The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs School Bus Panel 1 Ton 3800

Does anybody know who made the conversions from standard Chevrolet Panels to School bus? I think most of them were 1 Tons. Any photos out there?

I recently found a '56 3800 (1 Ton) Panel. I've never seen another one quite like it.

I thought they had tail lights on either side, but this one only has one in the middle.

I've seen a '53 1 ton Chevy (3800) panel truck that was converted into a school bus. It was done by an independent coach works, but the tag was so weathered that it was not readable. The individual side windows were one piece fixed glass that did not open. There was a bunch of small seats along the sides and the inside roof was padded with foam rubber strips covered in naugahyde.

I found this a couple weeks ago when I was searching and thought this was rather strange. I have no idea if it's a conversion or what?

http://losangeles.kijiji.com/c-Cars-vehicles-Classic-cars-1954-chevrolet-suburban-W0QQAdIdZ62447496

I have lot's of pictures of that one. It does look more like a factory build from the outside, but from the inside the interior looks more like a panel conversion.

Unfortunately it's had lots of bad repairs.

I've seen ebay auctions for a couple of '60-'66 school bus conversions, and they were all done on 1-ton panels. Someone on ebay also had a couple of brochures they were selling that showed the conversions, and they were 1 ton panel trucks, not Suburbans.

-Brad

it was possibly made by one of these companies, or not!

GMONIZ; you just have tooo much information

But we sure like it here at the stovebolt. Thank you for being such an encyclopedia! We appreciate you more than you know.

You're right about the One Ton Panel. Most big cities had a body company that took a Panel, cut in the windows and put in seating. The ones we sold were done by Winter Weiss in Denver and were generally used by rural school districts that had long routes, but not many stops. They were a lot less expensive than a regular school bus, but they rode like they didn't have springs and took 5 acres to turn around in. My dad had a 55 1st series pickup that we mounted a small Holmes wrecker on, but I hated it with a passion. The old 48 COE rode better, turned sharper and the 515 wrecker was easy to hook up. Oops, guess that this isn't a wrecker thread, is it?

There were no GM made 1-ton Suburbans from 1947-55st but there were conversions of 1-ton Panels that had sliding windows and seats that looked very much like a Suburban. I'll try to post a photo tomorrow of a 1-ton 1954 3800 Panel-to-bus conversion that is for sale in Nova Scotia (it was made in the GM factory in Tarrytown, NY and supposedly spent most of it's life in South America).

Tim, I cannot confirm that there were no factory one tons,but the one ton in nova scotia is the only one that I have seen with the suburban style windows. Most conversions that I have seen have different windows.

I have about one hundred pictures of that one and it's a twenty footer at best. Very poor repairs done to it, the fender trim is installed wrong and he used 1 1/2" screws to attach it to the fenders. The metal patches are welded on top of the sheet metal. I see several areas of bondo on it too. I could go on...

When I first saw it I liked it, after seeing close up pictures of it I have changed my mind. This one needs to be completely redone if you plan on driving it for long.

Hey guys. Thanks for all the info. After a second look this is a definitely a converted panel not a suburban. The windows are not at all like a suburban.

I'm going to try to buy it tomorrow and I'll get a bunch of photos of it and will post them.

George,

The windows in the one I am referring to are sliding windows but the close-up pictures confirm the windows are not like standard suburban windows (I might have the same set of pictures you have). In addition, the interior trim around the windows is not like Suburban interior window trim (looks like school bus interior trim).

This truck has 3800 emblems on the hood and a 3800 door-jam ID plate. If this is correct, it would have 8800 lbs GVW and 137" wheelbase ( 230" bumper-to-bumper length (19.2') )

The floors have no matting.
The bench seats do not attach to the floor in the same way as Suburban seats.

I too was interested by the exterior photos of the whole tuck but became disinterested when I saw it was a conversion.

No factory 1-ton Suburbans are shown in the 47, 49, 50, early 54, late 54 Salesman Truck Data Books.

1954 3800 Panel converted to a small bus - mostly exterior shots

1954 3800 Panel converted to a small bus - mostly interior shots

Many of the interior photos are blurry but they show the repairs and metal patches that you refer to.

Tim

that 1 ton is not far from me.

My 1946 Suburban started out as a School Bus for a 1 room school house in Nebraska.

It was retired and did duty as a John Deere Parts delivery vehicle. All they did was add some green pait to the yellow body.

I suspect that if they needed a larger vehicle they converted panel trucks since there were no 3/4 or 1 ton suburbans early on.

Does any body lnow when GM started building "in house" 3/4 and 1 ton Suburbans?

Dave Murray
[email protected]

The only factory looking 1-ton Suburban I remember seeing was a modern truck. A GMT400 type if I remember correctly.

I looked it over as well as I could sitting beside it in traffic and while I remain sure it was not factory, I didn't see anything that would prove it to be a custom conversion. It caught my attention because of the dual rear wheels.

I don't believe GM has ever marketed a 1-ton Suburban.

As for 3/4-ton Suburbans, I believe they were offered in the '67 to '72 3-door series of trucks. My brother had one 20 years ago.

From 1992 to 2009, there have been 1/2 ton (1500) and 3/4 ton (2500) Chevrolet (and GMC?) Suburbans.

It also looks like there were 3/4 ton Suburbans from 1987-1991; and, it looks like there was a 20-series (C20 & K20) Suburbans in 1967 and newer.

[quote=tcledermanIt also looks like there were 3/4 ton Suburbans from 1987-1991; and, it looks like there was a 20-series (C20 & K20) Suburbans in 1967 and newer.[/quote]

I had a 1988 3/4 ton Suburban, bought it new and ordered it from the factory with all the stuff I wanted.

Bruce

didn't Flxible do some conversions for these?

Hi Group, I have a 1951 3800 Napco 4X4, I'm almost done but still have aways to go, If that makes any sense..this started out as a panel truck that was taken to, and modified by a company called NOVELTY CARRIAGE WORKS in Spokane Washington.Ill try to send a pic ,just dont know how

seetz - I don't think Flxible did any conversions on anything post-war, at least not for bus use, and their ambulance/ funeral car bodies were on Buick car chassis

noriegdr - about picture posting

Bill