53 Surburban "Family Truckster"

[Advanced Design]

Just thinking aloud...maybe mount the third seat on a platform to go above the watts link?

Rather than narrowing a third seat, can you use a second seat in the third seat position so it is narrow enough to clear the wheel tubs? The third seat, as you know, could be sold for way more than a second seat would cost.

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Just thinking aloud...maybe mount the third seat on a platform to go above the watts link?

Rather than narrowing a third seat, can you use a second seat in the third seat position so it is narrow enough to clear the wheel tubs? The third seat, as you know, could be sold for way more than a second seat would cost.

Yes, I thought about that..i don't like the platform idea because I took so much time to hid stuff under the floor. I don't care for how it looks when you have the rear doors open. I actually thought about moving the middle seat to the rear and vise versa.... You could enter through the back doors to get access to the back seat. I have time to figure it out...ha ha

Porterbuilt is shipping my front core support mount tomorrow so I will be able to finalize how that mounts and bolt up the front fenders..

Marc

[CHIZZLER]

When i was building my burb I tried my hardest to use the 3rd seat. It was just to awkward at the position it would be in. I ended up selling it to a guy that was doing a factory build. For me 5 people was enough. Burb is looking good Marc.

[lower50's]

Marc could you not mount the seat on top of the diff hump and have your legs hang just in front of the hump?

[Iceburgh]

I know you are using the original seat frames so what I did wont help.
I ended up getting flip seats out of a S10 that originally flipped to the side.. I mounted brackets to the floor so these would flip up and down. Not very comfy, a ***** to get in and out of and then no room for any storage if someone is back there.
But it is an idea. Wont be the look you are going for with your build.

But loving what you are doing so far....keep going at it. I am glad I got mine done when I did. New position has me on the road all the time. So far I have put 40 miles on my Burb this spring /summer

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by CHIZZLER

When i was building my burb I tried my hardest to use the 3rd seat. It was just to awkward at the position it would be in. I ended up selling it to a guy that was doing a factory build. For me 5 people was enough. Burb is looking good Marc.

I know that is the same stuff I'm struggling with. I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet.. I'm a slow learner

Originally Posted by lower50's

Marc could you not mount the seat on top of the diff hump and have your legs hang just in front of the hump?

I not think so because it would put you right up against the back of the middle seat.

Originally Posted by Iceburgh

I know you are using the original seat frames so what I did wont help.
I ended up getting flip seats out of a S10 that originally flipped to the side.. I mounted brackets to the floor so these would flip up and down. Not very comfy, a ***** to get in and out of and then no room for any storage if someone is back there.
But it is an idea. Wont be the look you are going for with your build.

But loving what you are doing so far....keep going at it. I am glad I got mine done when I did. New position has me on the road all the time. So far I have put 40 miles on my Burb this spring /summer

Thanks Jim.. Boooo to only putting 40 miles on yours. Take a vacation this fall and drive out the NSRA Nats north in Kalamazoo..

I will get more garage time this weekend.

Marc

[youngrodder]

Not many people would take a rare 3rd row suburban seat and cut it up. Well you can only stare at something so long before you just have to start cutting.

The idea I had was to cut off the legs because it was interfering with the watts link and notch. Then I decided if I narrowed the seat a couple of inches it would help fit between the wheel tubs that I also need to widen. I narrows the seat 3". The ideas was to narrow it slightly so it is not overly noticeable. I was amazed at how well the seat springs and jute looked on the seats.

After I cut the seat frame tubes I used some cold rolled steel tub to reinforce where I cut. I plug welded it for strength. I was very happy with how it turned out. I will narrow the seat springs at a later date.

Marc

[youngrodder]

More pics....I also noticed on of my wheel tubs had large dent in one side but not the other. At first I thought the wheel tubs were double walled. No someone along the line just filled dents with bondo...I started pounding out the dents and a bondo piece over 1" thick flew off....ha ha

I will be adding 3" to the wheel tubs to allow for a wider rear wheel.

Marc

[oldman3]

Nice job on the seat...Jim

[lower50's]

No one other than all of us will ever see the difference. Nice.

[reaper71]

Simple fix to a big problem!
nice work Marc.

Mark...

[Advanced Design]

Hey Marc, good solution, well done!

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by oldman3

Nice job on the seat...Jim

Thanks Jim

Originally Posted by lower50's

No one other than all of us will ever see the difference. Nice.

Yeah, I knew I could trust you guys..ha ha

Originally Posted by reaper71

Simple fix to a big problem!
nice work Marc.

