The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs why did you chose a pre'73 panel or suburban over everything else?

Maybe I should make the run up there this year. What are the show dates this year?

BigSix302, Back to the 50's is June 18,
19,20 2010 at the St Paul MN fairgrounds. Entry forms are available on their website: www.MSRA.com. I've been going for about 18 years and it just gets better every year, I spend my first day looking for Subs, and then look at the other stuff. There are usually 100+ vendors of all sorts too and some good deals to be had. The swap meet on Sunday morning is always pretty good too, but now since I've been to Iola, MSRA's pales in comparison. I'll be watching for new Subs this year, maybe I'll run into you.

Why, Well I have had my 49 pickup for 40 yrs and am always looking for extra parts and for the next project. Well in 1980 I was talking trucks and a friend mentioned he knew of a old truck that may be for sale ,So away I went and here sat the 49 Panel, just a shell ,now firewall,no frame no fenders, it was sitting on a jeep frame,as they looked to be in process to mate the two up. I bought it for the doors and hauled the complete mess home.I just could not seperate the thing,it was missing everything, except the body lines were there and it was straight. Here in Mich we do not see these things,and this was a 1/2 ton,and we had 4 children at the time, but no money so I stored it in the barn and kept looking for parts. We were driving the 49 pickup with a seat in the back, back then you could,.Well a few years went by and I got wind off another 1/2 ton panel that was gutted but had a good frame and some other pieces,so I hauled it home, took of the good parts including a great set of running boards, once again RARE in Michigan. Pulled the body off the frame and pulled the body out behind the barn for the little pigs to sleep in, worked well for that as it was ROUGH.So life happens and kids grow up and I find more time and get the 49 together with a 292 and auto trans that I traded a load of firewood for , power steering and brakes, rear end from a 84 caprice,highway gears.This has been a great truck,20 mpg, and gets run 10,000 or so a year, lots of room and gets looks where ever it goes.
So now page 2.After a long conversation with a young fellow that thought he wanted the old pig pen panel," he had not seen it " for a RAT ROD,,I told him no, it was way to far gone, BUT after thinking about it and seeing some of the things being built,I went out and chased the pigs out and looked it over and thought " well Maybe". Now my family thinks the old man has lost it, but on Thanksgiving when all the family was there to help,I pulled it up with the tractor and we all picked it up and put the body,or what was left, up on stands in the shop.With a rat rod anything goes,so , now it has doors that work and floors and is ready to sit on a frame. I think it will be great, no worries of hitting deer, or a little salt on the road, I can drive this thing year around if I want, It will be great, old truck in the winter, then I can keep the other one a little cleaner.Panels are great, as stated in other postings,every thing is inside and dry.I collect Garden Tractors and go to shows so the tractors fit inside and you can pull a trailer, then the truck acts as a camper too, I would not want to be without one. Dennis M

Honest "It chose me" ????????????????

I was looking for an Apache 4x4 Truck on Ebay and came across an apache style Suburban Carry-all. I had know idea there was such a thing back in the fifties and earlier. I knew it would be a hard sell "to you know who" for this kind of toy. It wasn't long after that that I figured out that instead of only putting half of the family in a pickup I could easily fit the whole family in an old 'Burb. So I searched and found one about a year later and took the big step. I had never owned an "old ride" before so had know idea how much fun they could be and not just for me. Believe it or not it has become a member of our family ( B.O.B. Big-Orange-Beast). We have made some wonderful memories going to the ice cream stand as well as taking Sunday joyrides. Our record is 13 people going for ice cream. It was pretty darn crowded and wouldn't go over that, but I can say there were 13 smiling faces and it wasn't the ice cream putting it there. Some of my brothers think I 'm nuts, but all of my nephews and nieces think it's pretty kick @%. My kids, (Hunter-10, Paige -11 and Peyton-4) argue over who's first car it's going to be. I don't think my wife would drive it, but I know she cherishes the memories were making.
Thanks for all of the helpful advice you have given me in the past and hopefully more in the future. Bongo

As a kid 40+ years ago, I remember a local laundry that used an AD 1/2 ton panel around town as a delivery vehicle. I remember it with that chalky blue paint and white hubcaps. It also had the laundry's name on the doors. Years later (the late 70's) I had moved away from home, but still got the local newspaper. On the front page was a picture of the old laundry panel that had been totaled in a wreck. Regardless, it brought back a lot of memories.

