Adopting a Suburban Carryall, The Seahorse

[argonaut]

Since I don't have the cash to buy brand new tires right now (finishing paying off college debt...), I threw on a set of used 285/75R16 BFG ATs that I was able to get my hands on. Though these are too wide for the rims per specs i think they fit nicely. They aren't quite the 33" diameter that they should be because most of the tread is gone, but They're looking a lot better than the 255/70s that were on there before.





Big butt!!!



Now it's looking more like a truck!!

[vectorit]

Looks great!

[argonaut]

Thanks, Chris! Maybe someday (30 years from now) it'll look as good as yours!

[argonaut]

Welded the rear axle shock mounts back on in the appropriate locations this morning and bolted on a set of super cheap "hydro" shocks. Wow, I never knew that they still made non-gas charged shocks. Oh well, the price was right.

Then took the Seamonster for a little cruise around town for the first time since I got it. Unlike Big Ugly this guy rides smooth with that shackle flip and the cheapo shocks.

[rusty76]

Sure does look cool.

[RANDY COX]

Looking good Jason can't wait to get mine road worthy...

[Raider Rudy]

Lookin awesome beepo!

[C/10 King]

You need to take me for a cruise in this bad boy one of these rotten ol' days!!!!

[whitels1]

I dig it! That thing has some serious old school swagger man!!

[argonaut]

Thanks guys!

I need to swap on the 4bbl intake and carb, then freshen up the ignition system and it should be running nicely.

After that I just need to clean up some of the rust and primer so I don't cringe every time that I look at it.

[argonaut]

Should I paint the wheels white or black? Hub caps or no hub caps?

[Raider Rudy]

Paint em green!

[vectorit]

Color match them to the body, and then use OE white caps.

[argonaut]

Unfortunately there is no 60-66 cap that will fit these later style 3/4 ton wheels. Anyway with the chrome bumpers, aluminum grill and other shiny trip I'm not sure I want a painted cap. I think i'd rather go black wheels and no cap, than a white cap... hmm, life's hard decisions...

[argonaut]

Actually, Chris, you may be right. I'm trying to remember if 60-66 Chevy pickups with two tone would have originally had body color wheels. I think they would have. Damn, more options!

[vectorit]

Haha I am terrible at decisions like this, that is why I stayed stock since it was easier for me to stay on point.

I am by no means a 60-66 truck guy, but I thought that the trucks and a lot of the cars wheels were black or color matched. The caps, my thinking has been chrome bumpers = bright caps. Then painted bumpers = white caps.

[RedRoad]

Customs would be chrome bumpers and caps with anodized aluminum grill and body color wheels for 2wd. Not sure if the 4wd got the same.

[argonaut]

I think all 4wds back then got black wheels and no caps. I'm not sure how I feel about body color wheels.
Good thing I don't really care about keeping it 100% stock.

[vectorit]

Black OE steel wheels on vintage 4x4's do look good, and they are cheep to do with either paint or powder coat.

I did powder coat, and I couldn't more happier. Since cleaning them is a snap, compared to paint where the grime tends to embed itself into the finish.

1968 was the cut off for the black wheel 4x4 I think, where 1969 to mid 1970's the wheels were white (at least for K20's).

[RedRoad]

black with a chrome cap does look nice.

These literature photos show a (62-63?) deluxe GMC with white wheels and chrome caps and a standard yellow chevy looks to have body color wheels and no caps.

[vectorit]

I think Redroad should do the talking on details of the 60-66 instead of me

That red PU looks sweet with that wheel/color/tire combo!

[RedRoad]

Just sharing some pics Ive collected, please keep sharing! I wonder how accurate the advertising literature is compared to what actually rolled off the line. I do a lot of vintage VW stuff and the literature seem to dress up the vehicles with all the accessories to make them look way cool. I guess its a good way to get people to spend more to make it look like it did "in the book"

For me I can never afford any custom stuff on my old rides so I try to get them as factory as possible but since old 4x4 stuff is just as expensive these days I just have to make due with what I can afford.

[sodly]

Remember, GMC and Chevrolet had completely different paint rules for both bodies and wheel color combinations!

[61K10]

looking good on the tires jason--some day i will get my black rims on mt tk. I want the m55's but man are they $$$.

[argonaut]

Pulled off the 2bbl carb and intake today and replace with a factory 4bbl intake and a quadrajet. Still need to remove the valves covers with the breather holes, swap on the unholy script covers and then figure out the draft tube PCV setup. I'll snap a couple of pics tomorrow.