52 Suburban project thread - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

tygaboy · 07-13-2007, 08:02 PM

So I figure I might as well start the thread.
I got a '52 'burb about a month ago and have started the project ball rolling.
Plans include Corvette suspension, some exterior body mods, a fully custom dash and interior - I do composites work as a hobby so it will have a fair amount of carbon fiber trim. Maybe even fenders and running boards in raw carbon - we'll see. I'm sure I'll be asking lots of questions along the way so thanks in advance. For now, enjoy the "Let's get this thing apart and ready for bodywork...!"
Here it is as purchased:

tygaboy · 07-13-2007, 08:04 PM

Not too bad - for a 55 year old truck...

tygaboy · 07-13-2007, 08:07 PM

I decided to Soda blast it. Turns out that if you get good ol' baking soda moving fast enough, it takes paint right off. No heat and it doesn't remove any material. Since I didn't have much rust to deal with, this worked great. Best of all, they came to my house and since it's all biodegradable, I didn't have to do anything.
Cost WAY less than sand blast or dipping. The nastier surface rust will have to be dealt with manually, but I'm pleased with the result - and most importantly, so is my body guy.

tygaboy · 07-13-2007, 08:09 PM

The inside turned out nicely, too.

tygaboy · 07-13-2007, 08:13 PM

The body shop came later in the day, trailered it to the shop and got it inside. Soon to be etch primed. Now the fun begins! Oh, and the total time to blast it - inside and out - was a bit over 3 hours. They used 400 lbs of soda and charged me a tick over $700.
And it's getting a *****in' firewall, inner fenders and rad support set up. New fenders, too so that's why all that stuff isn't shown here - it's all brand spankin' new!

For now, here's my naked '52 'burb!

tygaboy · 07-13-2007, 08:22 PM

And for fun, here's a sample of my composite work. I made this carbon/kevlar gas tank and fairing for one of my project bikes. It just made the cover of Cycle World's SportBike Annual along with a nice 4 page article. Pretty good feeling to be featured in a national magazine...
Anyway, I want to see how these old trucks might look with some super high-tech looking mods - the whole old/new juxtaposition. Carbon fiber and 50 year old metal seems like a fair span of years to cover, no? We'll see.

**special-K** · 07-14-2007, 07:53 AM

A great start on a solid Suburban.I`ll be watching this.

chevyrestoguy · 07-14-2007, 10:56 AM

I work in aerospace and have worked on a couple of all-composite aircraft programs. I am extremely impressed with your quality. So the tank on the Suzuki is entirely carbon/kevlar? That must have been a challenging layup and the bag you had to make to draw it down must have real fun to get it to seal completely. I like quality craftsmanship, and I'm looking forward to seeing more on your project.

55dude · 07-18-2007, 12:45 PM

hope my 54' burb turns out nice like yours seems like it is. keep the pic's coming.

tygaboy · 08-24-2007, 08:35 PM

Making some progress! I quickly realized I would never get this finished before I was 85 if I did the body work myself so I bit the bullet and took it to a local body shop for the big time once over. There was a bit of rot here and there that will be cut out, both side cowls are more easily replaced than repaired and I'm doing some custom metal work - recessed license plate and frenched '59 Cadillac tail lights (staggered, stacked, 2 per side in the rear fenders), custom rear roll pan, hood holes welded up and a few more things I'm sure...
Paint is looking to be Subaru WRX blue. Same as my bike - I just love that color.
So here are some pics I took today.
Let's start with that recessed license plate...

tygaboy · 08-24-2007, 08:48 PM

The hood in first primer - now the fun part - make it perfect, please!

tygaboy · 08-24-2007, 08:49 PM

time for new panels....

tygaboy · 08-24-2007, 10:14 PM

Rot at the top of the fender lip area replaced and the driver's side quarter is ready for primer...

CAL 58 GMC · 08-25-2007, 06:21 PM

Look's like a good start. I will be following your build so keep those pictures coming.

tygaboy · 08-26-2007, 08:10 PM

And the source of the 4BT is this lovely ex-Wonder Bread delivery truck.
I'm thinking I may stuff a small block in it and use it as my motorcycle track day vehicle. It's in remarkably good shape and pretty clean. Needs some new ball joints but I only paid $2700 for it. Plus, if I decide to skip using it, I can get about $1200 for it at the scrap yard since it's mostly aluminum...

