The "In Rust we Trust" Build

[MrBeast]

A couple of days ago I scored this 90 suburban from a guy for 400.00, it has a TBI 350 that runs like a top, a TH700R4 and a NP208. The rear end was blown out, the back glass broken out, I had a matched set of axles, a 10 bolt and a 14FF sitting back at the shop out of a 77 that I scrapped about a year and a half ago.





Well I tore into it and ripped the blown 1/2 ton POS out of the rear, and stuffed a set of 3/4 ton leafs with overloads in with the 14 bolt.



Doing so actually lifted the truck close to 5 inches.



I had figured id swap in the axles, get some 16" wheels and a new set of tires and use the burban for doing pullouts at the beach all summer and make some money, then this winter tear everything down and salvage what was good into a new rig.

So much for my best laid plans though, because when I started to bleed the brakes the hard lines under the engine ruptured making one hell of a mess in my shop.

At this point I am sitting here with a burban that has a ton of rust in the roof and in the back, as well it had a blow out that destroyed the rear fender, and I am looking at the prospect of having to dump close to 300.00 into it just to make it streetable. With a rig I am planning on parting/scrapping anyways, dumping a bunch more money into it that I wouldn't get back just didn't seem like a good plan to me.

So whats a guy to do? BUY ANOTHER TRUCK!

I found this lifted half ton on Craigslist, the guy wanted 1500, sold it to me for 800 less the motor. It has a brand new lift in it, brand new shocks, and the frame is sound.





The front clip is pretty much garbage, the bed is fixable, the cab needs floors and the firewall is full of cancer, but surprisingly the roof and back of the cab are in pretty good shape.

So the plan is, I am going to part out and junk the suburban. The 14 and 10 bolt I have will find a home in the truck for the time being, I have a DRW dana 60 that will eventually wind up in the truck.

Even though the roof on the suburban is toast...



So what I plan do do is cut through the A and B Pillar at the lines, then at C I will cut the floor straight Across.



Once all the cuts are made I will cut the firewall and floor out of the cab and mate everything together installing new rockers and cab corners fixing 100% of the rust and structure issues.

[GmtGmt]

if im not mistaking isnt the floors on diffrent on pickups from suburban, blazer? looks like a good project

[RandyP]

There are a few differences in the floors, but mostly to do with the seat brackets, easy to work around if needed. We had planned on using my 89 Burb parts truck for my helpers 79 truck, making cuts somewhat the same. But then he stumbled across a donor truck for cheap with a usable cab.

Glad to see a 4x4, will be watching.

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by RandyP

Glad to see a 4x4, will be watching.

Thank you, we will see what direction I go with it, I know right now I cant find a good 78 front clip anywhere and mine is toast, including the core support.

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by GmtGmt

if im not mistaking isnt the floors on diffrent on pickups from suburban, blazer? looks like a good project

The front floor in the suburban and pickup is identical. The blazer has a different floor entirely.

[MrBeast]

I got a lot more done on the burb today.



By the end of the day the the doors were stripped off, the seat was out and the carpet, I also have the windshield out it is pretty much ready to cut.





I was very surprised to find out that there is no rust on the floor what so ever, I was shocked, it is all really solid,



In the bottom of the pic above you can see where I am starting to mock up a holding fixture that will align the back of the truck cab to the front of the suburban, Hopefully by the end of the day tomorrow I will have it all welded up and measured and I will be ready to cut the suburban in two.

I am feeling pretty good about it, it is a lot of progress fast, even my girlfriend came down and lent a hand.



I am hoping by Monday to have the 78 in the shop and to be removing the cab.

[MrBeast]

A small update, I picked up a TH350/NP205 this morning along with a set of 16" 8 lug aluminum wheels, all of it for 500 bucks! Now I have everything I need for a 203/205 doubler, I think im gonna do it. it will give me a 4:1 low range, and I will have a 3 stick setup on the transfer case.





I am figuring the wheels will look nice wrapped up in a set of 35 12.50's or 14.50's

I also need to figure out who makes the wheels to see if I can get one more for a spare. If not I will probably just get a steelie.

[MrBeast]

I got alot more done tonight.

