1954 Suburban "Buster"

[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.

[Dan Bowles]

Does anyone know the differences in the sliding window stops between years? Jim Carter has a set that say through mid 1952. I'd like to know if functional but maybe aesthetics are different or if the whole thing is different. I have a total of 0 out of the 4 I need! The solution someone came up with at one point was to put pushrods in the track so they wouldn't open.

[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!

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by Dan Bowles

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!

Hey Dan..

I plan on running stock seats. I could use those mounts if you have no plans for them. Let me know how much you want for them.

Thanks
Marc

[Dan Bowles]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

Hey Dan..

I plan on running stock seats. I could use those mounts if you have no plans for them. Let me know how much you want for them.

Thanks
Marc

Marc, these are just the key hole pieces, nothing else. Would they still work for you? How close are you to Middleville? I'm going there in the morning for work. I don't have anything out of my truck, yet.

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by Dan Bowles

Marc, these are just the key hole pieces, nothing else. Would they still work for you? How close are you to Middleville? I'm going there in the morning for work. I don't have anything out of my truck, yet.

Dan

Yes, they are the oval shaped plates that screw into the floor with a keyhole where the seat hardware attaches. I only need the plates. I'm not close to Middleville (good idea though). I could just pay you to ship them if its ok. I'm in no hurry for them.

Thanks
Marc

[Dan Bowles]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

Dan

Yes, they are the oval shaped plates that screw into the floor with a keyhole where the seat hardware attaches. I only need the plates. I'm not close to Middleville (good idea though). I could just pay you to ship them if its ok. I'm in no hurry for them.

Thanks
Marc

OK. When I figure out what I'm doing, I'll ear mark them for you. FYI. There is NOTHING close to Middleville. I was there today. No cell reception even. There were cows...

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by Dan Bowles

OK. When I figure out what I'm doing, I'll ear mark them for you. FYI. There is NOTHING close to Middleville. I was there today. No cell reception even. There were cows...

Cool thanks Dan. Yes, you are right about Middleville....mooo

Marc

[Dan Bowles]

No pictures but I spent several hours last night reassembling the front clip. Chased all the threads and got it all bolted together. Now to pull it off to set my engine correctly! Hope to get a lot done this weekend.

[Dan Bowles]

Weekend over. Rained most of Sunday so very little done there. I did take @Dan in Pasedena's advice and spent time Friday evening and Saturday with 2000 grit wet sanding the truck. Some Turtle Wax Polishing Compound and elbow grease followed by Turtle Wax wax and more elbow grease left me with a reasonably shiny truck. Passenger side in picture is "before" and is currently not as nice but wax coat still to go on there.

Fenders sanded and polished first coat. Hood untouched other than to hammer the tear from the errant fan blade back together. Replaced DS inner fender from errant fan blade damage.

Engine is closer to where I want it. Nose is mocked up. Still have hood, roof and top of cowl to do for wet sanding and I plan to paint the firewall soon so I can move the body into place.

[Dan Bowles]

This is why you don't throw anything away. I had an old rusty firewall from a '54 that was in my mother's truck 42 years ago. It was the truck that started it all and is the core of what my son's hot rod is today. The cab was so bad I removed the driver's door with no tools. It still has part of the pillar attached to each hinge.

That said, it was well enough to clamp into place against the bolted up doghouse so I could feel better about my engine placement.

Cross members for trans and engine are mounted. Rear axle is now ZR2. Still have brakes to swap on that and welding of the saddles to the tubes but it can roll on all 5 lug rims now.

[Dan Bowles]

Yes, I'm doing this in my driveway. This isn't the first one done this way. Harder to dodge the raindrops and I have to deal with the fact it is a 10% slope but it is what it is.

[Dan Bowles]

Plan is to get my new tank, mounts and straps from Jim Carter this week. Body mounts and sending unit are on back order, of course. Fuel lines and pump installed. Clean up the firewall completely and paint it. Replace the hood to cowl seal while apart. Driveshaft, brakes and brake lines. Steering box and power steering unit. More frame paint. Then look at body swap.

Does anyone see an issue with having fuel return line feed back to a T right in front of the tank? Only one port in tank for now. Another option would be to get a sending unit that has a line in it and use that as return.

[8man]

Impressive work. Very creative solution.

[Matt_50]

I feel your pain about doing it outside and avoiding raindrops lol.

I wish I had had an extra firewall when I did my engine placement. I remember being so worried I was going to slam distributor into cab when setting engine in to get my spacing.

[Dan Bowles]

Originally Posted by Matt_50

I feel your pain about doing it outside and avoiding raindrops lol.

I wish I had had an extra firewall when I did my engine placement. I remember being so worried I was going to slam distributor into cab when setting engine in to get my spacing.

I am with you. I figured if this failed, I'd use it to double the depth of the Suburban firewall around the dizzy! Now that everything is bolted in, I haven't taken the hood off to make sure I put it all where I wanted it! I COULD slot holes or make a second set...I don't want to, though.

[Dan Bowles]

Rough summer. If it wasn't 90 plus, it was raining. Some days both. Still not a good excuse!

Rear axle is in with all new brakes and seals. Brakes are in and plumbed. Engine, trans and driveshaft mounted. Fuel tank installed. Working to run fuel lines in the coming weeks.

Looks like I now have a winter project...

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by Dan Bowles

Rough summer. If it wasn't 90 plus, it was raining. Some days both. Still not a good excuse!

Rear axle is in with all new brakes and seals. Brakes are in and plumbed. Engine, trans and driveshaft mounted. Fuel tank installed. Working to run fuel lines in the coming weeks.

Looks like I now have a winter project...

I hear you about the weather. I had to close my outside paint booth yesterday (: After today, the temps look to be dropping.

Marc