69 Suburban Build
 

Well, I am a few weeks late in starting my build thread and don't have much to show yet, but here it is. I posted a few pics in my possible purchase thread so some might be repeats. I have it registered and inspected now, I had to work out a few bugs, an overheating issue and a brake issue, but I drove her to work last Friday. I should get some more pics once I get going on the body work this weekend.

Right now I have all the replacement panels, a rear seat out of an 04 Suburban with the seat belts built in, and some new front seats I am trying to grab from a guy on craigslist. My original plan was to run the 454 this year, but I may have fallen into a deal to good to pass up, a 6.0 LS motor complete for $900 bucks. I just happen to have a 4L80 kicking around as well, so I guess we'll see what happens. I think I am going to snag the motor regardless of whether I use it or not.

Anyone know what the market is like for a good 454/TH400 combo? The motor sounds like it has a small cam, and it is out of a car. Other than that I don't know much about it.

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Always nice to see an old burban get fixed up!

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Thanks, I am not doing anything crazy like some of the builds I have checked out on here, but I'd like to make it a safe reliable cruiser to tow my GTO around and cruise to the car shows with my wife and son. That is one of the main things pushing me towards the 6.0 and 4l80 combo, that and the fact that I am vey familiar with the LS platform.

The thing on top of the engine that leaks gas into the manifold and the thing behind it with all the wires coming out of it throws me all off and I still can't figure out where to plug my laptop in.......

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Looks like a nice project. How's the interior look? Is the red the original color?

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Yes, it was originally a fire rescue vehicle out of Texas. The interior isn't bad, but i scored a rear seat out of a 06 suburban, and two front buckets and console out of a 04 Chevy all with the seatbelts built in so I will be installing those and selling the blazer seats out of it.

Do you know any of the other GTO guys in RI? If so we have probably met at some point.

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Yea, I've been to a couple of the meets at Brenton point. I've had my eye out for a suburban for a while. Just haven't found the right one yet.

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Love the Burbs and will be tagging along. This one is cool. Hope you go the LS route!

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

If you had the red 04 GTO out of RI then I am pretty sure we have met. It's Anthony with the black 06 GTO, I used to run up at NED quite a bit with it. Back when we met it was probably running mid 12's and eventually went 11.1. You probably know Kurt too he has a few down there in Wakefield, RI.

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

I think we have met before. My car is black with red interior. Ri plate GTO.

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

As a fellow Bostonian, I am following this one!

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Got started! Some area's a little worse than I thought. I am trying to decide where to start. I drilled out the spot welds, I'll probably pull the 3rd door rocker rebuild the inner and floor, then put the rocker in and move forward and do the same with the front. As far as I know no one makes the inner rocker for the 3rd door. I have the inner and floor extension for the front. Any advice or recommendations are always appreciated!

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

A few more pics...

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Looks like you have some work to do.

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Well made some more progress today. The pillar support was blown out pretty good. The correct way to fix it would have been to find a donor and replace it all, but this isn't a show restoration it is going to be a driver. So with that said I fabbed up a new floor brace out of flat sheet metal and welded it all in. Someone stuffed the front rocker with about 3/4" of bondo which led to all the rot. I ran out of time to get finished up, i just need to fab up the inner rear rocker and part of the floor then I'll finish pulling out the front. The good news is that this is the worst of it.....from what I can see anyhow!

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Good progress today! Looks good.

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

One step closer

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Nice! how about coming to do mine!! :lol:

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

I took Friday off so I can get some more done. I have an 8 month old, so time is at a premium and I hate sticking my wife with him all weekend while I spend it working on the truck and not helping out! So Friday she has work and we are stuck paying for daycare anyhow, so I'll be up and at it around 5am and should get a solid 12 hours in on her.

Goal 1 was to get here running decent and stopping - Check
Goal 2 was source an interior and seat belts so the little guy can go for rides - Check
Goal 3 is fixing all the rust issues - In Progress
Goal 4 is swapping out the 454/400 combo with a 6.0LS and 4L80E combo

Somewhere down the line I'll throw some paint on it. I am hoping to do the engine swap this year, but it may have to wait until next year. I need to get the current engine listed for sale and see if I can get any bites on it to help finance the new one!

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Great prioritization and plans. And you can enjoy making the parts needed lists for the LS swap. As you know there are lot's of swap threads here for good ideas.

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Yea, I am pretty familiar with the LS motor luckily as I have one in my "track car" the GTO. Also, I have already swapped one into an 87 K10 about 5 years ago now. I did all the harness work and stuff on that one too. I am jus trying to hold myself back from going overboard. Before you know it there will be a cam/heads/intake/and a few turbos hanging off of it!! I'll just tell the wife I needed them to make it a better tow vehicle!

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Here are some shots of it before it came to the northeast to start rotting away. The previous owner gave these to me.

