1966 GMC Suburban - Front seat overhaul!

[GMCNUT]

Hey guys and Merry Christmas. I am bad about shopping the 60-66 parts board and never coming to the talking part of this forum or showing pics etc of stuff I am doing to my trucks, so today was D-Day for the replacement of my horrible original 66 Suburbans' driver and jump seats so I thought I'd try to post something this time. Like all of you I am constantly trying to improve my daily drivers so this replacement project was a BIG deal to me considering I have been driving this truck for half a year sitting on a piece of plywood shoved under the seats almost non-existent old tattered cover and foam....here's some shots for you.....

So, this Suburban is a one owner 66 GMC that was alleged to have been ordered as a "parts and accessories" showcase vehicle by the dealer, and since it was used to show buyers options they could get and to let them drive something so equipped, it was not sold to the original owner until the 1967 models arrived on the lot. This suburban has the 351 Magnum V6 (new for 66) Powerglide automatic, working assembly-line installed AC (not dealer added) power brakes, power steering, heavy duty cooling, front sway bar, Clock, Tach, Radio, 2 speed wipers w/ washers, Deluxe heat, optional Ammeter, oil guage and hazard switch, glovebox light, clamshell rear doors, three rows of seats, all four sliders, Chrome grille & bumpers and of course the Custom Cab and Custom Comfort packages. The dealer installed a GMC logo'd 5lb fire extinguisher in the back, and there is a smaller 2 1/2 lb GM logo'd fire extinguisher up front. So, anyways the truck is very special to me so I hope to un-do the ugly copper penny late 70's or 80's paint the son of the original owner had put on it sometime this Spring. I'll keep posting new stuff as I do odds and ends and continue cleaning it up and replacing and refurbishing certain old and dirty or worn things about it.

[GMCNUT]

Here's what was so bad - the drivers seat was torn up pretty good. Now this seat is for sale if any of you know anyone who needs it. The suburban seat frames always seem to be broken and welded at the drivers side for some reason - I bet I've seen a dozen like this - so I replaced the whole seat & frame with a nice low mileage one I had stashed away. I re-painted the jump seat frame with some new Fawn poly I had custom matched in a great aerosol can. you get the benefit of Acrylic Enamel just like out of a cup gun, but with the ease of using aerosol as a propellant. Perfect for cleaning up daily driver / patina trucks where all too often the interior surfaces look dirty and old. See what you think.....

[GMCNUT]

Here's the area behind the front seat - a lot of folks don't even know there ever was a Suburban rear floor mat made especially for Suburbans. This one is dry rotted and busted to pieces but is as in-tact as I have ever seen which is sad. I keep thinking one day someone is going to offer me one of these that has miraculously survived or is NOS. Maybe one day.

[GMCNUT]

last one - after a little work, they were in and fastened. I sat in them and felt like a king - I drove all over town smiling ear to ear. Its been a long time coming thats for sure

[kchampagne]

Super nice!!!

[Llay R. Rac]

wow , looks great.
I am so jealous! It has been a 25 year dream to get my seat in order.
you won't have a intact bottom spring frame by chance for sale?
I drove sitting crooked for so many years that my back got crooked.

[GMCNUT]

Next I need to tackle the inside doors - you may notice in the pictures above for some unknown reason, when they sprayed the outer truck body this ugly Copper color, they also stupidly sprayed the inside of each door - everything else was left alone thank God so just the doors need attention. They also felt the need to spray bomb grey primer on the white factory painted door panels, so I have a fix for that - I have a beautiful set of factory White painted inner door panels and I'll re-paint my inner door skins using my magic arerool can of acrylic enamel Fawn and then re-install the door panels - ought to come out pretty nice maybe. I will post pics when its done

[GMCNUT]

Originally Posted by Llay R. Rac

wow , looks great.
I am so jealous! It has been a 25 year dream to get my seat in order.
you won't have a intact bottom spring frame by chance for sale?
I drove sitting crooked for so many years that my back got crooked.

All I have is this old whole seat you see above - its 100% complete as far as that goes, but would need recovering to sit right. You can take the path I took and order the fabric from SMS in Canby Oregon and re-do the seat you have and repair your broke springs or use mine and recover it.

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Doing some nice work. Post some more pics when you get the chance. I remember bidding on this truck.

[Llay R. Rac]

Originally Posted by GMCNUT

All I have is this old whole seat you see above - its 100% complete as far as that goes, but would need recovering to sit right..

Thanks for the reply,
I need the frame for the springs now, but i also am going to redo my back seat and add a third seat , so i may be interested in the whole seat when/if you put it up for sale.
I have a plan to redo my seats using foam bottom from an escalade,but have broken spring cushion frame and the rim that goes around the top of the cushion area. I have had them welded and brazed but that only lasts a few years.

[GMCNUT]

Originally Posted by Classic v6 GMC's

Doing some nice work. Post some more pics when you get the chance. I remember bidding on this truck.

Wow! did you bid on it on Ebay? so I was completely broke when it went off and a buddy called the next day saying he low-ball bid and accidentally won it....I almost fell over when I found out he won it after I was sitting there a week drooling with no money. Anyway, after wearing him down for a year or so he did finally trade it to me for my 66 longbed I had at the time. I have been on cloud 9 ever since!

[bL.A.zer90045]

very niCE rebound there!!! i have a nice 63 burban body if you "need"anotheralso parting a 64 with same champagne/fawn interior as your burbankeep the b4 n after pics coming!!!

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by GMCNUT

Wow! did you bid on it on Ebay? so I was completely broke when it went off and a buddy called the next day saying he low-ball bid and accidentally won it....I almost fell over when I found out he won it after I was sitting there a week drooling with no money. Anyway, after wearing him down for a year or so he did finally trade it to me for my 66 longbed I had at the time. I have been on cloud 9 ever since!

Yeah, when it was on ebay a couple years ago. I can't remember what I bid it up to but we did not need another project at the time. Glad that you ended up with it. Definitely a neat truck.

[duallyjams]

I want to more pics of the option, well more pics of the whole thing.