8-9 seater shortbed
 

Here's the concept. Take a suburban, cut in half. Take a extended cab short bed, cut in half. Weld back together. Sounds simple enough. LOL

So.....having never done this before. From you experienced guys, what should I look out for?

Re: 8-9 seater shortbed
 

Played around with photochop a few years ago and this is what we came up with. Probably leave the axle placement alone though now :) just to make it a little easier
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1182138834

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Here's another on I found, don't know anything about it. would love to know how it was done. and any tricks to accomplishing it.

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Here's the suburban and the truck I plan on "putting together"

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I say loop tha frame off mid door on tha ext cab & mid back door on tha burb & splice them together..

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Yep, that's the idea I had
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Anybody have any other pictures of the idea I have?
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while I was gutting the truck and suburban today, I got to thinking about a/c. It was 101 here today :) the suburban has rear a/c heat, and I'm thinking about moving it to the back of the truck cab. should be interesting, and maybe it will help keep the truck cooler/warmer. If I can get it accomplished. :lol:

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Got everything cut apart......except for the torsion bars. truck won't come apart. now for some lunch, and then THE TORCH! :lol:

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well, almost got through the whole truck with one sawzall blade, but it broke right before I was done. :) all apart now!

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got the suburbans a/c discharged today. Gonna try to use the rear air from the suburban in the new cab. still haven't figured out where I'll put the darn thing. Also got some more gutting done today! :metal:

Anybody want to play around in photo shop and show me what it'll look like when I'm done? :) There's probably going to be an 8 in gap between the back doors of the suburban and where the extended cab starts that I will need to fill with sheet metal and stuff. Unlike the one at the top of the thread where it starts the xcab right behind the rear doors.

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My sister did a rendering of what the truck should look like tonight. I'm excited! Haven't figured out how to upload photos from my android phone yet, so I'll have to upload it another time.
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Man, you're not messing around! This should be interesting.

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:) the wife doesn't like lookin at "junk" in the yard. her words not mine :)

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Here's a rendering, thanks to my sister! Love ya Heather

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took the roof rack off today, and started looking around underneath the suburban to see what all I would need to AVOID cutting. it was easy hacking on a parts truck I bought for $200, now I gotta be careful :)

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Here's something I did to my other truck about a month ago. I got board and wondered if I could do what I had seen in the magazines. It's not finished but it's a start, and you get the Idea of what I wanted to accomplish. I'm working on building my own roll pan. if it turns out like I want I'll post some pics of that later.

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here's some bondo pics

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the pic of the chopped up ext cab gave me an idea. We've all seen the utility trailers made of truck boxes, but what if (just thinkin out loud here) you cut a wrecked ext cab after the doors, boxed in the giant hole and created a sleeper trailer! no need to add a door if theres a sliding rear window. sorry had to speak up on that one.

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Don't be sorry, all good Ideas have to come from somewhere. It's good to hear what other people are thinking! :-)
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here's some pictures of what I did today! I took the axle out from under the suburban, and I did get it set under the xcab but it got too dark to take a good photo. Broke the u bolts in the process, so off to the store to buy some new ones tomorrow! I twisted them in half because half of the bolt was missing from rusting away. Kinda makes me wonder about my other trucks. :-/

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up until now, I could have scraped the whole project and just kept my burb. with the rear end under the xcab it feels like I've past the point of very difficult to return. when I get the suburban cut in half. I'll be at no return! LOL

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Just build one of these...

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g5...troTruck01.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g5...troTruck04.jpg

I actually saw this thing driving around here in town a couple times years ago.

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kind of a pipe dream really Idon't have the tools to do it. but I've been looking for a way to make my truck a weekend camper, but still be fuctional.

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I saw a very well done 4-door dully, the back interior wall of the cab was removed then the bed was permanently enclosed as a limo.

I know I like my raised fiberglass shell. The top of the shell is level. I would like a Suburban with a raised roof just behind the front passenger, so I could still put my motorcycle in it.