Jebb1978 · 08-30-2007, 12:16 PM

Hi there tygaboy. I must have missed this project at first. It is a cool direction you are going and I love the old Burbs! Can't wait to watch this one unfold.

On a side note, P-town isn't that big do you know these guys?
http://www.sagecustoms.com/
I imagine you do, they are friends of some friends of mine.

tygaboy · 09-01-2007, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jebb1978

Hi there tygaboy. I must have missed this project at first. It is a cool direction you are going and I love the old Burbs! Can't wait to watch this one unfold.

On a side note, P-town isn't that big do you know these guys?
http://www.sagecustoms.com/
I imagine you do, they are friends of some friends of mine.

Nope, I have not seen / heard of these folks and I may be able to use their help. I'd like to check them out. When in Petaluma are they?

tygaboy · 09-01-2007, 10:10 AM

Good progress at the body shop! I forgot to bring my camera so pics will be up in a few days. But the worst of the dents on the passenger side are all but ready for primer. Not too much filler required, as hoped. I decided to get all new floors so a *****in' Products floor kit has arrived. I also got their rear floor kit for the pick up as it seems we can modify it to work for the Suburban - we'll see.

But here are some of my favorite goodies so far - the script/badging I'm going to run. These are from a Plymouth/Dodge "Suburban" - not sure exactly what year but could I have found a more perfect goodie? I'm thinking this one will go on the lower right side of the passenger barn door.

tygaboy · 09-01-2007, 10:12 AM

This one needs some work but may be suitable as an interior badge - maybe on the passenger side of the dash? If I can find another, maybe on both sides of the hood in place of the "CHEVROLET" badge. Decisions, decisions...
And let me know if you find one of these anywhere.

tygaboy · 09-01-2007, 10:14 AM

This one is broken. You can see the nub on the left top curve of the "S" in "Suburban. I've layed it out backwards here. It's supposed to be "Sport Suburban". But as it turns out, being broken is not such a bad thing:
I could do "Sport Suburban" or "Suburban Sport"! Again, a possible interior location is what I'm thinking.
One stacked atop the other, maybe? Maybe just use the "Suburban" part?

**FRENCHBLUE72** · 09-01-2007, 11:28 AM

Wow this is gonna be a great project....

tygaboy · 09-01-2007, 06:56 PM

Gotta love a body shop that works on Saturdays. I took a run by on the off chance they'd be there and... they were! Here's the latest progress.
The nasty stuff on the passenger side is done. Final prep before primer.
Note the shaved gas tank filler. Not yet sure where the fillers will go. Yes, "fillers" - plural.
In order to run on WVO (waste vegetable oil), I need a dual system. The WVO won't work until it's up to temp. So the 'burb will start on diesel and on comes the tank heater in the WVO tank. Once it's up to temp, I cut over to burning the oil. So I need two separate tanks - and two fillers.
The plan is to get the body off, determine the tank locations and figure out what works/looks best from there.
In any event, here she is as of today:

tygaboy · 09-01-2007, 06:57 PM

Other angle...still some finish work to do. And I'm going to go with bear claw latches. So, even more work to do!

tygaboy · 09-01-2007, 06:58 PM

Rear fenders awaiting the frenched and staggered '59 Cadillac tail lights!

tygaboy · 09-01-2007, 07:01 PM

I wanted to run the one piece door windows and found a set of pretty nice doors for $50. No guts but that's OK as the plan calls for power windows and something custom for door handles.

07-13-2007, 08:02 PM	#1
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	52 Suburban project thread So I figure I might as well start the thread. I got a '52 'burb about a month ago and have started the project ball rolling. Plans include Corvette suspension, some exterior body mods, a fully custom dash and interior - I do composites work as a hobby so it will have a fair amount of carbon fiber trim. Maybe even fenders and running boards in raw carbon - we'll see. I'm sure I'll be asking lots of questions along the way so thanks in advance. For now, enjoy the "Let's get this thing apart and ready for bodywork...!" Here it is as purchased: Last edited by tygaboy; 07-13-2007 at 08:03 PM.