I already owned a '51 pickup, but I always wanted a panel. I finally found mine about two years ago--a'49 1/2 ton panel. I've taken it apart and am slowly (s-l-o-w-l-y) putting it back together.

In the early 50s the USAF had Chevy panels and pickups. I was assigned to an instrument shop that had an AD burb for a ramp vehicle. When there was an instrument problem out on the line we would load our tools and test equipment in the burb and go out to the B47 that needed work and fix the problem. That thing was so handy and it got a lot of use. I always wanted one after that. Fast forward 57 years. I put a "wanted 47/54 Chevy or GMC Suburban" ad in Hemmings. I got calls from all over the US and Canada. I found one in Kalispell Montana. The guy wanted $3800 for it so I borrowed a truck and trailer and set out to buy the thing sight unseen. It turned out to be a driver and I drove it for one summer and then took it apart. I am now putting it back together and hope to have it on the road this summer. My wife and I have relatives in Abilene TX. On the way back home from one of these trips to WI. I called Tony our moderator and met him and his wife at the Starbucks in Weatherford and he took me for a ride in his 1 ton panel. It was just great! He even let me drive it. Thanks Tony. I will always remember that afternoon. I am looking forward to driving mine and exploring every 2 lane road in this neck of the woods.

Weeds

I chose a Panel over anything else because you always seem to see everyting else. I see so many old pick ups and I don't see many Panels around and many of the ones I do see are F**D. Originally I thought it would be very cool to pick one up and use it to haul my track bike to and from the race track. Then I found out the head room was not enough, but I still wanted one. I have a wife and 2 kids and we just wouldn't fit in a pick up. Something about the old Panels just called to me.
I had decided on the early 60's era as I felt the 40's and 50's were just a little to compact. The 70's became Carry-Alls and Burbs and to me just seemed to have lost some of their character. Ok so 60's it was and as I did my research on the web and a lot of time on this site I started to like the early 60's the most.

I looked at a '63 that the guy wanted $3500 for. It had a rebuilt power glide and 235, ran like a top. Problem was it had a good amount of hard to fix rust in the upper A pillars.
Kept looking when a guy at work showed me a handy way to search Craigs List. Found a '60 Chevy "Helms Bakery" Panel truck listed at $1900. Figured it had plenty of rust, but talking to the owner I got the impression it just needed some love and attention.
The next morning the wife and I were on way to look at it and I must say I pleasantly surprised. The rust was not bad for 50 years, was in easy to fix areas and there was really only one major ding in the body. Now there were some very hokey things done to her that only pictures can describe, but she was all there and then some. I definitely feel that I made out on the deal even though I am putting a little more into it up front than I had planned. She is going to be a very solid and reliable family member when I get done.
It is turning out to be a learning experience and one thing I have learned is, the old Panels carry a lot of history and stories along with them.

I have the cars and even a pickup, but nothing compares to a Suburban. It just combines the old classic look with overall flexibility and the style is just a different. People just stare. I bought a 52. I also own a 48 Canopy express. The Canopy is so rare no one outside of the serious car enthusiast know what the heck you’re talking about when you say you have a canopy. I'm not a big fan of the Panel trucks too plain for me. I'm proud to be able to say that I have both a nice Burban & Canopy running and looking good all around!

Need it to haul my upright bass and gear.

....I want to be different. Besides, it was available when I was looking and the price was right.....plus I already had a couple pickups of back in the day.

i like to be able to haul things when i want . and the windows make it easy to see out. put a 3rd row seat from a 99 suburban in my 66 with the mounting brackets so i can fold the seat forward when i need the room.

Well, I got back in to hot rodding when a buddy gave me a 1 1/2 Chevy truck. Not much room for my gut, let alone wife and two kids. How do you haul them around to hot rod shows?? A Suburban. No windows to look out of and see the country side with a panel.

The kids get bored staring at blank sheet metal! Glass is where it's at!

