1969 SuperBurb build-up (Bagged and Blown!)

[Hart_Rod]

Got my center console today from BIGJAKE97. It looks almost good enough to use as is. If I hadn't planned on putting cupholders in the armrest, I probably would. Thanks again JAKE.

[LOW DOUGH]

I just finished reading through this hole thread. I like it. I am going to keep coming back to see your progress. It is looking great.

[Hart_Rod]

Originally Posted by Reaper71

I just finished reading through this hole thread. I like it. I am going to keep coming back to see your progress. It is looking great.

Thanks for the compliment Reaper. I am going to try and post a bunch of pictures on the tail light mod this weekend. I know I've been saying this for a couple of weeks, but I've been pretty swamped. I will make it happen this weekend, .

[Hart_Rod]

OK, I know I have been saying I was going to do a write up and post pictures of my tail light mod for the last month or so........however work, kids, life have taken most of my free time. However, I got a little time tonight and I'll try to catch everyone up with where I'm at. I'm not done yet, but I'm getting close.

The first thing I did when I started thinking about this project was to get a truck bed end and started wacking on it to see the body lines and shapes were going to line up. I was really suprised on how close they were.I fiigured it was doable with a "little" work.

[Hart_Rod]

Initially I was going to just cut the tail lights in and make them line up with the tailgate. But the more I look at it I realized that was going to work because the truck tail lights are straight and the Burb tail gate has a slight curve to it. HHHMMMM, so what to do???? Well, I bought a tail gate skin from Mar-K and to play around with.

[Hart_Rod]

The Mar-K tailgate skin definitely helped me get the project going. With it, I was able to get both tail lights lined up and in postion and it helped me figure out what I was going to have to do to the suburban tailgate. For those with weak stomachs, you might want to turn away, because I'm getting ready to start wacking on some really nice sheetmetal, . First, I cut the skin off of the tailgate. With the skin off, you can really see the amount of curvature thats in it from top to bottom.

[Hart_Rod]

Next, in order to get the new truck tail gate skin to fit, I had to take the curvature out of the Suburban tail gate. I did this by slicing the edge so I could move it in until it was flat, and then tack weld it. Next, ground off the curved part and finished welding it up. Pretty simple, ehhh.

[Hart_Rod]

After I did both sides, I was able to put truck tailgate skin in place and get a good idea of how it was going to look when it was done. The suburban tailgate is narrower than the truck tailgate. Since the overall dimensions of the truck and suburban are the same, after I cut the new skin to fit the suburban tail gate, I took the other pieces and welded them to the truck bed ends to make up the difference.

[Hart_Rod]

Some more pictures with everything mocked up.

[Palf70Step]

You have been busy!

[Hart_Rod]

It's actually a good thing I did this ( ) because I found some more rust that I was able to fix. The rust inside the tail gate was a shock since the outside of it looked perfect. It was mostly surface rust, but just goes to show you what you can find when you start taking stuff apart. Everything got sandblasted and primered and will hopefully be good for another 38 years, .

[Hart_Rod]

I also fixed a small hole on the inside of the driverside tail light pocket. Sandblast, patch, POR-15.

[Hart_Rod]

The back of the suburban quarters curve in, so I had to cut a set of truck quarters (thanks BowTieOgre!) to weld to my bed ends to make everything come together at the bottom. If I were to do it again, I would get more of the truck bedsides and it would have saved some welding (but would have been a bigger pain to fit). Then I started cutting everything in, and yes, I cut off part of the new rear quarter that I welded on about 6 months ago, .

[Hart_Rod]

Once I got both sides cut in, I started welding everything up.

[Hart_Rod]

Last pictures. Drivers side is almost done. Just a little more welding on it and the passenger side. Then all I have left to do is:

rebuild the inner lip where the weather stripping goes
weld up the tailgate skin
install bearclaw latches on the tailgate
integrate the burb rear splash pan with the new tail lights
finish the bottom of the rear quarters (I'll do that when it's on the rotissierre)

Piece of cake!

