48 Burb, bagged, 5.3, 20 year wait

[Advanced Design]

Well, after looking at Alaska Gasser's extended AD truck I hesitate to put the simple piece up....then figure maybe somebody somewhere can use it. Used 19 gauge, sheared to right width, used a bending brake to make the angle and a cheap shrinker to pull it into a J to fit. Can always use a shrinker / stretcher on projects and it might be worth investing in one.

This is a great site....where else could I kick around ideas with at least two others building an AD Burb? 'Cause I sure don't know what I am doing and am always looking for ideas.

Hope to get started on the rear floor tomorrow.

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Well, after looking at Alaska Gasser's extended AD truck I hesitate to put the simple piece up....then figure maybe somebody somewhere can use it. Used 19 gauge, sheared to right width, used a bending brake to make the angle and a cheap shrinker to pull it into a J to fit. Can always use a shrinker / stretcher on projects and it might be worth investing in one.

This is a great site....where else could I kick around ideas with at least two others building an AD Burb? 'Cause I sure don't know what I am doing and am always looking for ideas.

Hope to get started on the rear floor tomorrow.

We'll be following along. Take all sorts of pictures of the rear floor. If I get my yard work done (booo) I will try to get some work in on my Suburban.

Marc

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

We'll be following along. Take all sorts of pictures of the rear floor. If I get my yard work done (booo) I will try to get some work in on my Suburban.

Marc

Will do Marc. Hope you were able to get the yard work done.

Floor is out. Wire brushed the bolts holding the floor up to the perimeter flange, some WD 40, nuts came off and the floor rode down on the two body cart supports like it was on an elevator...just like on TV. And anyone who has worked on any old vehicle in general and an AD Suburban in particular knows that is a BS story.

[Advanced Design]

The only way the floor would come out in one piece was to remove the perimeter flange and lift it up. I plan to use the flange for positioning the new floor ... so I went a bit medevial on the existing floor.

OK, I didn't really use the sledge hammer....just a drill, jig saw, sawzall to cut around the perimeter and drop the floor down. Happy to see the body metal is solid.

[T-P Auto]

Advanced D;


Just seen that you posted to my project blog.
Thank you;

I just went thur your project n must say you do some great work.

Question?
Where can a guy get the (POR) sealer?
Not ready yet to do the cab floor(thinking ahead)
Would mostly use undercoating under the cab also.

T-P Auto

Tim

[Advanced Design]

Thanks Tim, I try my best and there are way more talented folks here.

Check Eastwood for the POR. Or Google it might give more options. Input I've recieved from the guys here was to basically use self etch primer then a top coat. 99 to life uses chassis saver and really likes it. And shoot my 56 Chevy is holding up decent with Rustoleum on the frame and rear differential.

[CHIZZLER]

progress is looking very good.

[faribran]

My spouse says "BAD boy!! ". For having a quilt in the shop. She is a quilt designer, maker,lover. ..btw I love the 56 on the rack.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by CHIZZLER

progress is looking very good.

Thanks Chizzler. We are staying focused here.

Originally Posted by faribran

My spouse says "BAD boy!! ". For having a quilt in the shop. She is a quilt designer, maker,lover. ..btw I love the 56 on the rack.

Well faribran, wife and I checked out the quilt in the shop. It was one of the items "repurposed" by the wife for shop use. We were thinking it was a cheap store bought thing that became old....and now we are not so sure. Please let your wife know we are not heartless quilt haters...maybe careless in this instance... Thanks... We like driving the '56 now after we did an LS update on it.

Spent some time figuring out the rear floor, made a materials list and plan to start with that fabrication next week end. To make sure we place the 3rd & 4th body mounts in the correct location, the body will go back on the frame.

[99 to Life]

toeboard looks great, hey marc, you can do it man. Here is a piece I made for my outter cowl, put both 90's on it and then welded the top and bent it into shape. no shrinker used. don't mean to hijack, just showing what can be done with limited tools.

[youngrodder]

Doug-

So if I followed along correctly you just cut the wood floor outside of the flange then went back later and removed the bolts and remaining wood that was left under the flange? Looking good.

Yard work got handled. I strong armed my 7 and 10 yr old boys into helping..
I also made some progress on the burb.

I like the progress your making..

Marc

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

Doug-

So if I followed along correctly you just cut the wood floor outside of the flange then went back later and removed the bolts and remaining wood that was left under the flange? Looking good.

Yard work got handled. I strong armed my 7 and 10 yr old boys into helping..
I also made some progress on the burb.

I like the progress your making..

Marc

Marc-

Glad you got your yard work done! When our kids were still at home it was almost more work to get them to help than to just do it. And I get a lot of help with it today. Wife typically mows and I handle the mower maintenance.

Yes that is exactly what I did and if I had to do it over again, I would remove the cross sill's used for the number 3 and 4 body mounts before cutting the wood. The cross sills bolt in and cutting / grinding the heads off would probably be a good alternative to unbolting them.