I found my 37 panel last fall. always wanted one. years ago had a 63 suburban 4x4. Sorry I let it go now. Hope to have the 37 on the road next year.

There used to be one sitting in a neighbours field when I was a kid and I always wanted it. Unfortunately that one was stolen but I did find a 53 suburban and just picked up a 49 panel truck.

I lived in SoCal when I was 16, in 1968. My first vehicle was a 55.5 panel. Six, three-on-the-tree, start button on the floor, no heater.

Jump ahead to late 2011 and I started shopping for a TF panel, 55-59.
I shopped for over a year on ebay, CL, etc. Found them in FL, WA, TX, MO.
Finally, a year ago June, I found a completed '57 in AutoTraders Classics, located off the 15, in SoCal. Hauled it 1800-miles back to Iowa.

I bought back my childhood!

I didn't find mine I was given the opportunity to buy it off of a friends kids when he passed about 2 years ago so basically it found me .i remember and watched it being built he had it since 2000 and he built a lot of customers cars in 13 years . I wish I could post a pic but can't figure out how to do that yet.
So the rundown on it is
48 Suburban - 400 turbo S10 rear
It sits on an S10 frame with a 500" cadillac engine
1 Chopped 3" with a van roof to take the crown out of it.
2 Canted quad headlights
3 Side scoops in the hood
4 side scoops in the rear fenders with screen in them.
5 one piece rear door with a custom design in it opens from bottom with the hinges in the top rail
6 sunken license plate
7smooth doors w electric windows and poppers
8 custom dash
9. 59 sunken caddie tai lights
10 southern air heat and defrost
11 GMC front with cabinet knob grille
12 Hood is smoothed and peaked
13 Steel wheels painted red
14 tires are 50s in front and 60 s in the rear
That's about it and should give you an idea why I picked it up I couldn't say no
FRANK
PS I need a set of running boards reasonable have to modify them so I don't want to buy new ones!

Congrats. I'll sure be glad when we can see a picture. Sounds like a dream ride.

[url=http://http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v653/Wheels1950/image-1.jpg][/url]

This is a fun topic. I was telling someone in KC that I'd love to do a month of P&B's for the Gallery. We keep seeing more and more of them.

I emailed this thread to myself. I'll see if any of you have got info in the DITY Gallery for starters.

Peggy M

Alright what's a P&B
FGS

this used to be a B[urb] or maybe it was a P[anel]?

Bill

Red thanks for posting a pic of my suburban been trying to do that for 3days .
FarANK

I just took off the extra 'http://' you left on your link address

Bill

Here's the rear of the suburban
Thanks again RED The rear

Practicality. I can't haul wife/3 kids to shows with restored pick-up. Besides, how many '52 'Burbs have been restored compared to pick-ups? Can't wait to finish it! V/R, Nick Cavallaro, Bel Air, MD

Sorry, we just refer to them as Panels and 'Burbs. At least I didn't throw in any "jelly" ... we call those PBJs. Other people do, too, eh?

Peg

Here it is my48 My burb

I had a 53 chevy pick up when we had one daughter,then sold it when we has twins, and got a 53 dodge coronet to haul all the kids. But, then hauling my stand up bass in the dodge became a chore then i sold the dodge and got my 53 burb when i had a chance.

I always wanted a old burb or panel, i just never thought that id ever own one..

The first vehicle I ever drove was a 47-50 AD Truck. I was raised on a farm. Used it for my first date and drove it to school later.

A few years ago I was shopping for a AD pickup to piddle with.
At a car show I came across a 1950 panel truck, it looked sharp. The owner said it had been in his family for about 35 years but only recently fixed up. It had sat in storage for almost 20 years. It was for sale and i took a few pictures of it. A couple of months later my wife said I should call and see if it was still available. I called and flew up to look at it and drove it home...several hundred miles and it rained the entire trip. It was in November and it was cold and no heater. I stayed off the interstate and just drove the back roads. It was like I was a one truck parade through some of these towns.

I would have kept it original if it was that way when I got it. But since it had been take a long way from original, I just kept going with it.
We love this truck! I have a 69 Camaro SS that we seldom drive anymore...my son drives it more that me.