First I cut angle iron and built my bracing/jig structure that will give me a means of aligning the cab back half to the suburban fire wall and floor.





Once it was all welded in place I took all the measurements down and made the cuts.



It didn't take too long after that and I had the firewall and floor piece separated from the suburban.







You can really see how clean the floors are in this pic.



Next all I have to do is get the motor and tranny yanked out, then some of the wiring components and I can take the burb on down to the scrap heap.

[MrBeast]

Well the motor is out!



And the burb is back outside.



My truck is happy it gets to sleep inside again.





My friend Kirk came over today and lent a hand, we got it all pulled apart and yanked the gas tank too, I have a few more things to pull off of it, then it will be off to the scrap heap with a bunch of other metal I have collected.

Tonight I was finally able to get the shop cleaned up, I even made room so as that tomorrow when I move the 78 in to start tearing it down I will be able to still park my wrecker inside.

Hopefully tomorrow the cab corners and rockers I ordered from LMC will be here, and if everything goes right by the end of next week the two cab sections can be 1.

I also have a 1 ton crew cab frame running around, I am seriously thinking about cutting it down to a 60" C to A and turning this thing into a full blown wrecker if I can find a good bed. I already have a P-30 14 bolt and DRW Dana 60, so I need to think that over for the next couple of weeks and decide what I am going to do. I may just put a regular bed back on it.

[Scootin 81 C20]

I will be keeping an eye on this one. *Subscribed*

[MrBeast]

Just a small update today, spent most of the day working but tonight I got the shop cleaned up the rest of the way and got the truck moved inside.



Surprisingly it fit through the door with the 36x14.50's on it! I was worried I was going to have to put different tires on it to get it inside.



I got the truck stuffed back in the corner, it was really fun because it wouldn't start. Figures I hate 400 small blocks. It is sad that the 180,000 mile TBI 350 will fire right up, but a brand new 400 with a holly wont. I wont be sad at all to see this motor go.





Before I pulled it in I snapped a couple of pics, they will be the last of it outside you will ever see of the truck in this condition.

On a side note, I do have a dana 60 full floater rear, and a dana 60 front axle, I am seriously considering doing a 6 lug conversion and running the vintage 6 lug turbo wheels, but we will see, it is kind of an expensive conversion.

[87 chevy silverado]

*Subscribed*

[DuramaxC10]

updates

[MrBeast]

I wound up scrapping the truck, took most of the parts I collected for it and I am putting those into a 51 willys wagon.

I got the cab off the truck, and the whole back of the cab was completly cancered out, nothing left to fix.

[notyo_cheez]

That's how it goes down here. Just acquired a '81 Scottsdale 1/2 ton locally, last registered 1997 and about 30% of the cab is rotten. Found another one in San Antonio, snagged it for $50 and a Saturday afternoon.

[MrBeast]

Originally Posted by notyo_cheez

That's how it goes down here. Just acquired a '81 Scottsdale 1/2 ton locally, last registered 1997 and about 30% of the cab is rotten. Found another one in San Antonio, snagged it for $50 and a Saturday afternoon.

You lifting it? I still have the lift off of the 78

[notyo_cheez]

Naw, it's a 2WD. The donor cab was taken from a 4x4 though. I'll have to patch the hole in the floor where the transfer case shifter went and some minor cancer on the firewall below the rain channel (typical). If you know someone who has a clean 2WD cab I'd trade for it so I wouldn't have to patch the hole. No biggie if not, need to attack it with an angle grinder and some epoxy putty soon so the rust doesn't get worse.

Got two clean doors that were part of the deal with power locks and window motors, not crazy about power windows but I need them for the skins. Got an EFI fuel tank I don't need with a little sunburn. Truck has dual tanks, 305/350 power/drive plant, 2 bbl Roch and factory a/c. Plans are to take it down to the frame since I gotta pull the cab. Doing this over weekends when free time and money permits.

[MrBeast]

I hear you on the time / money thing.

I dont know anyone who does, id have bought it if I did. I couldnt find one at the time so I just junked it.

[notyo_cheez]

PM sent, wanna join the club. Groucho Marx once said he wouldn't join any club who would want him as a member, but I have nothing to lose...