The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs Panel and suburban differnces???

My wife would like an Adv. Des. suburban sometime in the future. I was wondering what things on a panel would fit a suburban? Other then the major differences that I can see (windows) what else is different? Speaking on a 1/2 ton to 1/2 ton theory.

Will panel fenders fit a sub? What about other interior/exterior parts? Most of the subs Ive seen in this area for sale need a lot of metal work to repair the rusted out areas. Not saying a lot of the panels dont...

Im asking cause the neighbor a few doors down has an AD panel sitting in his yard and they seem to be more common then the burbs. So stocking up on parts for a future project seems like a good idea to me!

Enlighten me please! Thanks, Jeff

Seats are all different between Panel & Suburban..

Obviously, there are two rows of additional seats behind the front seats. However, the front seats are completely different

rustednuts,
dash is the same, doors are the same, some subs had clamshell or barn doors, panels (as far as i have seen) had just barn doors .interior roof trim was full front to back in sub and went to just behind front seats in panel.i dont think,i have never looked,the sub roof panels are a extentsion of what a panel starts with.trim around side windows ,in side and out, if not in decent shape can be hard to come by(at least it is around here)thats all i can think of on short notice
tom

What an awesome wife! I am lucky also. Other than making sure life and house have money, she wants as many old cars as we can find.

The obvious outside differences I'll ignore.

If you look inside on a panel above the 'tubs' the walls are open to the outer panel with some vertical structure stuff. On a Suburban that area is finished all the way up to the headliner.

From what I can tell the biggest difference from a rust standpoint is the passenger compartment windows. Both my Suburbans are rusty around teh windows, and the panels underneath are rusty from apparent window leaks.

Come over and look at mine sometime.

Also take a look at RB's Urban Suburban from a couple years ago. They started this project with a panel if I remember correctly.

http://www.classictrucks.com/features/0405cl_1947_chevy_panel_truck/photo_01.html

Almost everthing from a panel will interchange with a Suburban.

FRAME - ALTHOUGH THESE WILL INTERCHANGE WITH TRUCKS IT HAS EXTRA BODY MOUNTS AND THE GAS TANK LOCATION IS THE SAME IN THE PANEL AND SUBURBAN

SEATS - PANEL HAS ONE OR TWO BUCKET TYPE AND SIT ON A FULL WIDTH SEAT RISER (SAVE SEATS FOR TRADE OR SALE)

PANEL TOOL COVER -LOCATED ON SEAT RISER (Looks like battery box cover but longer) *SAVE*

SEATS - SUBURBAN HAS A SPLIT 60/40 OR 80/20 (your choice to name it) THEY CONSIST OF A FIXED BENCH SEAT AND A FORWARD TILTING PASSENGER SEAT. SEAT RISER DOES NOT EXTEND THE FULL WIDTH OF THE CAB.

DASH/COWL/DOORS - SAME ON BOTH PANEL, TRUCKS AND SUBURBAN

HEADLINER BOWS - PANEL: THEY ARE IN THE CAB PORTION ONLY *SAVE*

HEADLINER BOWS - SUBURBAN: I BELIEVE THEY CONSIST OF SEVEN PIECES.

PANEL/SUBURBAN REAR INTERIOR SIDE ABOVE AND BEHIND WHEEL WELL TUBS - THESE PIECES RUST OUT IN MANY SUBURBANS AND ARE USUALLY IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE ON THE PANELS (They will require cutting to remove them) - *SAVE*

PANEL REAR FLOORS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE SUBURBANS (save the rails though) *SAVE*

PANEL/SUBURBAN REAR METAL STEP (This is the piece that attaches the to the rear of the floor and the rear doors sit against) *SAVE* (Hard to remove but worth saving)

PANEL REAR BARN DOORS (Cargo doors): THESE ARE THE SAME AS THE SUBURBAN (Suburbans also have the tail gate (clamshell) style doors) *SAVE* (save all hardware including the door stops) *SAVE*

PANEL BARN DOOR PARTS: DOOR STOPS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE SUBURBAN BARN DOOR STOPS (Panels extend to a full 180 degree for loading purposes and the suburbans are smaller so that they will fit when the headliner is installed.) *SAVE*

PANEL/SUBURBANS HAVE THE SAME REAR BUMPER /BRACKETS AND VALENCE (The panel/Suburban use a front bumper the same as the trucks, The rear bumper brackets are unique to the Panels and suburbans) *SAVE*

PANELS/SUBURBANS USE THE SAME TAIL LIGHT ON THE LEFT REAR BARN DOOR (Some panels and Suburbans have 1939 Chevrolet passenger tail lights located at the rear belt line for turn signals) CLAMSHELL TAIL LIGHTS ARE UNIQUE TO SUBURBANS AND CE'S *SAVE*

PANEL/SUBURBANS USE THE SAME FRONT AND REAR FENDERS *SAVE*

PANELS/SUBURBANS USE THE SAME RUNNING BOARDS *SAVE*

EARLY PANELS/SUBURBANS HAVE A UNIQUE SPARE TIRE CARRIER *SAVE*

EXTERIOR SIDE SHEET METAL - THIS AREA IS OFTEN DAMAGED BY RUST AT THE WHEEL WELL - SAVE THIS SECTION IF GOOD

ROOF - THESE ARE COVETED BY THOSE EXTENDING THEIR CABS AND CONVERTING COES.

