SiX-5 SuBuRbAn

[DKO]

nice work!
Very creative! I like it.

[jonzcustomshop]

got the 'burb moving under its own power today!
now I am on to a bunch of little stuff: lights, 1 rear window , windshield, and a bit of rust repair on the pass. floor, I still have to bolt the driver fender on too.

[jonzcustomshop]

a correction, earlier I said 87 Buick wagon... it was a 79 Buick wagon.

couple questions:
I used a 66 instrument cluster-66 should have the same ohm fuel gauge as the 79 Buick wagon correct?
I plugged the temp sender wire into the 79 Buick wagon sender, are they compatible? or should I pull the sender off the 66 motor?
right now all the gauges work, except the temp gauge...

[Captainfab]

The '66 Brub fuel gauge needs a 0-30 ohm sender. The '79 Buick will have a 0-90 ohm sender in the tank.

You will want to put a '66 temp sender in the Buick engine for the Burb gauge to work.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

The '66 Brub fuel gauge needs a 0-30 ohm sender. The '79 Buick will have a 0-90 ohm sender in the tank.

You will want to put a '66 temp sender in the Buick engine for the Burb gauge to work.

I thought that the change to 90 ohm from 30 was 1966???????
ron

[Palf70Step]

Nice!

[Captainfab]

It was '66 for cars, but trucks were '67 I believe, if not '68.

Originally Posted by padresag

I thought that the change to 90 ohm from 30 was 1966???????
ron

[jonzcustomshop]

Originally Posted by padresag

I thought that the change to 90 ohm from 30 was 1966???????
ron

Originally Posted by Captainfab

It was '66 for cars, but trucks were '67 I believe, if not '68.

shoot! I was hoping by using the 66 dash that the gauge would read right...
I'll have to see if I can get a 90ohm gauge to fit in the dash somehow.


I spent the last couple work days chasing all the lights. due to rust I had to completely take apart the passenger side taillight unit, clean and rebuild it.
then I had to undo some sort of trailer harness underneath and rewire all that.

I replaced the cut hood harness (who cuts the hood wire when the plug is right there!!!!) with a good one.
I could not get the lh hood turn signal to blink, I chased the wire with a test light all through the harness, and found a bad connection at the instrument cluster plug, cleaned that up and it all works now.

one thing: my left brake and turn signal work, but are not as bright as the right.. any ideas on why, or how to fix?

today I got the fender and cowl panels all adjusted and bolted on, and found an antenna that looks good to cover the hole in the rh cowl panel.

I got started on some minor rust repair on the passenger floor, and have to weld up some stress cracks on the suburban passenger seat mounts,

[padresag]

Jon if you have a 66 guage I would check it with the sender if possible. taillight problem sounds like a bad ground
ron

[jonzcustomshop]

Originally Posted by padresag

Jon if you have a 66 guage I would check it with the sender if possible. taillight problem sounds like a bad ground
ron

the gauge does show fuel, just not sure how accurate it is.
the ground thing makes sense, on the passenger side they have an extra wire that is soldered to the socket that goes to ground (I just left it), maybe I should do the same on the drivers side.

the steering wheel that came with this sub was beat, it looked like someone had got after it around the horn button area with some pliers and busted a couple chunks off.
so on looking in the yard I have a couple 60-61 wheels , a bunch of 62-64 wheels, and a few 66's, no 65's! ( I might need to find a few more 65 parts trucks!)
I went out to the local wrecking yard , and found a couple 65's that were off, they were both a little cracked up, but were better than what I had, so when I went up front, the guy sees the wheel and say that he just got one in that is real nice, he has it in the shop. turns out it is nice, almost too good for this project, but the patina matches.

also a shot of the antenna I found, and I tried to get a shot of the support I put in for the grille letters.

[jonzcustomshop]

well, been driving this for a week now, thing rides like a buick!
I ran it out of gas today, 'cause I was rolling the dice using a 30ohm truck gauge with a 90ohm sender.
so first order of business I went to the parts store and bought an aftermarket gauge, hooked it up and couldn't get it to work, it might be broken , because the parts guy dug it out of the back somewhere, so I will return it.
meanwhile I looked through the yard again, and noticed that the 79 trans am uses a small gauge, hooked it up and it works!
I didn't have a way to hang it off the dash, since it had no cover, so I got the dremel out and chopped up the tach block out plate and installed it there.

[jonzcustomshop]

I got the windshield fixed today, ordered a precision gasket, but after looking online at the install process I decided that I would be better off getting a glass shop to install it, and I am glad I did. it took 4 of them to do it. they didn't struggle too much , but they needed all 8 hands.

you can see in this pic that I also had to switch to a later mirror bracket, the '60 bracket I had on there wouldn't allow the vent window to open all the way.

I finally found a spray paint that matches the "patina" and got the upper portion of the grille support painted.

We have a lot of choices for license plate designs here in montana (if you have some time to check them out, here is the link to the 100 or so different plates you can get: https://dojmt.gov/driving/plate-designs-and-fees/ )
I found this black plate that is nice and plain and looks good, the lady at the dmv came back with the "...065" number and said since it was a 65 she had dug through the pile to get me that number!

[ChiefRocka]

Looking good man ...

Glad I could help out !!!

[jonzcustomshop]

Originally Posted by ChiefRocka

Looking good man ...

Glad I could help out !!!

referenced your thread a few times!

[jonzcustomshop]

After driving this a bit I decided I needed an armrest. arm out the window works fine with the window down, but with the window up I was feeling something missing....
went out to my yard and found a nice armrest, and a clean drivers door panel already drilled for it.

after sitting in it and trying it out I am pretty sure I need an armrest in all my trucks!

the passenger door has been hard to open from the inside, I never really adjusted it after I put it on, so I got it all lined up, but it still won't open easy from the inside... turns out that the inside lever does not release the star/spinner all the way, but the outside does. so tomorrow I will try a whole different latch.

[jonzcustomshop]

new stuff: the armrest form the previous post.
I had a real nice set of GMC sill plates, and since I am not saving them for a gmc I just stuck them on this.
I had a friend whip up a seat cover for the jump seat.
I built a little box for the stereo that I bolted to the dash.. then I pirated the stereo and speakers form some other vehicles in the yard.. total cost: $0!!

[Palf70Step]

Looking good. I like how you did the stereo.

[northern 85]

Nice very cool rig!

[wahl4m]

truck came out nice !!! its great using parts laying outback ! i just got an air dash in mine / makes my truck look better! maybe you should just polish up the vents and leave it ? does it get hot where you live ?? anyway just my 2 cents ! keep up the good work ! get back on the crewie -it looks close ??

[clemdaddy]

the difference in ride height between the 2 and 4 wheel drive burbs is huge. I think you made a very good driver with the frame and drive train switch on your 65. Nice work...

[jonzcustomshop]

got a cool photo op for the sub today... the kids have a summer camp at an old homestead just out of town.- bonus they have a cool 61 chev 40 series that they use for a water truck.

[padresag]

looks petty good Jon
ron

[Palf70Step]