The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network







Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Go Back   The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network > 47 - Current classic GM Trucks > The 1967 - 1972 Chevy/GMC Suburbans & Panels Message Board > 1967 - 1972 Chevy/GMC Suburbans and PanelsProjects and Builds

Web 67-72chevytrucks.com


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-06-2007, 11:17 PM   #1
Frizzle Fry
Registered User
 
Frizzle Fry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillsboro Oregon
Posts: 6,449
Talking Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Well, I knew I had a small window of opportunity to do this before my 61 takes residence in the garage, so it was now or who knows when...

After countless photochops to play with the proportions, I ended up using the longbed-to-shortbed conversion dimensions. For those who aren't familiar, it's -12" in wheelbase and -8" from the back end for an overall reduction of 20" (that's a LOT of garage space)

This is the rendering that really sold it for me:


I would have posted pics in process but I literally had two weeks to get this done and it ended up taking three...

Here's the final pic of the Sub life; the before pic:


Here we go...
Tear Down:

Gates off

That's gonna have to go...

These were nice while they lasted... I'll make new ones



Roomy...
Frizzle Fry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2007, 11:25 PM   #2
Frizzle Fry
Registered User
 
Frizzle Fry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillsboro Oregon
Posts: 6,449
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

More tear down:

Too bad I just filled this

I'd been wanting to get rid of this nasty home-made receiver hitch (PO install)



Rear bumper and hitch gone:


This will become a one-piece

Quarter windows out

Frizzle Fry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2007, 11:39 PM   #3
Frizzle Fry
Registered User
 
Frizzle Fry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillsboro Oregon
Posts: 6,449
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

I found the easiest way to remove the rear wood is with a little help from Mr circle saw. Then I cut around the bolts with a sawzall so I could remove them with the sawzall. Pics should make it clear...



You can see how I cut around the bolts here so I could then just hack the bolts instead of fighting with them.



Buh-bye spare tire well...



Rear 8" cut layout. That ledge is a great place to reference level:



I'll be needing these soon:

Frizzle Fry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 12:00 AM   #4
Frizzle Fry
Registered User
 
Frizzle Fry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillsboro Oregon
Posts: 6,449
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

This body cross brace/seat mount and the frame crossmember behind it were less than 12" appart. So the seat mount had to get a little trim:





Making room for the wheel wells to move forward:

Bracing for what's to come with a little help:


Frizzle Fry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 12:13 AM   #5
Frizzle Fry
Registered User
 
Frizzle Fry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillsboro Oregon
Posts: 6,449
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

You can't simply take 8" and 12" slices out of this thing and weld it back together like a truck bed. These have C-Pillars, a third door, and rear quarter glass to consider.

This is where all my Tahoe Photo-Chopping really paid off. I found when I did the renderings that it was easiest to just move the rear wheel wells forward 12" and then the rear and roof forward 20". I also knew from that experience that the roof was slightly domed, so the further forward the slice, the better.

Here are the exterior layout lines:



No turning back now!!!




By including the braces and fuel filler passage in this section I can just move it all forward as one unit:



Ouch


Last edited by Frizzle Fry; 05-07-2007 at 02:51 AM.
Frizzle Fry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 12:27 AM   #6
Frizzle Fry
Registered User
 
Frizzle Fry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillsboro Oregon
Posts: 6,449
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

This whole area required a redesign:


Here's where the wheel well is going to end up (blue line):



That's gonna have to move (see blue line again):


Thank God for bracing...



Test fit of wheel well section:




Last edited by Frizzle Fry; 05-07-2007 at 12:36 AM.
Frizzle Fry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 12:41 AM   #7
Frizzle Fry
Registered User
 
Frizzle Fry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillsboro Oregon
Posts: 6,449
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Making room...



POR 15 Time!







Frizzle Fry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 12:46 AM   #8
Frizzle Fry
Registered User
 
Frizzle Fry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillsboro Oregon
Posts: 6,449
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

...






Frizzle Fry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 12:52 AM   #9
Frizzle Fry
Registered User
 
Frizzle Fry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillsboro Oregon
Posts: 6,449
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

This is a "bolt-on" mod



Tacked in place:



More to come tomorrow...
Frizzle Fry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 01:13 AM   #10
shaneschevys
Its always something!
 
shaneschevys's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: FT Worth,TX
Posts: 4,992
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Thats going to look sweet when you get done with it. Looks like you had a couple of good hands helping you out to.
__________________
79 p10 stepvan
72 Short Fleetside
72 Suburban
67 GMC One Ton Flatbed
64 Short Fleetside
57 Chevy 2DR Hard Top
57 Chevy 2dr wagon
65 f*** short fleet
63 C 60 Flatbed




Member of the patina club
shaneschevys is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 01:15 AM   #11
milehightoyz
AttentionDeficitDisorder
 
milehightoyz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: COLORADO
Posts: 600
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

oh my god...this is going to be so sweet.....i was waiting for someone to hunker down and get this done.....i'll be watching, i got 2 extra burb bodies that i think are wanting to get cut up soon too......looks sweet so far!!! keep up with the pics.....
milehightoyz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 01:20 AM   #12
CG
BlahBlahBlah
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Monroe, Wa.
Posts: 19,719
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Well...wow...I have three extra burbs I was going to just going to get rid of. This makes me want to just cover em up for now and see what yours looks like finished. I think if I destroyed two of em trying to figure out how this works the third one may get finished...lol...someday.
CG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 01:23 AM   #13
milehightoyz
AttentionDeficitDisorder
 
milehightoyz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: COLORADO
Posts: 600
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

i assume this is going to stay a 3 dr for now?
milehightoyz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 07:54 AM   #14
Hart_Rod
*************
 
