burb 4th door.

I'm just wondering if anybody has made one or seen one that was done. Ive had the idea of trying to take a couple drivers front doors and modify them as a drivers back door. what do you think?

I used to see a 69/72 GMC suburban with a 4th door driving around Tucson. It was orange. Never met the owner or saw it up close enough to see if the door was real. I think I heard Scott Chevrolet (an OK City dealer) did this modification for corporate clients, (railroads, oil co,s) and maybe the military -- also crewcab mods.
I've also heard some jokers have attached a fake door handle in the #4 position and painted in phoney door lines!
All subs were 3-door from the factory.

That's what is unique about our suburbans.People look at one side,walk around look at the other side,and then walk back to the first side.Then they ask why only 3 doors?

Have you had some goofball ask you why you welded the fourth door shut yet?

the wife dosent like the three doors. She wants me to get rid of it, but if it had the 4th door it would be ok ( :confused: ) but any way just an idea to keep both of us happy

Go buy you a truck, and give the Burb to her. Since she drives it all the time, she will never look at the other side. If your wife is like most women, they only look at the side they get in on...:p

I've had two people ask "why did you close-up a door for?" & one didn't believe it was factory after explaining it!! LOL

Love these things!!

Doc

ckhd.... Ive had MANY goof balls ask why I welded my 4th door up.... :rolleyes: Some people are just "unlearned" Then theres the ones who INSIST on referring to my burb as "van", "blazer", or GOD FORBID a station wagon...:barf:

crazy4chevs... Is your burb YOUR truck or the FAMILY truck?? If its yours, tell the wife not to drive it an her problem is solved, if tis the family truck, Tell her to get her OWN!! LOL ;)

""If your wife is like most women, they only look at the side they get in on...""......NU2TRUX...."most women" dont apply here... I know EVERY inch of my Burb... :D:D

doc70sub... Try being a female and trying to explain that to a "male" who thinks hes just gods gift to every thing created..... It gets quite comical at times.... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Junkie, I hate to tell you this, but back in the day (67-72), suburbans were registered as 'wagons' by the DMV (at least in AZ, probably most other states too). Got a car plate and everything. I didn't mention that to them when I applied for my Y.O.M. '72 non-commercial truck plate for my 'burb!

Originally posted by ckhd
Junkie, I hate to tell you this, but back in the day (67-72), suburbans were registered as 'wagons' by the DMV (at least in AZ, probably most other states too). Got a car plate and everything. I didn't mention that to them when I applied for my Y.O.M. '72 non-commercial truck plate for my 'burb! My title says "SW" for station wagon, right on it.

P.S. Im glad it does, with car plates I can park in my parents driveway, and drive down Lake Shore Drive.....With truck plates, that would not be a reality :(

its amazing how many people ask about the three doors and why it was welded shut,then theres the people i take out in it and they never notice theres only three doors untill i point it out.

Originally posted by 68 Suburban
My title says "SW" for station wagon, right on it.

P.S. Im glad it does, with car plates I can park in my parents driveway, and drive down Lake Shore Drive.....With truck plates, that would not be a reality :(

I guess I'm stupid or something, what's up with your parent's driveway, and Lake Shore Drive, and where is Lake Shore Drive??? :confused: :confused:

Originally posted by GMCjunkie
....If your wife is like most women, they only look at the side they get in on...""......NU2TRUX...."most women" dont apply here... I know EVERY inch of my Burb... I was just being a smart @ss with my comment. You are an exception to my rule. If that's you in the avatar, you are quit an exception too...;)

ckhd,here in southeast Pa,some apartment,condo and housing developments will not allow truck or motorcycle parking.A lot of it has changed since so many soccer moms have suv's,and rubbies [rich urban bikers]have harleys.Lake shore drive is off limits to commercial traffic,that is anything with truck plates.

i like 67-72's and all, but keeping the 3 door design was behind the times back then. International got 4 doors for their Travelall (Suburban) and Travelette (crew cab) in 1961. Speaking of the Travelette, it was introduced in 1957 models, compared to 73 for GM. Internationals also got an optional 5 speed OD in the late 60's. All these facts probably contribute to why they went out of business, they were just too far ahead of their time.

I read that GM went with 3 doors so you didn't have to worry about your passengers getting out of the suburban street side.I nternational made a decision to stop the small truck market because they could not compete with the big three.A international dealer in shafferstown pa has the last scout made.

true, in a given year International made about 1/10 of what GM or Ford cranked out. they just couldnt keep up, many reasons are given for this. they only sold the trucks at international dealerships, and ppl werent used to going to big truck dealerships to buy a pickup or Scout. they had waaay too many models and variations coming off the same ass'y line, which was a nightmare for workers. they would also custom build a truck to a customer's preference, such as the last truck that rolled off the ass'y line...a 1975 model 500 (1-1/2 ton) 4x4 cab and chassis, which was not a catalogued model. too bad international bodies were made of compressed rust, alot of them are rotting away in pastures and such.