07-13-2007, 08:04 PM	#2
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread Not too bad - for a 55 year old truck...

07-13-2007, 08:07 PM	#3
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread I decided to Soda blast it. Turns out that if you get good ol' baking soda moving fast enough, it takes paint right off. No heat and it doesn't remove any material. Since I didn't have much rust to deal with, this worked great. Best of all, they came to my house and since it's all biodegradable, I didn't have to do anything. Cost WAY less than sand blast or dipping. The nastier surface rust will have to be dealt with manually, but I'm pleased with the result - and most importantly, so is my body guy. Last edited by tygaboy; 07-13-2007 at 08:14 PM.

07-13-2007, 08:09 PM	#4
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread The inside turned out nicely, too.

07-13-2007, 08:13 PM	#5
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread The body shop came later in the day, trailered it to the shop and got it inside. Soon to be etch primed. Now the fun begins! Oh, and the total time to blast it - inside and out - was a bit over 3 hours. They used 400 lbs of soda and charged me a tick over $700. And it's getting a ****in' firewall, inner fenders and rad support set up. New fenders, too so that's why all that stuff isn't shown here - it's all brand spankin' new! For now, here's my naked '52 'burb! Last edited by tygaboy; 07-13-2007 at 08:15 PM.*

07-13-2007, 08:22 PM	#6
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread And for fun, here's a sample of my composite work. I made this carbon/kevlar gas tank and fairing for one of my project bikes. It just made the cover of Cycle World's SportBike Annual along with a nice 4 page article. Pretty good feeling to be featured in a national magazine... Anyway, I want to see how these old trucks might look with some super high-tech looking mods - the whole old/new juxtaposition. Carbon fiber and 50 year old metal seems like a fair span of years to cover, no? We'll see. Last edited by tygaboy; 07-14-2007 at 09:06 AM.

07-14-2007, 07:53 AM	#7
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,862	Re: 52 Suburban project thread A great start on a solid Suburban.I`ll be watching this. __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

07-14-2007, 10:56 AM	#8
chevyrestoguy Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: apple valley, ca Posts: 2,670	Re: 52 Suburban project thread I work in aerospace and have worked on a couple of all-composite aircraft programs. I am extremely impressed with your quality. So the tank on the Suzuki is entirely carbon/kevlar? That must have been a challenging layup and the bag you had to make to draw it down must have real fun to get it to seal completely. I like quality craftsmanship, and I'm looking forward to seeing more on your project.

07-18-2007, 12:45 PM	#9
55dude Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: tacoma wa. Posts: 1,037	Re: 52 Suburban project thread hope my 54' burb turns out nice like yours seems like it is. keep the pic's coming.

08-24-2007, 08:35 PM	#10
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread Making some progress! I quickly realized I would never get this finished before I was 85 if I did the body work myself so I bit the bullet and took it to a local body shop for the big time once over. There was a bit of rot here and there that will be cut out, both side cowls are more easily replaced than repaired and I'm doing some custom metal work - recessed license plate and frenched '59 Cadillac tail lights (staggered, stacked, 2 per side in the rear fenders), custom rear roll pan, hood holes welded up and a few more things I'm sure... Paint is looking to be Subaru WRX blue. Same as my bike - I just love that color. So here are some pics I took today. Let's start with that recessed license plate... Attached Images Last edited by tygaboy; 08-24-2007 at 08:46 PM.

08-24-2007, 08:48 PM	#11
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread The hood in first primer - now the fun part - make it perfect, please! Attached Images

08-24-2007, 08:49 PM	#12
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread time for new panels.... Attached Images

08-24-2007, 10:14 PM	#13
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread Rot at the top of the fender lip area replaced and the driver's side quarter is ready for primer... Attached Images

08-25-2007, 06:21 PM	#14
CAL 58 GMC Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Clovis Ca. Posts: 3,311	Re: 52 Suburban project thread Look's like a good start. I will be following your build so keep those pictures coming. __________________ Classic Trucks Link http://www.classictrucks.com/feature...uck/index.html 1958 GMC.Project Build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=162816 1966 Chevelle Build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=443576 Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrNKo8F7Zw#GU5U2spHI_4

08-26-2007, 08:10 PM	#15
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread And the source of the 4BT is this lovely ex-Wonder Bread delivery truck. I'm thinking I may stuff a small block in it and use it as my motorcycle track day vehicle. It's in remarkably good shape and pretty clean. Needs some new ball joints but I only paid $2700 for it. Plus, if I decide to skip using it, I can get about $1200 for it at the scrap yard since it's mostly aluminum... Attached Images Last edited by tygaboy; 09-01-2007 at 07:07 PM.



