The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs Got a 59 GMC Burb', and a few questions.

I just bought a (project)59 GMC suburban thats been swaped onto a later chassis. Where is the best place to get parts for these?

Its got some rust in the lower side portions from the doors back. Are there patch pannels avaible for these(quarters, infront of and behind rear wheels)? Ive got a great metal worker localy who will fab some and get em roughed in for somewhere around $500, which I thought was a darn good deal, but I perfer doin stuff myself if the patch pannels can be found.

Its pretty complete, but I know Im going to need a ton of those little parts you always need when you put a project together.

So, what do yall know, and what do yall have?

Im just N. of Dallas, TX if that makes a diffrence.


Thanks,
Cory

no patch panels available for the quarters, yer on yer own!

parts for the 55-59 panels/burbs are pretty much limited to the front stuff that's common to pickups, for which, see any of the vendors

having been plunked on a later chassis, there's prolly lots of OEM stuff that won't work for ya, hopefully you know what all was used for the change

Bill

In regards to the patch panels for the rear lower quarters, they are not reproduced. The 58 and 59 chevy fleetsides have a similar lower section which one could use to fabricate patch panels. Good luck, and its always more rewarding when you are finished with the resto and you say you "did it yourself."

where are some of the best places to get readily avaible parts? Seals, repop chrome, ect...

I have a '59 panel and it's really hard to find parts for it. Good luck.

Like si47gmc said if you can find a donor 58 59 fleetside box would be your best bet. There are metal working shops out there that do have the English wheels They would be able to build you lower quarters for your panel but it would be very expensive.

Cory, the parts that are common to pickups are available at any of the vendors, and pretty much all come from the same makers, so pick yer favorite, or the best price, or the closest
links section

and if you happen to find a fleetside box good enuff to cut patches out of, it'd not only be too good to cut up, but as the owner of both TF panels and fleets I can advise that the bottom molding is enuff different that all you'd get is a section between the door and wheel well, which would hafta be reshaped anyway ... if you can't make the patches yourself, any good bodyman can do it, freehand :hammering:

Bill

Hey red58 do you think using a door skin and rocker panel would work to make up the lower section on a panel. There would still be a lot fabrication to put it together but from your picture it looks possible Just a thought

sure would, for the section behind the door - the place you'd be left with real fab work would be around the wheel wheel and behind, where the rocker molding tapers to nothing ... and from the 4 panel trucks I've had experience with, if they're rotten in front of the wheel, they're rotten all the way back

the pic shows some of the work done by an insanely good tin basher friend, about the bottom foot all hand fabbed of new metal [ pics of a trip to his place in \'05 ] - this is a buddys 56 , all hand fabbed quarters, different bodyman

I'm going to cut the inner panel away below floor level and block between the 2 panels ... it's the double wall with the pinch welds along the bottom that causes those quarters to rot, you never see that kind of rot in the same climate on the quarters of the same vintage fleetside, which doesn't have the inner panel to collect damp rust flakes from the unfinshed metal

Bill

what kind of running gear in the 56' panel? very cool.

Andy's blue panel? got a 350/350 and Chev sedan rear [forgit which], along w/ power steering and disc brakes .... I haven't been for a real run in it yet, but will once I finish the tiddling we started last fall, as soon as the weather cooperates

Bill

Hey red58 looking for a 55-59 lower quarter heres one on ebay. click here

cool, things do pop up, don't they? I don't need one tho it would be neat if wheelwright got hold of that and made some more - he's the old GM truck "custom metal man", found on e-bay regularly

Bill

Hey smalltown speed!
Been there done that.
It's not impossible.
You can see pics of mine here
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/journal.php?action=view&journalid=20255
Just ignore all the rotary stuff.
I had to do quite a bit of fabricating on a truck that initially looked solid at the lower back. My guess is because the Burb has the windows it lets more moisture run down into the lower fenders where it gets trapped by accumulated dirt.
I did use a rocker panel to fix the section between the back of the door and the rear fender. It was very helpful leaving (as red58 explained) only some creative work to do around the wheel well.

Who have yall found to be the cheepest, have the biggest selection or have the best customer service? I know there are always good ones and bad ones, and figured some of yall might alredy have it kinda figured out. Not that its up yalls alley, but avoid Obsolete Ford in OKC like the plague. Thats one I had to learn on my own and I figured Id share. Not that any of yall have ever taken a wrench to a ford, right?

Its sittin on a 74(or maybe just a little bit later, Ive got it written down somewhere) 3/4t suburban chassis. It fits very nice(length and width). Only small issue is the rear is a tiny bit too wide to really tuck the tires up under there, if I were to really want to lower it Id have to run a diffrent rear end, or do some beating on the inner wheel well. But Ive got no plans to bag it, so that wont be a problem, even towing a heavy load should be fine. Its got a rebuilt 327/700r4.

And some more good news... When I looked at it, and bought it, it was dark outside, and all I had was a flash light. Got it to my house today, and I was pleasently supprised. Rust isnt as bad as I was thinking. Still gonna need some repairs, but shouldnt need total panel replacement. Still some cuttin and weldin, but nothing too bad. And my inners arent rusted out either, which makes life a lot easier. Talk about a pleasnt suprise.

On the rear barn door glass. Ive got one good peice. Is new glass(or used) avaible for that? It seemed it only had a very light curvature to it, so I was thinking with a little bit of mod to the window surround(just slight reshaping of the lip the rubber mounts on, to flatten it out a little), flat glass would work great. But thats just by taking a quick glance at it. Any thoughts on the idea?

well, with no incriminating .... admissions , I think I'll agree about the place in OKC ... but luckily they're not useful here anyway

I've had personal good dealings with Steele Rubber, Jim Carter, the Filling Station, and Golden State, among others, and there's good reports here of a number of the other vendors

you may be able to swap around and find different wheels for the back to suck'em under a bit, different offset or such .... great drive combo

the glass for the back isn't repro'd that I've found, but you should be able to find some used with a little lookin, I'm sure someone here has a couple extra sets - they're actually compound curved pieces, and while you might be able to make flat glass work, it'd be noticeable

good luck with it all, and keep us up on progress

Bill

What side rear glass are you missing? I have an extra passenger side if that is what you are missing. I went with flat glass on the rear doors.

I've had decent luck with Classic Parts, formerly Chevy Duty. http://www.classicparts.com/
Also good luck with Steele Rubber as well.

i was talking it over with a few body guys i know, and it would appear that the door skin, is the best thing for right behind the doors. Also after looking at many of side profile pics of my 57 burban, the wheel openings on the front fenders, could maybe be used to rebuild the backs. Luckly i only have to redo my driver side rear quarter and wheel opening. just my $.02.