Mark...

Thanks Mark, I do think that it will help to fit it in there with the wider tubs.

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Hey Marc, good solution, well done!

Thanks Doug. I was glad it turned out. I was growing tired of staring at it...

Marc

[RockinKees]

Nice simple fix, no one will notice

[youngrodder]

I had a pretty cool truck weekend. It started on Saturday when I was convinced to go to a local car show at Gilmore Car Museum. It is a must stop if you ever find yourself going through Kalamazoo, MI. I started up a conversation with the guy with this nice AD truck. It was very well built. 675 hp out of an LS1 engine. It was in Street trucks earlier this year. Through our conversation I mentioned that I was looking for a rear suburban fender (which are very hard to come by especially in the rust belt) he mentioned a guy with all sorts of Ad parts that he was selling. He mentioned that I should not wait if it was something that I wanted as this guy is selling off stuff all the time. I called him 15 minutes later and arranged a time to meet Sunday. It was an 1:20 minute drive one way.

The first thing I saw was this 55 first series Suburban which was complete free of rust and rot and I felt the price was fair. Then as I walked around the place I kind of felt like the guy was a hoarder of AD parts...He had so many rare hard to find parts. I took pictures because words can describe....it was hard to focus on anything because everywhere I looked I saw something else.

He had (2) full suburban floors just sitting in the weeds like he grew them. The seat riser was in great shape. He had (2) complete sets of rear fenders and a few others stashed away. He had countless hoods and font fenders. I bought a rear passenger side fender (best one he had) as well as a rear splash pan complete with mounting brackets. He had a lot of 54 stuff like the blue 5 window cab.

On to the pics.

Marc

[youngrodder]

More.....

[oldman3]

Nice find on all the parts, as the old saying goes "right place and the right time"...Jim

[Advanced Design]

That is a great parts find and it looks like he has parts organized in the racks. Guessing that was a fun trip!

And a rock solid Burb right in Michigan. Did he mention where it came from?

Hope he doesn't leave the seat risers out in the weeds.

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by oldman3

Nice find on all the parts, as the old saying goes "right place and the right time"...Jim

That's right Jim....

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

That is a great parts find and it looks like he has parts organized in the racks. Guessing that was a fun trip!

And a rock solid Burb right in Michigan. Did he mention where it came from?

Hope he doesn't leave the seat risers out in the weeds.

The Suburban came form Utah. He probably will...He did have a front flip seat and driver seat frame outside. He also had a rear spare tire carrier sitting in the dirt. He had (3) spare tire mounts from trucks in a stack outside. I kept pointing out you know how much those are worth...

Marc

[lower50's]

Wow looks like a gold mine. They even look well organized.

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by lower50's

Wow looks like a gold mine. They even look well organized.

Yes and no....I didn't take any pics of the disorganized stuff, but there was plenty. It was all good stuff though.

Marc

[youngrodder]

One other Suburban related item I'm working on is the PB core support mount. This will have a mounting plate/bracket at some point. We are working to figure out the placement of the mounting plate. I kept my original front frame section so I need to double check the placement of the core support on that piece and see how it corresponds with the PB part.

Other than this the only remaining items in development is the front sway bar (the tabs are already welded on the lower control arms as well as a steering linkage mount bracket because I will need to go with a 2 piece steering shaft to clear the headers...

Thanks
Marc

[Advanced Design]

Nate should give you a T shirt...ADVANCED DESIGN TRUCK PORTERBUILT DEVELOPMENT TEAM....with a pic of your Burb on it. Better yet...a jacket.

I would guess trial fitting your front end pieces to the core support...helping situate the up / down and fore / aft....would be part of the checking too?

Anyway, sounds fun.

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Nate should give you a T shirt...ADVANCED DESIGN TRUCK PORTERBUILT DEVELOPMENT TEAM....with a pic of your Burb on it. Better yet...a jacket.

I would guess trial fitting your front end pieces to the core support...helping situate the up / down and fore / aft....would be part of the checking too?

Anyway, sounds fun.

Yes not shown in the picture but I mounted up the front fenders. I still have the factory frame rails to check the position of the PB core support to the original one.

Nate, is a good dude. I find it fun to collaborate on figuring this out. Some of these wrinkles that have to be full figured out is why you don't see these kits listed on the PB web site yet.

Marc

[DeeJayNOLA]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

More.....

Wow!!! My wallet and SWMBO would've been at odds if I'd found this gold mine. Folks keep tellin me there's a place here (Louisiana) that's like this but I've yet to find it...