1950 Suburban 5.7 Hemi project

[Don Colliau]

I have been asked by some of you for pictures of my project. I am posting some before pictures and some after. I am putting a 2013 5.7 Hemi in the Suburban A580 transmission. This car was supposed to be rot and rust free. After removing two layers of rusted floor, rusted body mounts, rusted rear quarter panels, poorly installed rocker panels and purchasing two front fenders to replace the ones that came with the car that had rust and very poorly done body work I think I am back on track. We will be fixing the rear quarters in a couple of weeks.

Before

During and After

 

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w268/dcolliau/Suburban/001_zps3f5b21b2.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w268/dcolliau/Suburban/004_zps8671c8bd.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w268/dcolliau/Suburban/009_zps2997f392.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w268/dcolliau/Suburban/008_zpsaba0069f.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w268/dcolliau/Suburban/004_zps722899bc.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w268/dcolliau/Suburban/007_zpse9dd50e6.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w268/dcolliau/Suburban/005_zps926a9c70.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w268/dcolliau/Suburban/001_zpsd57bef85.jpg

http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w268/dcolliau/Suburban/003_zps5c188220.jpg

 

As the car sits now it has Fatman dropped uprights. I have installed a Fatman Cavalier rack and pinion kit too. I will add more engine and trans pictures later.

Don

 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2014 by Don Colliau

[Dave72dt]

 What you've shown is an excellent reason why I take them down to bare steel when repainting.  It's coming along well and appears you'll have a solid foundation for years to come.

Edited June 18, 2014 by Dave72dt

[lilduec]

DAAAAANG man! Thats alot of sheet metal work, but that looks awesome! I love the tunnel work you've done.

[Don Colliau]

And I screwed up the title to this post it is a 1950

[Don Colliau]

DAAAAANG man! Thats alot of sheet metal work, but that looks awesome! I love the tunnel work you've done.

We had to make room for the hemi and trans so thats how it is heading

[Don Colliau]

Rust and rot free meant the PO wasn't going to charge your for it. What you've shown is an excellent reason why I take them down to bare steel when repainting. I also understand the reasons for the repair processes applied years ago when these were someone's daily mode of transportation. I can cringe when I see the repairs done with braze but I realize also that may have been the limits of the skills and equipment available to the owner or repair person at the time, same as is done today. It's coming along well and appears you'll have a solid foundation for years to come.

I paid a lot for the  the rust that wasnt there.  The old repairs are apparent and done with brass. Its the later repairs that are ridiculous. Must have used a 10" drywall knife for the filler.

[mrwrstory]

You are to be commended for your "can do" attitude.  Awesome project!

[Don Colliau]

A look under the car

Tone ring installed to read trans revs

The engine

Jeep Cherokee sway bar

Computers

[Dave72dt]

 

It's been brought to my attention that the PO in this case may not have known those 'repairs" were ever there and the car came to him with them already in place. My apologies to the PO if such was the case. My Falcon project came to me with a bunch of similar repairs that the owner and I suspected were there but didn't know the extent of. Only a few small hints that something had been done. All you can do is repair them properly when you find them and move on with the project.

Edited June 18, 2014 by Dave72dt

[Plymouthy Adams]

I have a car in the barn right now that I knew without looking or asking that if the pans were stock would definitely have or need patches..I really got a laugh when I noticed that the patches were nothing but tar paper doubled up and coated with hot tar..the better of the 4 patches in the trunk were actually cut up license tag hot tarred in place...I have had the car for some time and did not have clue one that these patches were in place either by looking under the car, or inside the trunk as the car originally had coating on both sides and that coating was duplicated in the repair...I knew this car was 50+ years old and I knew there was no way it could be solid throughout. I bought it because I liked the body style and that they are very far and few between at most car shows and such so worth buying so to be different than most other cars...I guess I could well have ordered a private appraiser to scout the car prior to purchase....and I also know that all appraisers have a fine print clause protecting should something later be found that was not readily visible to the eye and could only be discovered in a destruct test/procecedure..so why fatten an appraiser wallet for a car that is a project to start with? 

[fstfish66]

man thats a ton  of metal work,,,,what is the front sway bar off of ??? looks good so far

[Don Colliau]

man thats a ton  of metal work,,,,what is the front sway bar off of ??? looks good so far

The sway bar is from a Jeep Cherokee.  I forgot what year but I can look it up if you would like the info.  I have a couple of  full weekends coming up and I hope to get back on this afterwards.

[chopt50wgn]

After doing my suburban over like you are, I have to say you are doing a great job. After checking out the pictures, man, did I have dejavu.

[Don Colliau]

Any pictures of yours?

[chopt50wgn]

 am surprised you haven't seen the pics. I had them on awhile back and just put some more on with the interior finished.. here's a few of mine

I have a Heidts IRS in the rear and a Fatman MS2 dropped spindle front end. Motor is 360 w/727.

[wayfarer]

First off, Great Job!!

Have you detailed the electronics install in some other location that can be accessed? I am very interested in how to make a late model live/work in this fashion.

[chopt50wgn]

The fuse panel is in the glove box and I also mounted the coil inside .

[Don Colliau]

I am also going to put the fuse panel in the glove box and the fuse block for the engine controlers. The dash board in these cars will come out very easily to work on any of the computers I have mounted on the firewall. I am going to start build an evaporator unit to house the heat and air. I can't find one to fit in the area I have available so building my own is the other option.  This needs to be addresed before the fire wall can be finished for painting.

[Young Ed]

Don Your thread is titled 51 but from the front fenders and dash it looks like a 50? Typo? Creative combining of parts?

[TodFitch]

And I screwed up the title to this post it is a 1950

Changed the title to 1950, if you'd like it back to 1951 let me know.

[Young Ed]

Changed the title to 1950, if you'd like it back to 1951 let me know.

 

Thanks Tod

[Don Colliau]

Thanks Tod

Thanks for fixing the title!

[fstfish66]

The sway bar is from a Jeep Cherokee.  I forgot what year but I can look it up if you would like the info.  I have a couple of  full weekends coming up and I hope to get back on this afterwards.

dont go out of your way  if  u remember what year  that would be great  thanks  th e sway bar looks like it belongs there,,

[Don Colliau]

dont go out of your way  if  u remember what year  that would be great  thanks  th e sway bar looks like it belongs there,,

1996 Jeep Grand Cheerokee, along with Energy Suspension mounts, and the shortest end links they make. Drilling 4 holes as far forward on the frame as possible gets it hung. Two tabs, 1/4" thick, one on each control arm, gets it hooked up.

[james curl]

It appears that the sway bar was heated and bent up to get the ends at a better angle to the A arm for the links.  If so what does it do to the temper of the sway bar?