Thanks for the info. About the 1954 Chevy Suburban, let me tell you about it and you guys give it your best shot! I have this vehicle , but it's very interesting. I bought it 1 1/2 years ago on Craigslist. It was built in Oakland, Ca, and traveled to the Sacramento aea where it spent its life. It has 81K original miles, and was last registered in 1973. Driveline: It has the one year only 235 with the studs through the valve cover---correct head number. Block was cast March 17th of 1953, and the head March 18th of 1953. Yes, one day apart! Radiator was made in April of 1953.) It is an original Hydramatic vehicle. How do I know? Push button on dash; different floor boards with no foot stomp starter; frame accomodations are different; diff routing of brake lines; etc, etc...Under the hood, with a white grease crayon on the original paint is 1954 (over heater area); 4106 or is that 4116(?---I forget now, designating clamshell); and AUTO over the Regulator area. All markings clearly visible and original. for clamshell Exterior: It has all of its original Transport Blue paint. One minor dent on front left fender is the only body damage---ever. No panels ever replaced/repainted. No rust through. Period. Hidden areas, like inside the wheelwells, look new, once the road dirt cleaned off! Has black primer showing through if paint has thinned, and even has some light, minor surface rust on roof, hood, fenders, kinda like the desired resto-rod look. Interior: Beige paint with white Chevrolet lettering on dash. All seats present. Came with radio (Radio opening is "open", and I found radio mounting bracket under the dash). It is a clamshell model, again. 99.9% of original black floormat is there, and underlying plywood is 100% intact. Unusual things: I've heard that the VERY early suburbans of 1954 had no stainless/chrome around fron windshield nor front side windows. This one has only black rubber around front windshield, and window trims are painted, and have faded with the rest of the vehicle. There's NO pinstripe around the vehicle that goes just below the windshield/windows/etc. There's no accessory 39 Chevy style/47-55 First Series suburban bullet lights on rear of vehicle. Now, put this all together: Someone ordered a 1954 Chevrolet Suburban, not standard juniper Green, but Transport Blue. They added a Hydramatic Tranny, Clam Door, and Radio (all additional options.) The vehicle was built so early, that it dashed out of the GM building facilities so as to have a 1953 235 motor with the studs, and early enough to miss the Hydramatic Plant fire soon after in 1953! It even left with no pinstriping and stainless/chrome around the windows! And with all these added accessories, no 39 style/47-55 First Suburban bullet lights?!?!? When the tailgate is lowered, the lower half looks to be Omaha Orange, perhaps for other drivers' awareness? Definitely original, and not repainted. It came with another clamshell that was also orange like this...This Suburban is still all original, and now what??? (Sorry for the lengthy reply...I'll wait to tell you about the equally-interesting 1954 Chevrolet Hydramatic Pickup I mentioned earlier...)
