1966 C20 LWB onto 1977 Suburban C10 Chassis

[Nopocustoms]

First, I am new to the site I find it to be a great help in research, so for my first post - I have some questions, the trucks story, the plan, and many pictures of the build coming very soon!

I am 31, been a car nut since 14, I currently work for the Military full time and have a hobby shop that takes up all my free time! I also have a slight fishing problem...

The truck, during my last Iraq deployment I had my little brother on the hunt for a 60-66 chevy truck for me - and a week before I came home - he saw this gem on a flatbed heading down the road towards Schnitzer Steel (scrap yard) He honked and flashed his lights - the guy pulled over, and sure enough - My brother gave him 400 bucks for it on the spot - The guy even had a clean title in hand, and it was a 1 owner truck with 75 K miles on it -

It is 100% original and has a nice patina -
4 Barrel 327
TH400
Mark IV Roamer AC
Drum Brakes all around

The day I got home, I pulled the tank - cleaned it up, sanded the points - and she was a driver, after not moving since 1977. I cut some coils, Heated the rears and put about a hundred miles on it - then all the stuff that sat started failing - the brakes are done - lost 3 wheel cylinders and the lining fell off the rear shoes - the transmission doesn't always shift into 3rd. You get the idea - I love the truck however and bought a super clean 1977 suburban c10 2wd with a 454 and TH400 for about the cost of a full brake job and steering box on the 1966!

So - What hang ups will I hit when I pop the Burb Body off and set my cab on it? I have A Mig, Tig, Stick, OxyAcet, Plasma Cutter, bandsaw, tubing bender, drill press, lathe and milling machine at my shop, so I have no concerns about cutting off and welding on body mounts and such - I am concerned about the floor pan - but the frames appear to be the same width front and rear?

I originally intended to use the front crossmember, and rearend But I like the way the burb drives, and it would seem better to chagne the whole mess as opposed to hangning it together. Thoughts?

Thanks I look forward to the responses.

[padresag]

put the gear from the suburban into the existing truck. it is going to have the same suspension and steering that the suburban had. a lot less work and a cleaner installation and you wont have to worry about the MVB with different frame ser nbrs
ron

[jonzcustomshop]

keep your 66 frame
the sub front x member will unbolt and bolt back to your frame with a minimum of drilling(4 holes if I remember, and 2 just need to be ovaled out..)
unless you are doing 4x4 the sub frame is going to look funny, because you will need about a 3 inch body lift to clear all the x members. the sub frame is also 2.5 inches longer.
on the rear you could either stau with the coil setup, and buy some new axle perches (cpp is one vendor I know of ) or drill the rivets and relocate the sub leaf springs to the 66 frame.

it looks like your 3/4 ton rear cab mounts need to be re-vulcanized... you can get that done by steele rubber co., or tony at 456 chevy trucks sells repro 1/2 ton style rear frame mounts.

[UK62LW]

Just wanted to say cool truck and a great story!

I have a 77 frame under my 62 (rear of cab was notched to sit it right down) - it was done before I shipped it over so I can't comment on how easy/difficult it was, but it drives great. There's a few pics in the link in my sig if that helps.

[Nopocustoms]

Thanks for all the great input, I have no interest in a 4X4 Conversion - I was under the impression for a 2wd the cab clearance issue was no concern as the rise in the frame on suburban chassis occur after the cab on a burb frame, and a pickup fram has the rise in the cab area??

I understand it would be straight up to just to swap crossmembers, drill and install rear-springs / rearend, but I also want the motor / trans - I think my course of action will be to remove the burb body, and pull my cab and just see what it looks like - it would be easier for me to shorten a frame, driveline, and exhaust system and notch a floor pan then to swap crossmembers, motors, transmissions, etc -

PIctures soon, I hope to take the body off the burb friday.

[chevyrestoguy]

.....I think my course of action will be to remove the burb body, and pull my cab and just see what it looks like - it would be easier for me to shorten a frame, driveline, and exhaust system and notch a floor pan then to swap crossmembers, motors, transmissions, etc

I know your mind is made up, but that's waaay more work. You'll have more time in building cab mounts and getting them square than you would swapping the crossmember. Plus, you can use the Suburban trans crossmember with a little bit of work. It's a Chevy, you'll be amazed at how much you can use off of that Surburban

[padresag]

he was more than likely just looking for validation of his orig statement. sometimes you can't tell people things
ron

[Nopocustoms]

Originally Posted by padresag

he was more than likely just looking for validation of his orig statement. sometimes you can't tell people things
ron

Ron,

I appreciate the input- but I was really looking for people who have been down this road, and had good or bad experience on this swap - I do apprecitate the input - but it appears from a search or response that the issues I will see either apply to to a 4X4 Swap, a Truck vs Suburban Swap, or a floor pan swap -

To make my plan more clear, the burb body will be scrapped - which will pay for the cost of the burb - and the cab is coming off the chassis anyways - so I will take plenty of pictures and document this to save the next guy problems -I am in no rush, and I don't drive the truck daily.

Thanks for the input.

