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| | | Forums66 Topics128,115 Posts1,056,294 Members48,439 | | Most Online14,466 Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
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For helping keep this great
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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | | | | Joined: Sep 2012 Posts: 306 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2012 Posts: 306 | Am looking to purchase a stainless steel exhaust system {manifold to tail pipe} for the 53 suburban I'm restoring but the only thing I see is for the pickup. My question would be is the Suburban exhaust system the same as the pickup?? The one I see on Ebay mentions not for the panel?? | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | The 47-55st Suburban tail-pipe (and maybe all 47-55st Panel Body tail-pipes) is different from the tail-pipe used on a pick-up - it turns to the left near the rear and opens on the left/drivers side, behind the rear wheel. Presumably, this keeps fumes away from the rear doors on Suburban (Panel-body) trucks?
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 Sir Searchalot | | Sir Searchalot Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 | Panel and suburban frames are very close to pick ups. On TF they use the same frame with an extension at rear. Maybe a long bed kit would fit a suburban. Panel and suburban frames should be the same. Make sure you know what "cat back" means and what "cross member back" means. I see almost $1000 for those...WOW! Is this a show truck? They show pic as duals? I advise not to buy mail order. From anyone! You will also find out that stainless is a huge pain. Most shops don't do it. Most welds look bad and not polished. No one has a perfect kit. All made to order. They will not know anything about 53 suburbans. Some grades of SS will rust. You can buy pieces at Summit and such and have a GOOD tig welder weld it up. All in all, better to go to a good shop and get a steel custom system. Talk to ALL the muffler shops and custom car shops in your area to see what the consensus is on SS. The search I did here on Stovebolt shows a lot of bad JUJU.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | It also looks like the Task Force panel-body (single unit bodies) also had a different tail pipe compared to pickups (probably for the same reason as for A-D trucks). | | | | | Joined: Sep 2012 Posts: 306 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2012 Posts: 306 | Recently installed stainless steel exhaust system {manifold to tail pipe}on a frame off restored 52 3100 with a 261. Got it off of Ebay {don't remember seller} but it fit really well with just a minor adjustment with one of the bends. The exhaust dumping out of the left side on a Suburban makes good sense as my Suburban is a clam shell which can be driven with clam shell full open. I wonder if I could use the same system I used on the 52 and just have a shop fab a 70/80 degree extension to clamp onto the end of the tail pipe? | | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 Sir Searchalot | | Sir Searchalot Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 | It seems like if you have access to both trucks, just look at the one you did and measure a few things and you will know. On TF the panel/suburban WB is the same as truck, but frame a tad longer at rear. Assume AD is same story.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | . . . I wonder if I could use the same system I used on the 52 and just have a shop fab a 70/80 degree extension to clamp onto the end of the tail pipe? Yes. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 4,252 "Hey! I sound like Darth Vader!! | | "Hey! I sound like Darth Vader!! Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 4,252 | It seems like if you have access to both trucks, just look at the one you did and measure a few things and you will know. On TF the panel/suburban WB is the same as truck, but frame a tad longer at rear. Assume AD is same story. AD 1/2 ton truck/panel/suburban frames are the same. | | |
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