[seanu]

Rob,

It's lookin good...hopefully next time I'm out your way, I'll be able to stop by and check it out in person...

Hope to hear from ya after the 13th

keep up the good work...I'd love to have big shop to work inside of...all my works gotta be done outside...that sucks

[Palf70Step]

You gonna be done before the move?

The work and ideas you are doing on the burb are great. I'm itching to fire up my welder again.

[smbrouss70]

Look Great so Far! I've always wanted to get a burb and do this exact mod, but had no idea what all is involved. If I ever get done with the step side and the Blazer, I'll have to get me a burb! Great write-up too, you make it look easy.

[Frizzle Fry]

That is just AWESOME

[Hart_Rod]

Not a lot of visible progress, but I did get the back of the back end nearly welded up. The new tailgate skin took the longest, 56" top and bottom, . I also started making the new inner lip for the area where I took the curve out of the tailgate.

[shifty]

Good work, Rob. I also got to spend time w/my truck over the weekend all I have left to fire up now is like ... 6 wires, positive battery cable fab and install, setup my oil pressure gauge, and ... tighten the fuel lines I made this weekend .

I have a question for you though: What do people do about the weld beads on the inside of the body panel? Obviously, you can't really grind them, or coat them - aren't they more prone to rust after welding them?

This is one of those things I've always wondered, but never asked anyone about.

[1LoC10]

lookin great man... good work.
that back end looks awesome, looks factory and something alot of people wont even notice at first, but alot cleaner looking than the Burb tail end... good job

[Hart_Rod]

Originally Posted by Palf70Step

You gonna be done before the move?

The work and ideas you are doing on the burb are great. I'm itching to fire up my welder again.

If I can get it in paint before I leave, I will be extremely happy. Looks like I'll be Geo-batching for about 8 months while the oldest daughter finishes her Sr. year in high school. Hopefully I'll be able to put it back together during my trips back home.

Originally Posted by shifty

Good work, Rob. I also got to spend time w/my truck over the weekend all I have left to fire up now is like ... 6 wires, positive battery cable fab and install, setup my oil pressure gauge, and ... tighten the fuel lines I made this weekend .

I have a question for you though: What do people do about the weld beads on the inside of the body panel? Obviously, you can't really grind them, or coat them - aren't they more prone to rust after welding them?

This is one of those things I've always wondered, but never asked anyone about.

Good to hear it's close to running. I'll be up your way this weekend picking up a "donor" project for the crew cab. As far as the welds on the inside, when I put it on the rotissierre, we will take a garden sprayer full of POR-15 and try and spray inside all of the nooks and crannies and hopefully coat everything that can possibley rust. I think that is the best that you can do, other than taking it to a place that dips the entire body in a chemical dip.

Originally Posted by 1LoC10

lookin great man... good work.
that back end looks awesome, looks factory and something alot of people wont even notice at first, but alot cleaner looking than the Burb tail end... good job

Thanks and I agree, most people will have no clue that anything has been changed in the back. But like most of us, I'm doing it for myself because I think it will look better.

[shifty]

Looks sweet.

I'm in Savannah this weekend taking care of wedding plans for later this year, or I'd open our house up to you or office a place to crash out for the night. If I can ever get this thing running, then get the clutch taken care of so it's rolling, first trip I'm taking is to see the parents down in FL, and your place is "almost" on the way

In all seriousness, do any of the panhandle/FL members get together with the AL and MS members for meets, camping trips or anything like that?

[Frizzle Fry]

I know you've got time and money invested in your struts and cables, but you should take the whole rear makeover one step further and weld the tailgate to your liftgate and make it one big liftgate like the modern tahoes/burbs. Ditch the lower hinges, use bigger struts (probably at a different geometry), and you can use the original latches and button.

Every time I go to Costco in mine I and have to reach over the tailgate to load/unload I think about doing that (not a fan of barndoors).

Maybe I'll have to be the guinea pig on that one since you pioneered this one