BTW great heads up on the body mounts, Odd that the C-20 mounts are weaker AND more expensive!! I love this site

[padresag]

4 x 4 has nothing to do with it. do you want the body lines from the cab to the box to line up. either you have to raise the cab and frt sheet metal mounting or raise the floor of the bed
the motor bolts back in on the perches and I think that it would be much simpler to install a rear trans cross member than chopping a frame and mounting a body, but hey every one to their own
ron

[chevyrestoguy]

I used the suspension from a '79 Suburban on my '64. Keep your original frame, it'll save you a ton of headaches.

On the front, you'll need to drill 2 new holes and elongate 2 others. Bolts right in. Done

On the rear, strip the spring perches off of your '77 rear axle, buy a new pair of 60-66 perches and a super trackbar kit from Early classic. Done

With a few days work, that truck can be a roller with better, later, safer stuff.

[MikeS.]

Very nice and a great update. Enjoy the bbq with the wife.

[Nopocustoms]

First thing I did this morning was pull off the cab and front fenders, I left them all assembled - this way I shouldn't have to pull my hair out re-shimming everything.

[Nopocustoms]

I rolled the chassis over from the other bay, and wheeled her right in - a quick check of the measuring tape showed me that the radiator and AC pump had to go until the body was lowered over it - Then roll it into place, using my hight tech masking tape plumb bob.

[Nopocustoms]

Lowering the body, and the plumb bob

[Nopocustoms]

The inner fender rested on the power steering hoses, too easy - I made 2 relief cuts and bent the fender up, also the steering shaft is too long to mate with the rag joint on the power steering box - I loosened it up and pushed it back into the cab.

[jonzcustomshop]

you are on it!
I am curious to see the side profile/stance pics
I am a couple days late to tell you you can use that booster( I put one out of a sub in my wifes 63 ) but it looks like you figured it out

[McMurphy]

Man that is TOTALLY like something I would do !!
Except for me I have a bad habbit of finger tightening things to mock up the install, then with that up and in, I move on to other projects and forget to go back and wrench the part down in tight....

Where I work we constantly ask patients how they best learn.
When asked, my reply is "painfully"

congrats on its life tho....cannot wait for the day I get to hop in the cab and turn the key for the first time!

[Nopocustoms]

Today was kind of my last push on the truck for a while, I didn't do much of anything to it yesterday as I wanted to go to a car show, and had to dig out my 52 chevy sport coupe (pretty awesome car) - then this morning I got down here at the crack of noon to button some things up.

I have to go out of town for the next 3 weeks on wednesday, and can't leave it un-drivable!

A few zip ties and I poked in a radiator, bolted the hood on and did copius burn outs - that 454 doesn't even wheeze at the thought of smoking the tires! It was pretty impressive how well it all works together, I have a pretty extensive list -

1: Put bumpers on it - Can't decide what to use for rear bumper - I want stock looking chrome with some style - thoughts?

2: Re-drill the mounting point on the brake pedal arm to give more travel - the brakes just don't seem to have enough push! stops well but lots of travel.

3: Finish weld the bed angle iron and paint rear frame / bed braces

4: Stain underside of bed wood

5: Bolt in Bed wood and wheel tubs

6: Install new shocks ( shot)

7: Finish Weld the steering shaft

8: Find a more permanany radiator solution - open to ideas!

9: Re0build rear exhasut to exit straight out back (currently it points at the inside of the rear quarters...

10: find some 5X5 15" steelies to paint black, install spider caps and white walls.

11: replace front cab bots with something shorter -

12: install AC Compressor and hook up to mark Iv Roamer -

13: Finally put a camshaft, lifters, intake and carb on and paint engine bay.

That should only take a few YEARS... It feels pretty good to be back where I started but with a much more solid product - Big block, power steering, heavy duty Disc Brakes - The fun part of this build can now start!

Oh yeah, if you made it this far, here are some pictures of the profile people asked for. Thanks for looking and all the support!

[ole dollor]

man you have done alot in a very short time....i like it....keep us posted and lots of pic's....

[Nopocustoms]

So Someone may know this off the top of thier head - I hope so, I am back at home and already tying one on for old-glory, How big is the inside diamater of a factory 5X5 70's chevy 15X6 steel wheel - I want to order bullet push through caps from E-Pay.... Be cool if you knew - I still need to find a set of them around here!

[jonzcustomshop]

looks great!
when people ask about the 73-87 frame swap this will be a great thread to refer them to.

[McMurphy]

Man you work fast.... much faster than I can!!

Thanks for looking at my build too, hope your 3 week trip is a fun one, if not profitable !!!

[Nopocustoms]

Well I am back from my 3 weeks of fun travel and adventure, I hope to break free from honey-do's and get back to the truck so I can take it to a car show before the end of the summer... Time flys when your having fun!

I found a set of 15X6 5 on 5 steelies today, I really wanted the spider style caps, but cannot find them in 5 on 5. I guess I need to buy some wheels - measure the inside diameter and buy bullet lug nuts.

I did spend some time tonight crafting my custom whide-white-whall machine - Pics to follow, My little brother is testing the the first one I made on a buick to check for cracking/peeling - if my theory and failed honors chemistry class education works - I may have a technique for cheepo quality whitewalls....

[1stseries55]

I used 3.125" push through bullet caps....nothing that I could find was an exact fit, I had to grind a very small amount from the inside lip of the hole (on the wheel) to make them fit...

[Nopocustoms]

Outstanding - That's exactly the look I am going for - but on a 1,000 total build budget...

Thanks for the pictures!

Off to Ebay I go...