Hart_Rod's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Pensacola, FL
Posts: 17,810
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

That's just incredible! Can't wait to see it completely finished.
Hart_Rod is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 09:15 AM   #15
Livrat
Member #1049
 
Livrat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Troy Montana
Posts: 3,940
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Way cool!!.. cant wait to see more pics..
I can really appreciate a guy who is not afraid to cut one up!!
I love it!!
Livrat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 09:42 AM   #16
72CSTC5
Account Suspended
 
72CSTC5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Deer Park, Tx.
Posts: 2,524
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

FINALLY, someone is going to build one. I was wondering when this was going to happen!! Looks awesome, the fun part is going to be the other side with the door!!
72CSTC5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 10:20 AM   #17
3/4tonterror
Registered User
 
3/4tonterror's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: jaffrey,NH
Posts: 325
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

dont like it, i saw one at a show last year,looks like a swb with a burb roof on it.
3/4tonterror is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 10:49 AM   #18
stllookn
Saving 1 truck at a time!
 
stllookn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Kent, WA
Posts: 6,461
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Awesome project, Mike! It just makes me feel badly about going fishing this weekend...LOL!
__________________
'68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 400/TH400
'68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 468/TH400w/buckets
'72 C20 Halfhorn (Longhorn w/o cab and front clip)
'69 Flxible Cruiser (look up ugly in the dictionary)
stllookn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 10:51 AM   #19
phase_one
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Praireville. LA 70769
Posts: 390
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

I think that is will be real cool. Nice work. Looks like lyou are having a good time with the kids. Keep it up.
__________________
11 Surbaban
70 C 10
still in progress
phase_one is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 11:35 AM   #20
Frizzle Fry
Registered User
 
Frizzle Fry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hillsboro Oregon
Posts: 6,449
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Quote:
Originally Posted by 72CSTC5 View Post
FINALLY, someone is going to build one. I was wondering when this was going to happen!! Looks awesome, the fun part is going to be the other side with the door!!
The 3rd door is pretty much done. Just needs some finishing work. The truck was 90% done and driving before I even started this thread. I just don't have the time to post all the pics in one sitting More to come today. But ya, you're right. It did take some on-the-fly-engineering. That's why I did the driver's side first

Quote:
Originally Posted by 3/4tonterror View Post
dont like it, i saw one at a show last year,looks like a swb with a burb roof on it.

Well, I appreciate your honesty Are you sure you saw one with a 115" wheelbase and notched 3rd door? I have looked and looked and have never seen one done this way. I've seen this:


...and I've seen them with a some rear-end trimming, but never the way I'm doing it; "Tahoe Style." If you or anyone else has pics of one done this way I'd love to see them!
Frizzle Fry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 12:03 PM   #21
Zoomad75
K5Camper
 
Zoomad75's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Pueblo, CO
Posts: 1,513
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

<click> Subscribe.....

Killer build. That had to take some serious cajones to bring the cutoff wheel to clean original sheet metal. The progress looks great. I like the on the fly engineering too.

Don't worry about the one guy that hates it. Your building for yourself, not him. Anybody that doesn't like it can click the back button and go look at another thread.

I like "phantoms" or versions of trucks/cars that could have been made but weren't. If done right (and it looks like its going in the right direction) its probably going to look like it was factory when completed. Then you'll get the folks coming up saying they remember having one like that as a kid or an uncle had one a long time ago.

Very unique, keep up the good work!
__________________
Rob Z.
1975 K5 350/465/205/D44/12b 4" lift on 35's- RIP
1991 K5 8.1L/NV4500/241/D44/14b FWC Camper
Zoomad75 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 12:44 PM   #22
stllookn
Saving 1 truck at a time!
 
stllookn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Kent, WA
Posts: 6,461
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

I know you did this just so you can place in the top 10 at that Porsche auto cross!!!!!!!!!!

You NEVER asked for anyone's opinion about this but I think this is an awesome project and a great idea. I still can't believe you got it done in 3 weeks while losing one weekend to an injury! That is one "stinking" complex conversion!
__________________
'68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 400/TH400
'68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 468/TH400w/buckets
'72 C20 Halfhorn (Longhorn w/o cab and front clip)
'69 Flxible Cruiser (look up ugly in the dictionary)

Last edited by stllookn; 05-07-2007 at 12:50 PM.
stllookn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 12:50 PM   #23
ostncoln
Registered User
 
ostncoln's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Amarillo, TX
Posts: 178
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

thats goign to be freakin sweet
ostncoln is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 01:14 PM   #24
70c10
67-72 Addict!
 
70c10's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: The TAX State!
Posts: 7,857
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

Nice job Mike! . Can't wait to see it completed!
__________________
Jim

1970 C/10 Fleetside w/Ghost Flames
Lowered 4.5" front and 4" rear (Raked)
355/350 Turbo w/shift kit
10" Redneck Performance Verter w/2500 stall
Hooker Super Comps part#2808-1
Performer RPM Air-Gap
12 Bolt w/3:73 gears- Eaton Posi
Comp Cams XE262 with 1.6 Crane Energizers, Road Demon 625 and Brodix IK 180 heads
70c10 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2007, 01:45 PM   #25
Spanky_Pete
Too many trucks? Nah...
 
Spanky_Pete's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SW Washington State
Posts: 154
Re: Joined the Short Wheelbase Club *69 Tahoe Project*

That is an insane amount of work, can't wait to see the finished product.
Spanky_Pete is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:33 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1997-2022 67-72chevytrucks.com