topless suburban

[Topless72]

I recently bought a pretty rough 72 c/10 burb. My plan is to remove the complete top and make a roadster out of it. I know this will take some reinforcement to the body structure. Does anyone have any other thoughts or ideas for my project?

Thanks, Todd in central Iowa

[Topless72]

The c/10 I purchased has a rear ac unit in it. It sits on the floor behind the
2nd row seat. Its very large with the controls on the drivers side and vents on the top. The height of the ac unit is taller than the back of the seat. The guy I got the truck from said it is a factory unit. Dont know if I believe that. Anyone ever heard or seen one?

Thanks, Todd

[LockDoc]

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Welcome from another Iowan... That should be an interesting project for sure.

I've never seen an A/C unit like that in our trucks but I don't know a lot about the Burbs yet either.

Be sure and visit the Iowa Forum. Quite a few guys on here from the "Corn State".

LockDoc

[Topless72]

Where do I find the Iowa section at? Cant wait to start this project. My wife is even excited about it. I have a fuel injected 454 with the computer and harness lined up out of a 99 k2500 burban. I think I will just plan the project and collect parts and info before I start the tear down. I drove south of Kansas City to get the truck. No engine or tranny, it had a BB in it before. Its pretty rough, but for what I want to do with it, its perfect. Plus the price was right, $400.

[AzDon]

Two things;
I think a topless three-door will look VERY lonnngg!
My other concern is that getting enough structural bracing in place to insure the doors working properly cound be a challenge, especially the post between the doors on the right side.
Blazers came topless and look right, but are quite short by comparison, and they had doorframe issues in stock form until GM put the roof back over the cab in about '77.
If you have a good rear hatch and good glass, it does have some value ( The rules of this forum prevent me from telling you that I'd like to buy)
I've never had the huevos to try a project like you describe, but I look forward to seeing the pics!

[gcburdic]

it can be done

[Topless72]

You are right, it will be long looking. I allready thought about the passenger side door post. Im thinking that I will build some sort of bracing that will run side to side behind the front seat. Do you think I will need to do any frame reinforcement? Like boxing it in.
It has barn doors on it that are junk. Gonna get rid of them and fab in a panel across the back to strengthen the back. Then, this idea will be a challenge, find a donor car and adapt a short trunk lid to have an enclosed space for storage. I also want to use the old top and shorten it to be used as a removable hardtop.

The pic that is posted here is awesome. That is even the color I had in mind.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Topless72

Where do I find the Iowa section at?

Scroll down to the bottom of this page until you see the "Forum Jump" box. Click on the little arrow on the right side of the window then scroll down until you see "Iowa" and click on it. You can get to all of the different sections of the board from the Forum Jump box.

LockDoc

[Dieselwrencher]

Welcome to the truck board! It sounds like you have a cool project going on. I say cut it, who cares right? I'm sure you can make reinforcement plates and weld them to the existing B pillar, C pillar all the way back to the D pillar. Good luck with it!

[gcburdic]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

Scroll down to the bottom of this page until you see the "Forum Jump" box. Click on the little arrow on the right side of the window then scroll down until you see "Iowa" and click on it. You can get to all of the different sections of the board from the Forum Jump box.
LockDoc

or you can just click here....http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/f...play.php?f=158

[AzDon]

What I meant regarding door opening strength is maintaining the distance across the top of the door opening now that its a "u" rather than a full perimeter.
There was a 68 volkswagon wagon in this area that had been made a roadster and the space behind the back seat was covered by a padded tonno cover that functioned as a defacto trunklid. The roadster pic in this thread actually looks better than I thought it would...

[PanelDeland]

Welcome!!! Looks like it will be a cool fair weather cruzer.As long as it has good floorboards and rockers,I would think a bit of reinforcing in the floorboard to strengthen the B pillar doorjamb and good bodymounts would do it.The main thing will be having enough strength in the B pillar to support the door when it's open.

[Topless72]

When you say B pillar, do you mean the pillar the 3rd door is hinged on? I thought about making the 3rd door a suicide door so the hinges would be on the quarter panel.

[Splash4195]

That would be pretty cool!

[PanelDeland]

Originally Posted by Topless72

When you say B pillar, do you mean the pillar the 3rd door is hinged on? I thought about making the 3rd door a suicide door so the hinges would be on the quarter panel.

That will probably help a lot but you will still lose the strength of the roof holding the opening square.The area of the b-pillar (yes where the door originally hinged) is supported by the frame,rockers and frames but also by being attached to the roof which bridges the area.It may not matter if the body structure is good under those areas but shouldn't take much to make that area really solid.Especially if you suicide the rear door.