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08-30-2007, 12:16 PM	#16
Jebb1978 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Mesa,Az Posts: 3,713	Re: 52 Suburban project thread Hi there tygaboy. I must have missed this project at first. It is a cool direction you are going and I love the old Burbs! Can't wait to watch this one unfold. On a side note, P-town isn't that big do you know these guys? http://www.sagecustoms.com/ I imagine you do, they are friends of some friends of mine. __________________ 1959 GMC project

09-01-2007, 10:10 AM	#18
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread Good progress at the body shop! I forgot to bring my camera so pics will be up in a few days. But the worst of the dents on the passenger side are all but ready for primer. Not too much filler required, as hoped. I decided to get all new floors so a *****in' Products floor kit has arrived. I also got their rear floor kit for the pick up as it seems we can modify it to work for the Suburban - we'll see. But here are some of my favorite goodies so far - the script/badging I'm going to run. These are from a Plymouth/Dodge "Suburban" - not sure exactly what year but could I have found a more perfect goodie? I'm thinking this one will go on the lower right side of the passenger barn door. Attached Images

09-01-2007, 10:12 AM	#19
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread This one needs some work but may be suitable as an interior badge - maybe on the passenger side of the dash? If I can find another, maybe on both sides of the hood in place of the "CHEVROLET" badge. Decisions, decisions... And let me know if you find one of these anywhere. Attached Images

09-01-2007, 10:14 AM	#20
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread This one is broken. You can see the nub on the left top curve of the "S" in "Suburban. I've layed it out backwards here. It's supposed to be "Sport Suburban". But as it turns out, being broken is not such a bad thing: I could do "Sport Suburban" or "Suburban Sport"! Again, a possible interior location is what I'm thinking. One stacked atop the other, maybe? Maybe just use the "Suburban" part? Attached Images Last edited by tygaboy; 09-01-2007 at 10:18 AM.

09-01-2007, 11:28 AM	#21
FRENCHBLUE72 PROJECT 7DEUCE Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: GRANTS PASS OR Posts: 21,590	Re: 52 Suburban project thread Wow this is gonna be a great project.... __________________ GO BIG GREEN GO DUCKS MEMBER #6377 72 k-5 daily driver 6'' lift 35'' 350-350-205 slowly getting rust free. Project "7DEUCE" check out my build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=267665 Tim Powell..R.I.P EastSideLowlife..... R.I.P..

09-01-2007, 06:56 PM	#22
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread Gotta love a body shop that works on Saturdays. I took a run by on the off chance they'd be there and... they were! Here's the latest progress. The nasty stuff on the passenger side is done. Final prep before primer. Note the shaved gas tank filler. Not yet sure where the fillers will go. Yes, "fillers" - plural. In order to run on WVO (waste vegetable oil), I need a dual system. The WVO won't work until it's up to temp. So the 'burb will start on diesel and on comes the tank heater in the WVO tank. Once it's up to temp, I cut over to burning the oil. So I need two separate tanks - and two fillers. The plan is to get the body off, determine the tank locations and figure out what works/looks best from there. In any event, here she is as of today: Attached Images

09-01-2007, 06:57 PM	#23
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread Other angle...still some finish work to do. And I'm going to go with bear claw latches. So, even more work to do! Attached Images

09-01-2007, 06:58 PM	#24
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread Rear fenders awaiting the frenched and staggered '59 Cadillac tail lights! Attached Images Last edited by tygaboy; 09-01-2007 at 06:59 PM.

09-01-2007, 07:01 PM	#25
tygaboy Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 82	Re: 52 Suburban project thread I wanted to run the one piece door windows and found a set of pretty nice doors for $50. No guts but that's OK as the plan calls for power windows and something custom for door handles. Attached Images Last edited by tygaboy; 09-01-2007 at 07:02 PM.

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