PANEL/SUBURBAN GAS TANK *SAVE*

OR - YOU CAN SELL THE COMPLETE SHELL LESS THE REAR FENDERS, DOORS AND SAVE YOURSELF A LOT OF WORK AND STORAGE ISSUES

I am sure I left out a few key items, but I think you get the jist of what I am saying, there is a lot of good parts to be had using a panel for suburban parts. Be warned there will be many that frown at people doing this to a perfectly good panel, but it's yours to do with it what you want. [/qb][/QUOTE]

My Suburban has one big a** piece of plywood with a ribbed covering. I think all panels have the plank and rub strip floor, at least thats all I've ever seen.

3 of my panels(1 chevy -1gmc have the plywood floor, 1 chevy has the plank). my burb has a plywwod floor same or similar to the panels NOTE:I HAVE NOT CLEANED THE SUB FLOOR COMPLETELY so there could be a difference under the mess,but having said that the rear 2 ft. looks the same
tom

My 53 1-ton panel has a one piece plywood floor.

Brad

Thanks for the replies. Now if I can make a deal and sneak it home... She may want one in the future but saying that and seeing another old car in the yard is different story!

Jeff

I have seen panels here on the west coast that have planks and runners, but I can't say I remember what make they were or where they were built. Whose panels have the plywood floors and where were they made? What make were they, is it possible that the GMC'S were made at one plant and used plywood and the chevy's were make in several plants and used both? Just wondering!

My 53 burb has one large pc. plywood floor. It's a GMC, but I'm putting a chevy grille and hood on. I just like them better.

Mine was a Colorado Forestry vehicle, so it has the 60/40 seat up front, but has a fold down bench on the drivers side wall, and a toolbox on the pass. side wall.

I'm taking those out to put a middle bench in for my kids.

Mine also has a strange air vent on the roof above the drivers/pass. seat.

My 53 1/2 ton panel (build in K.C.) has a one piece plywood floor.

My 53 1/2 ton suburban (built in Wisconsin) has a one piece plywood floor.

My 49 1/2 ton sub has a 1 piece plywood floor. Weeds

WEEDS, didn't you use three pieces of plywood in your suburban?

Reading this article reminded me of this discussion topic!

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1947-1955-chevrolet-trucks3.htm

Mid page paragraph.

From a 1984 article from the Light Commercial Vehicle Association:

In 1950, "the floor boards of panel and canopy express models were changed to plywood construction. In the new construction a single panel of wood and five skid strips replaced thirteen floor boards and twelve skid strips. The new floor was positively sealed against dust leakage and the plywood made the floor 25 to 30% stronger than the former construction."

In all Advance-Design and New Design years (47-55), the suburban floors were made of single piece of plywood covered with ribbed linoleum (a tan color, I think, until it was changed to black linoleum in 1954).

Because it is difficult to obtain wide enough plywood to replace a piece that has been removed by cutting it out, Weeds, and others (with Suburbans), have replaced their wood with multiple pieces of plywood. You have to remove about 30 spot-welds in the side-edge angle-iron in order to remove the piece of plywood in one piece.

Tim

Tim, maybe I need to go look at my 52 panel again but if I remember when I looked at it last the "outside edge" of the plywood was bolterd down and I didn't see any spot welds anywhere. Maybe I better go take a closer look now that its blasted!!

Dammmm,John,,
Theres soooo many possibilities with that suburban top.
Someone could get really creative with that.

The pieces of metal on the sides of the interior walls, to which the Suburban floor is "bolted down" (I'd say the plywood floor is "bolted up", under the steel strips) are strips of angled steel that are spot welded to the side walls in about 30 places on each side. Only one side-strip of metal has to removed in order to remove the entire Suburban floor (plywood) in one piece.

I do not recall how the two types of Panel floor wood are attached to the Panel body and frame.

I'm pretty sure the plywood floors are held down the same way as the Suburban. I say that because I've take two of them apart, and I'm sure I would have noticed and remembered if it were different...

When I completely dis-assembled my 53 panel 1/2 ton, I decided not to remove the plywood. By following this thread, I am sure (99%) that I made the right decision.

OOOOK....the metal STRIPS are welded to the side, which makes sense....and one would have to be removed to take the plywood out without cutting into. I had thought about taking out all the perimeter bolts and cutting it into and lapping a joint like Weeds did to put it back in. I think we're all clear now

OK can somebody explain the differences between GMC vs. Chevy?

Suburban/panel specific differences?

I think the only one would be the difference in shape of the sway bar. The sway bar is not used on pickups and trucks, so its only found on the Suburbans and panels. The Chevy and GMC versions are different because they attach to the front crossmember, which is different between Chevy's and GMC's.

If there are others specific to these models I'm not thinking of them right now.

The other differences are the same as on pickups and big trucks.