When I dropped the floor down I "discovered" (because I didn't pay enough attention at first) the cross sills were too wide to fit through the bottom as the sides curved in. Usually I take a lot of time, would unbolt the cross sills and make use of them again. I had a mess I caused with the floor hung up on the body sides so I sawzalled my way out of it.

Not much I dislike less than a carriage head bolt in wood that is slightly rusty. After the fifth one tightened up and spun, I took the alternative course to cut along the edge. That did make it easier to grind the nuts off the carriage bolts around the perimeter. The one or two inches of wood material remaining didn't want to release from the flange as there was a sealer applied.

I could have taken more time and done a cleaner job ....it was a bit messy though it is out.

Appreciate the comments about the progress. Typically my progress moves at a glacial pace as I travel a lot for my job. We've been putting in a lot of hours on the week ends making up for the 10 years this Burb languished in the back. And I have wanted one of these for a long time!

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

toeboard looks great, hey marc, you can do it man. Here is a piece I made for my outter cowl, put both 90's on it and then welded the top and bent it into shape. no shrinker used. don't mean to hijack, just showing what can be done with limited tools.

Hey 99 that looks real good!

[99 to Life]

48' thanks man. I'm rooting for ya on this build. Its crazy how you can't imagine being in certain states of your life, then they come. Its all a journey and you will be driving her soon. When I built my 51' I had zero mechanical skills, well could change my own oil!!! Huge transition in my life, now almost 5 years later I'm stacked to the brim with projects.

Nothing more satisfying than building your own ride, its nice to have forums like these to post your progress and give and take great information from.

[Iceburgh]

you found out like I did the floor is a ***** to get out any way you look at it.
You did better then I did getting it out in one big section.
I ended up using a hole saw above all the bolt heads....lifted it and cut it in two with a sawzall.
Then went back and cut the bolt heads where I could get leverage on them.
All the more reason I am going above the side strips that hold it down.

[Advanced Design]

Thanks 99. My plan, when we started in April, is to swap the body to the new chassis, install powertrain then hit the pause button while we finish up the 35. Really want this one on the road so will see. It is very good to share ideas and kick them around....especially since I am winging this part of the build.

Iceburgh, you went midieval on yours too. Cool. You told me they were a ***** and you were right. Here is a Burb with the wood on top of the flange and it looks good. http://www.tricktrucknrod.com/hh/Pro...?productId=282

[Advanced Design]

Ever have one of those days in the shop where things just don't flow? Yep, that was today. Had goals for the day and didn't really get to the starting point. And that is way OK as I enjoy about any day in the shop.....mower surging, diagnose fuel solenoid, ordered, get home Friday night, wrong part came in.
Power goes out today and that really stopped progress, found some rust...still a great day.

Cleaning under the body flange came across said rust. Patched that. Then patched some more...thought I had gone big enough.

One interesting item I learned today while using the Cleco's to hold the small patches for sanding, the heat doesn't transfer to the center pin of the Cleco.

The pieces for the floor were fabricated this week and they made it to the shop. Still in the back of the truck though.

[youngrodder]

Any progress is good progress.

Marc

[99 to Life]

the floor sills look sweet. I feel you on those ironic days. Today I sliced my finger twice, big blood blister and a huge slice on my leg, one grinder died and the typical "where is it" screaming....ya know all you tools play hide and seek.
all those days, hard work and time, money, stress goes out the window when the project is done and your pounding the pavement.

[oldman3]

Patch looks good and so do the braces...Jim

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

the floor sills look sweet. I feel you on those ironic days. Today I sliced my finger twice, big blood blister and a huge slice on my leg, one grinder died and the typical "where is it" screaming....ya know all you tools play hide and seek.
all those days, hard work and time, money, stress goes out the window when the project is done and your pounding the pavement.

Well said 99...we really slammed it one year to get the black '48 truck on the road for the Frog Follies in Evansville. Worked until it hurt, took asprin and stayed at it. Left with 20 miles on the truck. About the time the soap bubbles (from putting in the new glass) appeared it was all worth it.

[Advanced Design]

Thanks Marc, Thanks Jim...at least I didn't slice myself like 99 did.

The body cart is great and makes it convenient for doing work on the body. It isn't providing us the information we need to build around the rear differential and especially the air bag mounts. So we dropped the body on the new chassis this afternoon. Had planned a "box" in the flat floor for the top of the differential for when the truck "airs out".

A flat floor may be a little too tight for the air bag fitting at the top of the mount. May have to do a bit of a kick up in the floor. Have to run a string / straight edge across the flange then stare at it a bit.

[99 to Life]

luuuuv that last photo, and the lighting in your shop, sweet. moving right along

[youngrodder]

AD-

No fair....all of that shop space and a hoist....I'm really glad I picked myself last to finish now..I feel you on the rear floor. I really want to run all 3 seats in some form or fashion but I'm quite a ways from figuring that out. I'm still waiting on an ETA and pricing for my Porterbuilt set up.

Looking good.

Marc

[oldman3]

AD, sweet looking shop, body on frame looks great...Jim