.

And yes, it has the dash mounted clock housing!! No, you can't have it!!

I'm looking for some guidance (and yes, I've been using the search function) on installation of the engine cross member and motor location. Do I NEED to trim the front cross member where the I6 would have bolted in? I see some posts that look like I do, others maybe not but clarity isn't there. Any help is appreciated. Don't let the TPI unit scare you, the rear of the engine is just a HEI dizzy so that is what will be the clearance concern to the firewall.

[mongocanfly]

That's cool....never seen the clock before....

[Dan Bowles]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

That's cool....never seen the clock before....

I'm hoping to have Court be able to duplicate it. Know a guy who's made his own 3D printer. Would be nice for a set of gauges across the dash. I think same mechanical clock as the Bel Air from what I've seen. I may still have one from my old car.

[Dan Bowles]

Where it all began...Court's 54.

[LEEVON]

Hi Dan! Looks like a nice start, will be watching! I think I remember Court's truck from the HAMB? Leevon

[Dan Bowles]

Originally Posted by LEEVON

Hi Dan! Looks like a nice start, will be watching! I think I remember Court's truck from the HAMB? Leevon

Yep. He’s 26 now. Manufacturing Engineer for a solar panel manufacturer. This picture is from last August at Detroit’s Historic Fort Wayne. Great time. Hope to drive Buster this year!

Just got home from buying a parts truck.

[youngrodder]

Looks like you've got a solid one to start with...
Good luck

Marc

[Matt_50]

I had to cut out my original engine crossmember when I added my tubular style one. The forward most crossmember shouldn't need any trimming, mine was kinda a close fit but no problems so far.

[Dan Bowles]

Originally Posted by Matt_50

I had to cut out my original engine crossmember when I added my tubular style one. The forward most crossmember shouldn't need any trimming, mine was kinda a close fit but no problems so far.

Thanks, Matt. Yours was the only one I could find and couldn’t tell if you trimmed the front one or not. I did remove the rear one. Got any side shots? Looking to see roughly where you mounted the cross member. Did you relocate the brake line tabs as well?

[Dan Bowles]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

Looks like you've got a solid one to start with...
Good luck

Marc

Thanks, Marc. Your’s is amazing. I’m not a body man so I am getting one from Phoenix.

Looks like you are about due west of me. Maybe a bit north.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Dan Bowles

My younger son took a look at the photos and said "call it Buster because it looks like a school bus" so Buster is the name.

thats a great name!

[Advanced Design]

Cool, another Burb build! Tagging along for the rest.

[Dan Bowles]

Weather has sucked so no work done. Nephew bought a house with 2 barns a few miles away. May transfer my pile to his place this weekend to get the chassis wrapped up. Title came in the mail today. Just waiting for Ben D to pick up the truck in about 10 days and deliver. I'm getting excited!

Found a 71 Chevy van tilt column on CL this morning...may have to go to Ohio for a purchase.

[8man]

Good story and a nice truck. Have fun with it.

[Matt_50]

I haven't really paid attention to the burbs. I've only seen pones without windows too, I kinda want one like yours...

[Dan Bowles]

Update! Ben D has picked up Buster this week and he’s resting comfortably in Texas through the weekend. The nose is in the back as it wasn’t bolted down. Safer to ship that way!

[Dan Bowles]

Buster made it home last week and my younger son, Eli, and I spent yesterday working on clean up of his 49 3800 panel and my 54 Suburban. Amazing how much crap can build up in an old truck over 30 years of sitting. The seats were some power seats out of a full size sedan and they were yucky! After getting those out and hosing down the floor and doors I hit the driver's side with some rubbing compound. It took a lot of scrubbing and several coats but she has a bit of shine now. A coat of wax is on tap! That and ridding the windows of all of the old bubbled up window tint. Mocking up Trailblazer seats that we've had for a while.

Pictures later. Having issues currently!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Dan Bowles

....After getting those out and hosing down the floor and doors I hit the driver's side with some rubbing compound. It took a lot of scrubbing and several coats but she has a bit of shine now. A coat of wax is on tap! That and ridding the windows of all of the old bubbled up window tint. Mocking up Trailblazer seats that we've had for a while.

Pictures later. Having issues currently!

Excellent. If I met: cleaning top that paint might go a little quicker if you. color sanded it with 2000 grit before attempting to polish & wax it. Just an idea. I bet you get a decent appearance out of that paint.

[Dan Bowles]

Resized. Will see if that works. Thanks, Dan for the idea on 2000 grit. Sounds like a better plan than what I was doing! The hood is rough and the fenders have a lot of build up over the years.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Dan Bowles

....Thanks, Dan for the idea on 2000 grit. Sounds like a better plan than what I was doing! The hood is rough and the fenders have a lot of build up over the years.

You're welcome.

WARNING: Just my opinion coming: I'm not a fan of what a lot of guys call "patina" - I mean the rusty, dead flat paint from decades of buses or neglect.

I AM a fan of what I think really constitutes patina. Decades of polishing and caring for paint and chrome - even if it wasn't in that good of condition to begin with. My Dad's purchased-new, black '55 Chevy two door hardtop Belair to bring home his newborn son (me) was polished through to the orange factory primer in places by the time I got it at 17 because he tried to take care of it all those years.

PS: I wonder if there's chrome under your black painted grille? Some citrus paint stripper (if it's chrome under there) and then 0000 steel wool/wax will bring up whatever remains of it. Best of luck and please post pictures.

I think if you get it all shiny - even if you polish through to primer or bare metal - it'll look like someone's been trying to keep it nice through the years. Anyway, just my $.02. Whatever you do, as long as YOU like it is what's important!

[Dan Bowles]

Thanks, Dan. I love a paint job showing age like you describe. I do not like faux patina, either. I want to put the best possible shine on what I have until I can afford to have a real nice paint job done!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Dan Bowles

Thanks, Dan. I love a paint job showing age like you describe. I do not like faux patina, either. I want to put the best possible shine on what I have until I can afford to have a real nice paint job done!

Agreed on the "faux" patina. The words make it sound like it's desirable when all it really means is fake.

If my truck had had anything remotely resembling its original paint I'd have tried the sand & polish method. But it was a mess. In hindsight, I do wish I'd tried it on a fender to see what was under there, but oh well.

[Dan Bowles]

Has anyone changed the rear plywood for boards like a panel truck? We have a parts panel that I could pull that from. Just a thought since the original linoleum is horrid.

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by Dan Bowles

Has anyone changed the rear plywood for boards like a panel truck? We have a parts panel that I could pull that from. Just a thought since the original linoleum is horrid.

My panel truck has the factory rear floor boards, so I don't see why you couldn't retrofit those to a '54 Suburban. Although seven decades old, the boards have survived completely intact; they seem to last better than the plywood/linoleum floors. Maybe that linoleum traps moisture underneath it?

[Dan Bowles]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Maybe that linoleum traps moisture underneath it?

My wood is in pretty decent shape. The linoleum is coming out in pieces 1-6" long by the width of the grooving. I just figured I could get some nice walnut or cherry wood and cut and route it to match the panel truck wood since I have a parts truck with the strips and all as well as the boards as templates.

I don't have stock seats so I don't need the mounts.

Thanks!