Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Thanks HO455...I used tips from your posts to make sure I didn't overlook something, like the extra padding on the top edge of seat backs! Amadeus gets full credit for the pull-down armrest. I don't know what he got it out of, but he has an assortment of stuff like this that he's collected over the years. The cup holders are only 2 inches deep and a max of 3 1/2 inches in diameter (and has those rubber fingers that self adjust) but it works well...and the tray was an unexpected surprise as the 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 inch area holds our cell phones and reading glasses perfectly! I did the best I could with some additional pictures...plus one of when Amadeus was building it. Thanks again!

Woody

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Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Thanks for all the photos. I can already see I will be getting some nylon washers to put on my arm rest pivot bolts. Rattle prevented!

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Those seats are awesome! Curious where the material came from, and is it actual automotive grade? ... I cant say enough about how cool it is.

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Cool...let me know if I can help in any other way! I have certainly benefited from your build thread!

Woody

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Thanks CG...the material is made by the Sunbrella Corporation...the ones that make all the outdoor products (umbrellas, poolside chairs, etc)...so it holds up really well to the hazards of the sun, heat and wetness (but we will be "scotch-guarding" it for easy clean-up should one of the grandkids puts it to the test!)...and it is listed as great for things you sit on! It doesn't specifically call out as automotive grade so I might be taking a chance...but it appears to be much tougher stuff than the original materials, and my upholsterer gave it his stamp of approval... so I guess time will tell? Thanks again for the positive comments!

Woody

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Wow those seats look great!

Paul

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Thanks Paul...I feel pretty good about taking a risk and it working out for the look we were going for. I did have some worries that it might be a bit much...but in the end, I think it all came together!

Woody

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

If the Sunbrella seat fabric is as good as the awning fabric I have used for years, you will not wear it out. Great stuff.

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

That's great to hear, Richard...we have had good life out of the other Sunbrella products we've bought, and this feels even more substantial.

Woody

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Im not looking to use the same pattern you used on your burb, but I looked through something like 1400 plus samples of their material on the Sunbrella site and I didnt see yours there.

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

CG...I went through hell and back to get that pattern! In a nutshell, while looking for surf related fabrics, I found a person selling large samples with which to make pillows and such. When I contacted them regarding a larger amount, I was informed that this Longboard pattern was made by Sunbrella exclusively for another company...but was now a discontinued pattern. I used my detective skills to hunt down leads which ended with finding someone that had a partial roll sitting on their shelf...so I purchased that roll, which happened to be in the color way I was looking for (Longboard was available in 4 color ways). It was hard to find, but in the end, I got lucky!

Woody

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Hey Woody, just wanted to update you on the springs...I did end up going with the standard rate small block springs in mine 6102/6101 and finally got everything buttoned up yesterday. The ride is SOOOOOOOO much better! I still have a bit of tuning to do on my adjustable Fox shocks, but the truck is infinitely better to drive. I did the front springs along with new sway bar bushings and in the back, did the springs with new trailing arm and track bar bushings.

With your 3rd row, you will probably want to run the HD springs in the rear if you'll be driving the truck fully loaded.

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Thanks Greg...great information! Now that I've got my seats all in, I want to drive it a bunch before taking everything out again to get the bodywork done and interior/exterior painted...so the springs are next on my list. Although my grandkids will be the most frequent passengers and don't weigh much, there will be times that their parents travel with us (plus gear) so yes, HD sounds like the way to go. Thanks again...and I wish you, your family and all the members of the group a happy Independence Day! :flag:

Woody

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

I took the Beach-Burban on a family vacation to the Central Coast of California about 3 1/2 hours from home...the longest non-stop drive I've done with it. Other than the temperature gauge issue I'm having, it worked flawlessly! My wife and I met the rest of the family at the Air B&B we rented in Arroyo Grande (just South of Pismo Beach) but for day trips we loaded all nine of us into the Burb and even had room for gear. We got a lot of "thumbs-up" and people wanting to ask questions where ever we went...even with the rough looking exterior paint! Even wrangled a few strays for the local ranchers! The temp gauge is puzzling...but I posted a separate thread for that!

Woody

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Looks like a good time was had by all. A lot of smiling faces...:)

LockDoc

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Looks great Woody....love seeing them get used properly!!

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Sometimes...I am the cause of my puzzlement! Awhile ago, I finally pulled the trigger and ordered the parts for my "spring" project...and I'm not sure why, but I felt like I stumbled into a "one and done" ordering situation when I found everything I was looking for while scanning through LMC's online catalog. Price wise it made sense, as I also added some items I will be needing in the future (door and window seals plus more) so I ended up getting free delivery.

I am partially happy with my decision, especially with the front springs...as these were listed for a big block, and without raising my ride-height, they keep my front end from diving down like the old ones allowed. It stays pretty much flat when making exaggerated turns (not that I plan on "auto-crossing" with it), but it is a big improvement. The new front bump stops won't have to work as hard as the old ones (uppers were flattened away to nearly nothing, and lowers had traveled into the spring retainer plate enough to sheer the edge nearly all the way through).

