'50 Suburban Project
When it came time to build something different, we decided on a fat and sassy 1950 Chevy Suburban because they look cool and are scarce. It took six months to locate one that was salvageable. The unique thing about the third generation Suburban is that they have two doors, with barn doors in the rear. This is a big reason why our project will be different.
The first step in the project was spending time with rendering artist Jason Rushforth. In the rendering you can see some distinctive, major body modifications. These include pancaking the roof three inches, chopping the roof three inches, sectioning the body three inches, pie-cutting the hood, shaving the door handles, rear barn door hinges, gas filler neck, installing a '54 Buick car windshield, frenching the headlights, and removing the C-pillar. Based on the rendering, we named our project "Sublime."
Chris Alston's Chassisworks...
Chris Alston's Chassisworks '48-'54 Chevy Suburban Chassis.
The foundation of Sublime will be a Chris Alston's Chassisworks chassis featuring 4x2-inch framerails, front spindles, upper/lower A-arms, hubs, rack and pinion power steering, tie rod ends, ball joints and front sway bar. A Chris Alston canted billet four-bar rear suspension will also be included into the build with a torsion bar, and a Fab9 rearend housing. The adjustable floating ride height will be handled via Ride Tech's ShockWave airbag system at all four corners, allowing Sublime to layout its running boards and tuck its wheels. Wilwood brakes will be responsible for stopping Sublime with four-piston caliper and 14-inch rotors. The chassis will roll on yet-to-be-decided, brushed billet aluminum 20-inch front and 22-inch rear wheels.
The power will come from a GM Performance Parts crate engine, backed up to a 700-R4 transmission. Sublime's exterior will be dipped in butterscotch metallic pearl paint, with brushed grille bars and front and rear bumpers. Large one-piece glass side windows will deliver a unique profile appearance. Interior features will include two front low-back bucket seats with a rear bench seat, both covered in beige leather with old skool tuck 'n roll inserts. A waterfall center console will separate the front buckets. The leather headliner will be highlighted by a ceiling console, housing front and rear reading lights, and rear A/C control. The floor will be covered in tan carpet. Behind the rear bench seat, oak planks will be separated with brushed aluminum stringers. A Vintage Air climate control system will maintain creature comfort and classic vintage white-face gauges will give continuous engine and transmission readings. We assure you Sublime will also be outfitted with a thunderous sound system.
Stay tuned as we continue...
Stay tuned as we continue "Sublime's" journey.