This shot of 1964 Chevrolet C30 Panel Van converted into a “Super Suburban” for fire crews finally gave me the impetus to find out just how long these bodies were: 10.5 feet. I knew they were long, but somehow assumed they were 9 or 9.5 feet, not having given the subject much thought.
I did ride in one once hitchhiking, from Monterey to San Jose. I had to ride in the back, and yes, the mostly empty van converted into a crude camper (mattress on the floor, etc.) rode mighty hard on its one-ton rated rear springs.
There’s not much out there on these extra long panel vans, which had been built on the one-ton chassis for quite a few years. But here’s the proof, and it surprised me in another way: the two-door Chevy Suburban back then had a 7.5′ long body; I always assumed it was a bit shorter than that too, as in 7′. That’s only a half foot less than the 1967-up Suburbans; somehow they look a bit shorter than that.
When I was a very young child, I was transported to preschool (it was called “nursery school” back then) in one of these, converted into a school bus of sorts. Or perhaps my young child memory is vague and it was a regular Suburban.
Our small-town Fire Department had one of these as an ambulance in the early and mid ’60’s, definitely on the one ton chassis and 10 1/2 feet long, with a 292 6 and a 4 speed as I recall. It served the purpose, but it rode like a buckboard and was not good in snow. Too cramped for any real help for the patient (which was normal in that era.) The talk around town was that if you weren’t injured before the ambulance picked you up, you would be by the time you got to the hospital! Still better than some towns that used the local undertaker’s hearse for an ambulance!
FWIW, Chevy’s own brochure from ’66 refers to the 1/2 ton as having a 7.5′ body, but the 1 ton a 10′ body. That would match the bed lengths of the pickups on which those panel trucks were based (6.5′ and 9′, respectively). But then again, the difference in rear overhang between a 1/2 ton pickup and 1/2 ton panel was not as great as in the 1 tons. So maybe 10.5′ is more correct.
Where did they officially start measuring from for these seemingly nominal body lengths? Was it from the edge of the door, or was it from the rear of the front seat, which could potentially gain them a few inches?
The overall length of the “10′” panel is 35.5″ longer than the “7.5′” panel, so I can see why it’s called a 10’5′ body in some of the brochures.
Saw a few of these converted into ambulances too back in the day. The 1 ton long wheelbase panel was a unique GM truck, outside of Chevy and GMC I don’t think any other manufacturer offered them.
Interesting Long Body. Here is an Ambulance version, most likely an Armbuster conversion.
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I don’t recall ever seeing an extra long Suburban. Three feet longer than a standard suburban, those things must have been monsters. Something else I was unaware of is they had a 9 foot bed, stepside.
9′ was the standard bed length for one-ton regular cab trucks in the ’50s through early ’70s, but they were less likely to have beds at all than their 1/2 or 3/4 ton counterparts. For a short time, Ford and Dodge offered wide 9′ beds (Styleside or Sweptline in their respective nomenclatures), but narrow was much more common.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/what-ever-happened-to-the-long-bed-stepside-pickup/
Wide-style 9′ long pickup beds? Did I miss something? When? Where?
I don’t think my comparatively young eyes have ever seen one in the metal; I only know about them from brochures and pictures. Ford had them from ’57-66 (same bed for both gens, of course) and Dodge only from ’59-60.
I’m a little surprised GM never got in on making some 9′ Fleetside/Widesides. But they may have had their hands full with one-ton panel trucks.
To compare, here are the same gens in 1/2 or 3/4 ton guise with 8′ beds:
Wow; I really did miss something. I did not know that.
That’s very much worthy of a post. You want to do one?
I’m very flattered, thank you! I’m not sure what all could be said about them that wasn’t already covered in that “long bed Stepside” article from 10 years ago, but I think I might be able to make a short post at least.
Pretty cool .
-Nate
Well, if you guys are looking for one, I have one to sell. It’s a little rough, but all there and minimal rust. It has solid a solid body and would be something great if restored. Has all the seats and I am researching the numbers on the driver’s side kick panel to tell what the motor is. The panel trucks all had six cylinders with roughly the same horse power, but varied in torque. For those of you who are into patina, this truck is just right up your alley.
I have it listed around Texas but we are based in Lubbock, and the add on Craig’s list will be up shortly.
Well, if you guys are looking for one, I have one to sell. It’s a little rough, but all there and minimal rust. It has a solid body and would be something great if restored. Has all the seats and I am researching the numbers on the driver’s side kick panel to tell what the motor is. The one ton panel trucks all had six cylinders with roughly the same horse power, but varied in torque. For those of you who are into patina, this truck is just right up your alley.
I have it listed around Texas and we are based in Lubbock, and the add on Craig’s list will be up shortly.
Please provide link to advert and pictures .
The thinwall i6 was available in two sizes for this truck, many one tonners (C-30_ got the 292 long stroke version, a very good engine indeed .
-Nate