I was also able to order OEM style rubber bushings for both the tracking and trailing arms (originals looked pretty sad) as well as the rear bump stops (which looked pretty good but were hard as rocks!). I think I messed up with the rear springs, though. I went with the variable-rate springs (same part number for 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton) but shyed away from the HD, as I thought it might end up pushing the rear of body up more than it was. As it is now, the new springs give me the exact same ride-height that I had with the old springs, and they do feel comfortable on rough roads and dips...but that's without a load (other than a full 45 gallon tank and 3 bench seats). My skepticism arose when I looked underneath and saw that the same 3 coils were compressed just as much as my original variable-rate springs were compressed??? I will put some miles on these and see if all is well...and I can always order a set of the HD springs if need be (lesson learned). Thank you to all the members that gave advice...especially Richard and Greg (FLYNAVY)! You both suggested the HD, so I've got no one to blame but myself (which is a good thing!).

I do want to "fess up" and say that I had my mechanic buddy provide the labor, as I want to help his business rebound after the shutdowns nearly put him into "early retirement"...but in the pursuit of being 100% honest, I'll add that my body doesn't appreciate laying on the ground under vehicles anymore! Darn old age!!!

Woody

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Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Great post Woody. I think most of us have been there!

Paul

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

I had the standard drop springs in rear and changed to the HD springs and it was night and day better ride quality.

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Hey Woody, sorry about the rear springs...I didn't realize you had a 45 gallon tank as well. Definitely going to want those HD springs back there....at roughly 6.5 lbs/gallon, thats almost 300 lbs in fuel alone. Add the third seat and any occupants...

Anyway, full disclosure, I paid a shop to do my rear springs and trailing arms as well. My issue was (well, besides laziness) that my jack stands were maxed out and BARELY gave me enough room to droop the axel to the point where tension was off the springs. After messing with the arrangement for an hour, and needing to use a breaker bar on every bolt, I decided to throw in the towel, and took it to a local off-road shop that had a decent reputation. They had the truck for way longer than they should have, and someone syphoned my entire gas tank clean, but at least the work was done correctly, and they didn't charge much.

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Thanks Paul...I am envious of those that can do so much of their own work...I used to be one of those guys (my youth and lack of funds were the main motivators), but now I'm grateful for being able to utilize the member's knowledge (and spend a little money without impacting the family!).

Woody

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Good to hear GTO...did the HD springs raise the rear of the body any?

Woody

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

No worries Greg...you suggested the HD springs right off the bat...I just didn't listen...and in addition to the fuel weight, the tank itself weighs over 100 pounds!

My buddy got all my stuff done by the end of the next day (including welding a crack in one of the rear spring "cup" retainers)...and I didn't lose any gas! Let's see: 45 gallons X $2.85 a gallon (CA prices :waah:) = $128...:cf:...but I did pay him well!

Woody

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Hey, I found this from being over on the WMB thread. Looks like we're missing out on a lot that must have happened over the past few years. I started writing what follows below, and then looked at the date and realized how long it's been. So what I have to say below might not be relevant, but I will put it here anyway:

I'm not one to drop the "L" word, but I love seeing a rig bring a family together like this. That sunny yellow and, yes, even the surfboards ; ) That picture of all of the pretty, smiling ladies in it is priceless. You are doing all of the right things to be able to enjoy it - even if you have to order things like the rear springs twice. I probably would have first tried the variable rate ones too. There's a good chance you can advertise them here and somebody with a smallblock, 2 rows, and less than 10,000 gallons of gas will be glad to have them.

If I may offer some advice... Your Suburban looks great even with a couple rough spots on the exterior. The paint shows well and you can get rust fixed and paint spotted in. You can get paint code spray cans from these guys and spruce up the interior a bit if you want:
https://www.automotivetouchup.com/

I just think that you could lose a year or even two of having your Suburban in somebody's paint shop. And losing even one summer of being able to drive around with your grandkids would seem like too much. Maybe you can do some spot touch up and wait to get the full repaint done later. None of my business, but sharing that rig with your family seems the very best way to use it in my perspective.

Re: The more I learn...the more puzzled I become!
 

Hello LT7A…thanks for responding to my thread! For some reason, I started writing other threads instead of keeping this one going? Probably because I had specific questions about certain tasks at hand and wanted the title to reach the intended targets???

Anyway…you are spot-on with your analysis, and I have actually taken your advice in advance of you saying it! There is nothing wrong with driving the Beach-Burban with its natural patina…or even with spotted-in paint or primer showing. Besides making good decisions like taking custom paint off the table, I’ve made some poor choices (for good reasons, I thought) and I’m still working through those to get me back on track. First is the EFI (written up in a separate thread) which needs a few more tweeks to get it dependable…and second is finishing the interior as I saw another members “woody style” headliner that I’ve got an excellent woodworking friend helping me out with.

After those are to a point that I can put my seats back in, my plan is to drive it a lot…because this past year has bummed me having it sit so much (and the grand kids keep growing, so my time is running lower with each passing day).

Thanks for the encouraging words!

Woody