I mentioned to Chip Foose about creating a motorcycle ramp, using a 12" wide down the center of the bed floor metal, using the indent of the license plate. Slide it out and run my bike into the bed.

We don't have much room on the property to store an extra truck for projects.... The land here is leased by the inch!!

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think they got thick enough step bars? haha

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Looks like a cool project!

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today I took the gas tank out and prepared to temp mount it in the back of the bed, until I can decide if I want to clean out the pickup tank which should be only 21 gals, or mount it where the spare tire goes, and relocate the spare. I think the sub tank is 40 gal and I don't have to worry about the fuel pressure being wrong, or fuel gauge sender being off a little. I don't know any ideas guys?

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( "I don't know any ideas guys?" ).......

What is the law in your state say about relocating the fuel tank between the rear axle & the bumper?

Insurance problem if you get hit with damage in the rear?

Stick with the Suburban set-up... I like the bigger tank.

I was told, for an option gas tank size, the filler tube is shortened to allow for a higher level in stock "looking" tanks.

I was supposed to have the option 34 gal tank, but the dealer/manufacturer forgot to shorten the tube. It's only 29 gal. (Window sticker says 34)

Re: 8-9 seater shortbed
 

The Suburban tank is mounted between the rear axle and bumper, so I don't know why it would be a legal or insurance issue. He's using the front of the Suburban, so the truck will have the Suburban VIN and therefore technically still be a Suburban. If you look at it that way, the tank would be in the stock location.

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Oh, OK.... I never looked closely at a Suburban..... (underneath)

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If you see a Suburban without a hitch receiver, you can easily see the tank hanging down.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g5...IMG_7216-b.jpg

2 door Tahoes/Yukons had the fuel tank in the same location as well, but 4 door Tahoes/Yukons had the tank inside the left frame rail like the pickups.

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Wow, actually I thought about that, and then I thought....that poor 4.3 :lol:


CHIP FOOSE! He's like my inspiration for this project. for about a week strait me and my boys would watch overhaulin just dreamin as we watched!

It's great having 3 acres out here in Missouri. Can't imagine being so close to neighbors that I'd have to be quiet after dark :)

Na, not quite.


Thanks, I haven't had this much fun since I was 17 pulling my first '69 :chevy: apart!

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i hope that chain hoist it attached to a strong tree :lol::lol: i'm gonna watch this one:metal:

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Step one atatch chain to tree. Step two lift entire pickup off trailer caus it didn't come with an axle, and I'm too cheap to buy a tripod. If that holds everything else is a piece of cake! ;-)
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Re: 8-9 seater shortbed
 

Ok, so two nights in a row I've started to take the rear heat a/c out and I still can't seem to get it out. Makes me wonder how expensive it is to get new hoses made, as I will proba ly have to do that a ywau and I am awful anxious to get this burb in half. I even bought a new tool today that was almost useless. Will try again tomorrow.
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:banghead:So, my decision was made for me tonight.... As I was gingerly trying to disconnect the rear air.....snap....psssst. oh well, I did check on makeing new hoses today. The guy at the parts store was so dificult to talk to. I know the price of making a hose depends on the lenth diameter and style of connector, but just give me an idea here. Are we talkin 5 bucks or a hundred and 5 bucks......:banghead:

Well, regardless the suburban body is cut apart now. Tomorrow after work I cut the frame, and then we separate. The Suburban, not me and my wife. :) got done too late to take pictures tonight.

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Maybe find a replacement A/C line at a junk yard?

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The problem is; one finding one in a salvage yard that is in better conition than mine and not breaking it in two, and two I think it's going to need to be shorter now that the cab will be shorter. I still have not figured out where I'm gonna put it, I just know it'd be nice to have since it's Available.
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Re: 8-9 seater shortbed
 

Tha idea of rear ac maybe be overkill & jus addin more headache to what you have already going on. I'm sure tha front will be more than up to tha job..