Young Ed Posted April 3, 2014 Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 I moved the suburban back to the former garage slab. But have decided to change course. I learned a lot on the car and I worked quite hard on it yet I am going to disassemble whatever is usable and then scrap the car. Then I will focus on getting my new shop set up and will work to get my truck fixed. So thank you for you interest and support. It has been a very interesting six months. So if anyone is working on a 53 / 54 suburban, I have parts. pm me after a few days. Paul that is crazy why not just sell it if you are done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisRice Posted April 3, 2014 Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 I moved the suburban back to the former garage slab. But have decided to change course. I learned a lot on the car and I worked quite hard on it yet I am going to disassemble whatever is usable and then scrap the car. Then I will focus on getting my new shop set up and will work to get my truck fixed. So thank you for you interest and support. It has been a very interesting six months. So if anyone is working on a 53 / 54 suburban, I have parts. pm me after a few days. I hate to hear that Paul. I have been following your suburban build since I joined. Young Ed has a great idea in selling it whole. But if you are going to part it out, I might see what if any parts crossover to a 55. Good luck in either case to you, your family, and your truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted April 3, 2014 Report Share Posted April 3, 2014 Better yet just give it to me. I could use a wagon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2014 Response to ED: I hate to be wishy/washy but per Ed's response and a forum member's phone call, I will not scrap the car, so all will remain as is for the time being. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 (edited) The seller hauled this to Tim's for me to look at. I have since bought it. It is not as good as it looks but It is a complete car and has ALL the items I need to complete my suburban: i.e., engine, tyranny, clutch and brake pedals and mount, rear tail gate, bumpers, etc. I have a very experienced body welder friend who will weld up the floor and body panels so that is also covered. So we're back on track. Side note: I may put an axle with electric brakes in this shell after all the parts are off, then put a hitch on the front and turn it into a fishing 'camper'. Be kinda cool. Would put a Tear drop style kitchen in the back, put a water tank below and . . . My grand kids would love it. Edited April 10, 2014 by pflaming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2014 (edited) There is always something to clean up! Built some temp 'cabinets' to store fire damaged parts today, built them away from the new building then will clean them before they come inside. So clean up and storage is not a quick fix. This evening I was tinkering with the hood ornaments. Both were black as the ace of spades, cleaning with a Brillo pad did not do much so I carefully took an exact o knife to the crust and the one cleaned up quite well. With some 0000 steel wool and a tin foil rub they will be quite acceptable. Still waiting for a doctor's eval on my knees. Three hours on my feet and I'm down for the rest of that day. That has got to change. As many of you know, insurance does NOT cover any parts for any vehicle: car, boat, airplane, motor cycle, etc. You can see on the bottom of the 'ship' where I did not use the exact 0 blade. I also did NOT try to remove the black between the "sails". I will clean those groves but will paint them a gloss black. I like to make the sails show, then it looks like a ship which is what it is supposed to do. I agree with Bob in the following post, I too prefer the 53 ornament. It will fit on a 54 hood but one has to drill new holes and fill the others. I saw a 53 grill chromed to the park lights and I really liked that. Don't know just what I will do with the 54 grille, that center island just does not flow quite right in my eye. Will take a closer look at the '53 when I pick it up. It's still the girl at TIm's Man's Lot! Edited April 12, 2014 by pflaming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertKB Posted April 12, 2014 Report Share Posted April 12, 2014 They are cleaning up OK. I personally have always preferred the '53 hood ornament to the '54. In fact, always preferred the entire '53 front end to the '54. Probably my preference as I own a '53. Maybe keep an eye open at swapmeets or ebay for a decent used one. What's the hood ornament like on the '53 Suburban you just bought? It looks OK in the picture but is not close enough to see if there is any major pitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2014 In the post ". . . ways to lower. . ." a statement is made, ". . . easier to balance the dual pipes. . . " Question: How important is it that dual pipes are identical: in length, size, muffler type, etc. It makes sense that if they were significantly different that difference could impact the exhaust flow and thus the 'balance' of the engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 Well, it's time for a new chapter. Will put up a tarp shade tomorrow, push the suburban into place and changes will begin. I'm more than ready to get back to what is fun. I've got a certified welder who will bring his welder and he will get it all back together. (to be continued) Things will start changing in a day or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2014 Update: I received my new Plymouth Service Manual. It is a reprint! Try to get an earlier print, the reprint is word perfect but on much poorer paper and not as good a binding. I'm going to break mine apart and put on a plastic spiral. That way it always lies flat when open. @ $24.00 easily the most valuable tangible tool on my used Husky nine drawer tool chest with casters for $85.00. Will miss the notes I had in the other manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakermatt Posted April 17, 2014 Report Share Posted April 17, 2014 this is a funny thread, as I now exactly where this car came from. I believe a guy in clovis California had this car. I went and seen this car a year or two ago, and the guy told