3rd door question

[fear_nothing]

Not a 'burb owner but I've always wondered why do '67-72 Suburbans have the third door on the passenger side rather than the drivers side?

[gcburdic]

What I understand is back in those days, parallel parking was prevalant, so the GM engineers wanted passengers exiting curb side...makes sense to me

[GCncsuHD]

That, and if the driver just wanted to pull up to a curb to drop off passengers, like say dropping kids off at school, they would exit curbside like Geoff said. Same idea why extended cab trucks that only had 3 doors opened on the passenger side, the little Saturn 3 door car opened on the passenger side, the seat on the passenger side has the passenger entry release, etc.

[budnikguy]

great theories....but, why did all station wagons have doors on both sides then? Station wagons where more of the "family truckster" back in the day...

[GCncsuHD]

Originally Posted by budnikguy

great theories....but, why did all station wagons have doors on both sides then? Station wagons where more of the "family truckster" back in the day...

Good point, but if we are going to go off that logic, and think of the Suburban as a more work oriented vehicle, it is no different than vans that only have the doors on the passenger side, no one wants to walk into traffic to grab tools or other items from their vehicle.

[budnikguy]

well.....this was the 60's.....so who knows what was going on at GM back in those dayz....lol

[GCncsuHD]

Originally Posted by budnikguy

well.....this was the 60's.....so who knows what was going on at GM back in those dayz....lol

True that

[Mr Pops]

What get me is the fact that when you're sitting in the back seat, it looks like there's a rear passenger door but with no handle! It would be funny to install a dummy handle on the inside panel to fool your friends..

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Mr Pops

What get me is the fact that when you're sitting in the back seat, it looks like there's a rear passenger door but with no handle! It would be funny to install a dummy handle on the inside panel to fool your friends..

You better make it so it spins 360º or they will be twisting it off trying to get the door open...

LockDoc

[Mr Pops]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

You better make it so it spins 360º or they will be twisting it off trying to get the door open...

LockDoc

They'll think I built a kidnapping car that you can't get out of..

[CLTBurban]

Originally Posted by budnikguy

great theories....but, why did all station wagons have doors on both sides then? Station wagons where more of the "family truckster" back in the day...

In addition to GCncsuHD's thinking, I'm guessing that the limited headroom in a station wagon vs. the Suburban would also make a difference considering the ease of entry and exit in a burb vs. that of a wagon. Combined with hot sticky vinyl seats in a wagon with no air means that many more fights between siblings in the back when trying to get in and out. Now that I think about it, that third seat option in the wagons where the kids just climbed over the 2nd row seat probably caused more fights in my household than any.

[gcburdic]

Originally Posted by CLTBurban

Now that I think about it, that third seat option in the wagons where the kids just climbed over the 2nd row seat probably caused more fights in my household than any.

I loved the 3rd seat that faced backwards in my parents wagon!!!...Me and my bro fought about sitting back there ALOT

[Warrens69GMC]

I'll bet the engineneers used the logic of the full size vans for the Surburban. Since they were both utility vehicles, and not so much family trucksters, that is why they only had the passenger side doors.

[AzDon]

Later model c-1500 extra-cab pickups have the third suicide-opening door on the passenger side because the rear seat is meant to actually carry passengers. The same third door on an s-10 is on the driver side because the factory believed that the rear area of an s-10 cab was really too small for passengers and that the door would, instead, be used as driver access to throw bags, tools, etc, behind the seat before departure.

I'd bet that the lack of a fourth door on the burbs was strictly a cost-cutting measure. Only one door was needed for rear-seat access and, without it, the burb could be priced cheaper. Looking at the way the inner structure of the fourth door is already included, it's hard to say how much was actually saved, but they stuck with their decision through six model years. In 1973, the Suburban wasn't easily purchased less than fully equipped. The new body style came with a definite change in marketing strategy.