turning a suburban into a panel?

[illtemper]

well I searched but found nothing anywhere,I'm sure someone's done it,I've seen the reverse (panel to sub). it might be sacrilege but I'm thinking about covering all the rear glass in my 70 suburban and dropping it to make a (fake) panel hotrod. any and all thoughts appreciated. anyone done this?

thanks...Jon
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[olblue60@aol.com]

There are a couple of nice ones out your way! $1500 & $2000 Try searching

Jaxed.com

John

[illtemper]

Originally Posted by olblue60@aol.com

There are a couple of nice ones out your way! $1500 & $2000 Try searching

Jaxed.com

John

maybe I was unclear,I'm not looking to but buy a truck,even if I could afford it.I'm looking for information about welding steel panels over the windows of my 70 suburban to make a 3 door panel truck,and/or reasons to or not to do it. thank you...Jon
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[CG]

I was wondering about a similar thing, but on my 58 Ford wagon. I was told you need to be a pretty good welder to not warp such large flat panels of steel.

[Hart_Rod]

Originally Posted by CG

I was wondering about a similar thing, but on my 58 Ford wagon. I was told you need to be a pretty good welder to not warp such large flat panels of steel.

Just use a piece of 1/4" plate.......

[illtemper]

Originally Posted by Hart_Rod

Just use a piece of 1/4" plate.......

I said panel truck,not armored truck,lmao. maybe 3/32 or 1/8 tho,just so it won't warp?
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[463]

i think i would use the auto glue thats used in the body shops or urathane and seam seal to mount the filler panels as opposed to welding them. but that just my take on this.

[illtemper]

interesting,I'll look into that. the shop I called said they'd just 'glass it in.
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[CG]

Originally Posted by 463

i think i would use the auto glue thats used in the body shops or urathane and seam seal to mount the filler panels as opposed to welding them. but that just my take on this.

You know that's a really good idea. I know next to nothing about these "super glues" body shops use, but the little I have read make this really worth looking in to.

[chris mc bride]

I know the glue idea would work. IMO if you could fabricate them and then tack weld them in stages,it would be best way. If you tack weld your way around making many trips leaving lots of space between welds warping should not be problem. I woud personaly go the welding approach.

[olblue60@aol.com]

If you look under the "please post pictures of your panels" page three, you will see a short panel orange and white. Member jgb7038. That truck was originaly a long wheelbase pickup that he shortened and grafted a suburban rear on and then filled the windows. He had a complete build thread on here. Perhaps you might contact him for info. He probably would be willing to post a link to the thread again for you.

[olblue60@aol.com]

Here you go! Any questions maybe you can PM him.



http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=381531

[illtemper]

wow, nice truck. thanks for the link,that's what i was looking for!
hard to tell,but it looks like he made a fiberglass plug to fill the window hole,cool idea.

[olblue60@aol.com]

I believe that the fiberglass look is just from scanning photos to post them. I believe he says that he used 18 gauge metal to fill the windows.

[jgb7038]

The window openings are filled with 18 gauge sheet metal,and the interior trim panel is made from fiberglass.

[pritch]

I've got some pics of a '63 or so that had been converted. I'll look around and see if I can find them.

[pritch]

Not the best pictures of the conversion, but here they are:



This guy always comes up to our local car show. It's really well done. You cannot tell it's converted except for the step is in the 'Burb place instead of the Panel place.

[illtemper]

beautiful truck,thanks for the pics.
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[AzDon]

There usta be a mid-seventies four-door burb around here that had been made into a panel..... He could not get the curvature on the side panels right and you could see where the window openings had been. It might be easier on our burbs because the opening you would sheet is surrounded by the bottom of the raingutter and the top of the body. I think it would be cool to panel over the back door window while leaving the door functional (but shave the handle) You might also consider creating a couple of panels to simply replace the side window glass behind the rear door(s) that are held in place by the glass surround rubber as the side panels in a Vega panel delivery were done.
If you do the project, I know someone that needs your discarded glass