me a story about the car being in a shootout?.... LOL. maybe he told you the same story. he had a REALLY nice hemi motor that he was going to throw in the car. I could be wrong... but this car looks really familiar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2014 Laker, or it may have been this one. It came from Clovis. He had another one which he sold to someone in Madera. I paid 300 for this, just for the bumpers, and got carried away. It has been a very good learning experience, not that I would do it again but. . . whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakermatt Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 that's a good deal !! I love the old Plymouth wagons... they are super cool. I had a 56 "suburban" or wagon that I NEVER should of gotten rid of.. but I was trying to buy a house and needed a few more thousand bucks and needed to part with that and a 4 door 1956 savoy I had. I believe I talked with you before over the phone.. I am looking for a wagon if you know of one selling. have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 Well, it appears I'm back on track. I put up some protection from the sun, pushed the '54 into place and put my new DA Sander to use. Goal will be to get the first level of sanding complete by end of next week. I have an experienced welder coming to do that task. Also had my knees lubricated yesterday and I am now getting my legs back. So lost eight weeks but down but not out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 We hauled the blue 53 suburban home yesterday. After a more thorough look, it will have all the significant mechanical parts I need to finish the 54 Belvedere after that what will be left won't be of much use. I have a friend who has a herb farm and likes to put unique car bodies in the beds as yard art. I will give the body to him, be a nice back 40 storage and yard art. I will have a .bunch of 53 plymouth parts, and some scarce/rare suburban parts such as: the suburban rear seats and all the hardware, the top tail gate, a hood, two doors, front split 60/40 seat used also by the hard top and the convertibles, etc. Will post as I should in parts. The inside was sort of like 'Storage Wars' Two good 15" rims with clips, new front floor panels, Suburban side storage bins, etc. The license plate holder is hinged so that it can swing out of the way and not hit the bumper, cool. Nice set of chrome rims and caps (missing one cap). Now I really need the new garage which will come 2nd week of May. To be continued Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 The (1) inside with 'parts' removed and (2) Rear seats stored. It looks better than it is. But the rear seats and hardware are solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 Things are beginning to 'begin the begeen'. You may seldom see two 53/54 old suburbans side by side, but I have two. The rear tail gate and its unique license plate mount which swings out when the gate is lowered, the rear bumper and the two tail lights are worth more than what I paid for the entire vehicle. Will now start removing parts I need to finish the '54. I found the 4th moon cap for the set of four chrome wheels so that was a nice surprise. Back a post or two I showed four rims and tires. I moved them to storage today and discovered two of them are 16" with full clips. Nice surprise there also. The other two are 15" and also have all the clips. City called this morning and the plans have been approved. So that is coming along. Tail gate and bumper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertKB Posted April 28, 2014 Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 Paul, if you don't need or want the Plymouth name tag on the back of the '53, I would be interested in buying it from you as it looks the same as the one on my '53 Belvedere. It looks unbroken and hopefully would be a candidate for a rechrome. It would be nice to have a spare. I will PM you as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertKB Posted April 28, 2014 Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 Can't send a PM. You must have reached your limit for the amount of PM's allowed. Email me, PM if you clean out stuff, or reply on the forum. Phone is 403-359-0038. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pflaming Posted April 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 This picture is in an above post, but it is a mystery to me. The license plate mount which is hinged and has a snap and release gusset/brace to hold it open is not a usual mount on the 53 suburbans. I have not been able to find one example. So I'm wondering if this is an early '53 vehicle and this mount is a carry over from . . . The bottom raised cross piece is '53 / '54. A '53 plate was on it, since removed, yet the bumper has a place for a license plate as well. It has entered my mind to mount it on the back of my truck, put a phoenix plate in between the lights and hook the lights up to the brake switch. . . . Input is requested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 That mount is not a factory license mount. The plate belongs on the bumper. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 I see the car in question has a trailer hitch. Possibly the tailgate hinge mounted tag was for clearance and or visibility when pulling a trailer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Haymond Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Perhaps you could carry a load with the tailgate down, and the hinged plate would swing down and be visible to comply with motor vehicle rules. I am just guessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
53_Suburban Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Perhaps you could carry a load with the tailgate down, and the hinged plate would swing down and be visible to comply with motor vehicle rules. I am just guessing. My '53 has the factory in bumper license mount and you can see the plate just fine with the gate down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconvan Posted April 30, 2014 Report Share Posted April 30, 2014 Looks awesome, Paul; this is going to make a great ride! I'd love to build one of these someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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