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Please put it back to original color, Ls swap, lowered with some sweet wheels

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Vary cool. :metal: Keep up the work the rocker looks like it will turn out nice. I have some of that to do on mine :waah:

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Well this thing is fighting me every step of the way, but I guess that is to be expected. I put in a decent day yesterday, not the full 10-12hrs I was hoping, but still a solid 8 hrs on her. I figured the third door was the worst, but the front passenger side is pretty eaten up as well. I had to call it quits as I was really getting into it to go help a buddy so no pics yet. I do have a few of my hand fabricated third door inner fender though! That is all done welded in and I put the door back on to make sure nothing moved too out of whack (aligning a door by yourself is a little difficult!)

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

And pictures of the rusted out a pillar. I ordered the patches from GMC Paul and will hopefully be tackling it this weekend.

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Your work looks great! I am envious of how fast you are going (even if you think otherwise). Cen I ask what you plan to do, if anything, to treat the surface rust on components you are welding together and support structures? Or are you just going to do something once it is patched all back together?

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Well, I was going to POR15 everything, then read about how you don't want to get that near your weld sites, so then I was going to coat everything in epoxy primer because that is water tight, but again can't get it near where you are going to weld. So right now I have coated everything with high zinc weld through primer. Once I get things repaired I am going to put it up on a buddy's lift and give the whole undercarriage a quick hit with a sander and then metal ready and POR15 the underside. I have also read where a few guys have drilled access hole in the rockers after they were welded together and used a pump sprayer to spray the insides with POR 15.

If anyone has any other idea's I'd love to hear them! I really don't want to get it all together and just have it rust through again in 3-4 years!

I may also get into the engine swap a little earlier than expected, I have to take the nose off now to do the rust repair, so while it is off I might as well just go ahead and do the swap right???? If I keep this up I'll be sleeping in the back of it soon!

I try to get as much done as I can when it is nice out. I don't have a garage, so everything gets done in my basement or the driveway and then only when it is nice out and light enough to see and my 8 month old isn't sleeping so the compressor isn't going off every few minutes to wake him up!!

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

my 71 3/4 4x4 burb was a rural ambulance from Oklahoma. small world lol. good looking build

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My '67 Panel was also an emergency vehicle from Oaklahoma, I think Moore.

LockDoc

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Little update - Driving up to VT (5 miles from the Canadian border) on Saturday morning to pick up a 2003 6.0 with harness and accessories for $350 bucks! Only caveat is he doesn't know how many miles are on it as the truck it came out of had no dash, but i have a video of it running and no odd noises or anything like that out of it. I'll tear it down when I get it home and probably throw the cam out of my GTO into it along with some double valve springs and a few other goodies I have laying around then tear into the harness. Hopefully I remember what I am doing there!!

I also found a guy in Leicester, MA about 15mins from me, that is stocking and selling repop parts for 67-72 Chevy trucks and scored a new inner fender from him for 90 bucks picked up! He has a few other pieces I need and the best part is no freight to stop by his house and pick them up!!

Hopefully I'll be able to dig into some more rust repair on Saturday after I get back from VT. I have all the panels in, just need to get some time and nice weather so I can roll the welder outside and get to work!

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Well things slowed down a bit, having a 9 month old takes up most of my free time and working 10-12hrs a day doesn't help.

I also have been working on my 06 GTO to get it ready to do a little road course work this weekend, installing brake ducts, rotors/pads, stainless brake line, etc. I am on vacation next week and hoping to get at least one solid day in on it. I have lots of patch panels and mig wire!

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

I've found that a lot of stuff gets in the way, but spending time with the kids is a lot more important than the the truck at this point. They grow up really fast and are a lot of fun when they are young. You do have to have a break once in a while though...;)

LockDoc

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

I'll link some videos from the track, I raced it last year so hoping to better my times this year. My second day on the track I won my class, there were only two other cars in it, but not bad for my first time out on a road course considering I am a used to going straight with it!

Video from last year - https://youtu.be/_lDCqdxkBnU

Re: 69 Suburban Build
 

Update time - Still moving forward!!

Well, no pictures yet, but I made some progress! Got the nose off, cut the bottom of the a pillar out and the rusted floor and kick panel, made a new front floor brace, welded in the inner rocker on the front pass side, tacked in the lower a pillar patch panel, fully welded the 3rd door rocker in along with the floor patches there. Then I hung and aligned the third door. Now I just need to rehang the front door, align it and tack the outer rocker on. Also, need to modify the front pass rocker so it actually fits right since it is a truck rocker - anyone have any good tips on how to modify it? I have an idea in my head already and will probably just go right at it with the grinder and welder, but tips are always nice!

I got all that done on my day off Friday while the little guy was at daycare and wife at work. Saturday was housework and family day and prepping the house for a big Memorial Day cookout, then Sunday I made a huge score and went and picked up an 80 gallon dual stage husky air compressor to add to the arsenal! Only 400 bucks so I couldn't pass it up and it looks new! It was a bear muscling that thin around into my basement by myself though!!

I'll get pics up once I get them off my phone!