Originally posted by smokekiki
I read that GM went with 3 doors so you didn't have to worry about your passengers getting out of the suburban street side.

That's the only logical reason. That's what I've believed all along. If you look at the very first extended cab pickups that they put doors in back for, they are three door cabs, with the rear door being on the passenger side. When they first came out that way, I saw one at a show and asked the guy why it was that way, and he said that it was for safety. Of course, he said that they would never go to doors on both sides of the extended cab because it would make the cab too weak. I think it was a Dodge, but I can't remember, it's been a few years.

I always wondered if GM ever marketed or sold burbs overseas somewhere and maybe reversed the rear door sides. It seems like they could of when you look at the inside and it looks like a door.

HG

Originally posted by ckhd


That's the only logical reason. That's what I've believed all along. If you look at the very first extended cab pickups that they put doors in back for, they are three door cabs, with the rear door being on the passenger side. When they first came out that way, I saw one at a show and asked the guy why it was that way, and he said that it was for safety. Of course, he said that they would never go to doors on both sides of the extended cab because it would make the cab too weak. I think it was a Dodge, but I can't remember, it's been a few years.


There might be ONE more logical reason:


Suppose you DID install a door on the driver's side....how would passengers get access to the rearmost seat?... The answer is that you'd have to create ANOTHER passthrough like on the passenger side, which would make the middle row seat even NARROWER than it already is......

There might be concerns about structural integrity also, but I think the decision about the doors was GM's way of keeping the seats as wide as possible.... ???? :metal:

Could be,but the 73 up have 4 doors,with access to the rear on the right side.

well newer SUV's are like that...the bench will be about a 60/40 split and the smaller part will fold back, and there are doors on both sides. i think the real reason GM didn't design a 4th door until '73 was because it saved them money on each unit produced. sure, it helps keep passengers out of the road but IMO that is a stupid reason. if it is so safe then all the suv's now should have 3 doors, but having 3 just makes it that much more impractical. also how many burb owners do you think parked by the curb all the time? this is stretching but still. bottom line: it saved the general some cash.

Being a mom of 2 I don't like that the 3rd door is on the pass. side cause I need to get my kids out of the carseats. With the 3rd door on the pass. side I have to walk around (In the street:D ) and get the kids out the pass side. Not convienient at all.

Being a mom of 2 I don't like that the 3rd door is on the pass. side cause I need to get my kids out of the carseats. With the 3rd door on the pass. side I have to walk around (In the street:D ) and get the kids out the pass side. Not convienient at all.

Pinner Coach made a 4 door ambulance but the rear doors were longer than the front pickup style doors that they used, it was a 157" wheelbase.

I dug up a pic of the 4 door ambulance made by pinner coach.

It would be cool to find one!Really make them scratch thier heads.

Looks like they used a p/u or at least p/u doors.

yeah, those are pickup doors, also look at how the filler neck is between the front and rear door. Funky but cool.

Originally posted by ckhd


I guess I'm stupid or something, what's up with your parent's driveway, and Lake Shore Drive, and where is Lake Shore Drive??? :confused: :confused: Lake Shore Drive Chicago Illinois :) You can not drive truck plated vehicles on Blvds and Drives in Chicago. My parents live in a city (Park Ridge, IL) where truck plated vehicles are not allowed on the street or in the driveways over night. I don't know how seriously it is enforced. I think it is used to keep people from storing commercial vehicles in residential areas.

Sounds like governments out of control to me...

157" wheel base. Is that from a Longhorn, or did they extend the frame 30"? I used to live 1/2 block from Lake Shore Drive as a kid. I knew some doormen who really didn't like skateboarding punks.

IIRC, 157" was the long wheelbase version of the one ton chassis. Longbed p/u's are 127", Longhorns (C/20 or /30) are 133", C/30 - either 133" (extra long stepside p/u or cab & chassis) or 157" (cab & chassis only).
Probably just shipped SRW one ton 157" chassis to special aftermarket body manufacturer.

Originally posted by ckhd
Sounds like governments out of control to me... No, it sounds like people knowing the area they choose to live in and not wanting to look at dump trucks next to their $500K house.
There are plenty of un-incorporated areas that people can live where the people choose to live with that next door. People have a choice to live in the those areas where it is allowed, just like my parents had the choice not to live in area where it was allowed :) It has been like that the 50 years they have lived here, so it is no suprise to anyone planning to purchase in their city.

I think we have all got the why does it have
3 doors, why did you weld it closed ? questions,
but for good reason (Cheaper tabs when I lived
in Utah). I went to transfer the title when my
dad died, and they ask me what is a Suburban, well
I say it is sorta like a station wagon :), had
car tabs on my 3/4 ton 4X4 suburban for the rest
of the time in Utah.

Mike D.