James that's a nice ride...panels and suburbans look so nice when they are slammed like that...if I don't sell my 54 dodge panel it's gonna get the slam treatment as soon as money loosens up a bit
How about a set of more modern brakes ,a higher ratio diff ,modern tires,power steer and....a Wayne head 302 jimmy into a tremec ?. Keep everything else the same to impress the vintage crowd. TEflon coated spring leaves and decent shocks would see it riding nice an smooth too.
Are you sure you're on the right board? I say 2x1 on the six and a split manifold, maybe an old-time race-team logo on the doors or in the rear windows. -Dave
The Suburbans, both Chevy and GMC, were not low production trucks. They were found in virtually every Highway Department, and other state agencies throughout the nation and used to ferry work crews to jobsites, surveyors and their gear across country,and so on. The rare ones had the sides cut out and the rear doors abbreviated in height and were sold as fruit and vegetable trucks. There was a nice example for sale last Month at the Decatur Swap Meet in Decatur TX. A friend of mine parted one out as nice a this one over 30 years ago because no one would give him $350 for it. When he parted it out he made over $2500. Ain't life grand?
I will soon be getting an orig 53 GMC Mlitary ambulance, (RUNS!) that was registered and driven around a little until 2007, then parked. Still visible is the military green, with, "AMBULANCE" visible through the later WHITE (thin) paint job a town did, when they used it as the town's ambulance (after the military use). All there, and...no rear seats, except the rare ambulance little flip-down, from the side. (No gurney, though!). Ambulance 'Burbs did not have the 3/4 and full width seats, of course. So the rare Suburban seats are not really, "missing", even! Since the later, white paint is flaked off all over, to where you can see the orig. green, and read the military lettering... When I get it here, I am thinking about taklinjg to a SODA blasting guy and having him hit it with low pressure to try to expose the old green laquer under the rest of the white. Even has the red, glass lights on the fenders...and a BIG Siren unit.
Even has the same "vent" on the roof as the bare-steel ex-ambulance in this thread. Will likely be selling it after getting it roadworthy and then driving it around as a conversation piece... anyone still want one, and a REALLY rare example...let me know!
All that needs is a 3' X 15" plank (suitably oiled and "scruffied") bolted horizontally to the front bumper and you have the perfect push truck.
Great find! I love old Suburbans. Mine was found under a tree in the rainforest instead of in a barn and has all the rust to prove it. Here it is with a GMC inline 270, stock type granny gear 4-speed, Chevelle rear axle with 3.08 gears, disk front brakes and Cragar mags. Basically the way I drive it today. Mine did not have even one of the original seats when I got it. It currently has power leather buckets from a Honda Accord. I hate to admit that here, but they are comfortable enough to allow taking it to regional shows and a full set of the correct seats would cost more than I paid for the truck in the beginning. I have a Saginaw 4-speed in the shop, but have also considered swapping to a T-5. I also think about V-8 swaps, lowering it, S-10 swap and other alternatives. Back problems are pushing me toward power steering, but I have half a dozen projects that all are moving slowly and this one is a driver today so I resist making changes to it that would take it off the road at all. I've collected almost all the needed steal to patch its problems, except for the parts that are the same as a pickup, I can get that stuff anytime from lots of vendors. I love these trucks and have to say again, that one is a great find!
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