& while I'm at it...

[Noxnabaker]

Is there someone else exept me who's got a really soft spot for 62-66 Apache Suburbans?
I'm not on about pick up's, only Suburbans & only 62-66...
I had a -66 once with a 327 & GEE THAT TRUCK COULD GOOO ! ! !
I would do about 140 km/h & tag down to 3:rd gear, let up the clutch while give GAS & it would just ROAR & shooot away!
Aint got a clue what kinda ratio was in that rear end...
17" wheels with HIGH profile & narrow tires too.
I once checked the licence-number but the car was scrapped by then.
The whole thing began when I was 16 & saw an ad for one & went to look at it, but that's another story...
I've earlier on also had a -67 panel but that was a bit boring with its 6 cylinder & powerglide, no 62-66 does it for me!
So, is anybody else a softy for them?

[8E45E]

You mean one like this?







I believe this one is an Armbruster or Superior Coach conversion:



Craig

[EssexExport]

Well they are pretty hard not to notice.

[junior]

yup nox, I dig 'em, and the pick-ups too. there is a pretty decent yellow 'burb in my district that's been lowered and has a slight rake to it... on occasion my dad would bring home his shop's 63 when I was very young...will always remember that dashboard, and the cool handbrake, and the sound of the chubby six and 3 spd trans. cheers, junior

[Andy R.]

My uncle had one when he was starting out in the masonry trade. I loved the access to the engine bay with the low fenders and that voluminous hood lifted.

I also remember the later models with two doors on the right, one on the left.

[Noxnabaker]

Hey, NOW we're talking!!!
The one I had was a long one just like the ambulance & yes; one door on the left side & two doors on the right side & as I prefer it: double doors at the back.
3 meters loading-space behind the seats, me & Sonja went to a party with 2 friends & stopped to buy a fridge & shower-cabin & still slept in the back at the party.
That was in the summer -92, the car was original red & extremely waisted body-wise, rusty as... eh... just REAL rusty & then we were going on holliday/music-tour in the rest ofEurope so we had to paint it so it would have an easier life during the winter so we brush-painted it bright yellow, really cool but the wasps liked it too...
Traded it for a -58 Volvo PV that became Sonja's first car.
But now they're getting rare in Europe by now & stupidly high-priced.
Give me that yellow & white one any day!

[8E45E]

Give me that yellow & white one any day!

In Europe, first place I would look is where there are or were US Army bases. Chances are, some would have been used as ambulances there, and most likely were sold off locally as surplus.

Craig

[Noxnabaker]

Those were the days when friends I know used to go around Europe & do just that Craig.
But those days are long gone, most European countries are in the "we-need-to-show-how-extremely-hightech-we-are"-image.
Sweden used to be the country in Europe with most old cars in dayli traffic but then we joined the United Europe & it suddenly looked real ugly & poor with so many 60's cars still in good running order & they raised the scrap-money so those cars went to scrap exept for many cars who got bought up by gready people who exported loads of them so these days you'll se more Volvo Amazon's in Holland than in Sweden!
Opel's & German Ford's & such were on the other hand rusted away already when they were about 5 years old, the few that have survived are those who's been inside stored.
The US cars were usually considered rockers cars & on Swedish car-papers you can see how many owners a car has had since it was registred the first time & in the 90's I would drive American cars with 35 owners... they would buy a car in the spring to roam around with & then fix it a bit over winter & sell it next spring, or sell it in the autum so someone else could fix it a bit over winter.
The hood on my Apache was so heavily damaged by jumping on so it didn't matter how I tried to bang it back up again, it would sag right down the minit I closed it... & that was just the hood.
It's still one of the cars I miss the most, + a -50 Chrysler Windsor, lovely daily drivers! (Well the Apache was a thursty bastard thou, so much gas no matter how I drove it or what I did to the carb & ignition.)

[Noxnabaker]

Ah, memories... Yesterday I saw this for sale & it all came back:
(Speaking about cars been fixed up for the season, that "paint" sure would make you a police-magnet!)

[8E45E]

Ah, memories... Yesterday I saw this for sale & it all came back:
(Speaking about cas been fixed up for the season, that "paint" sure would make you a police-magnet!)

If you do buy it, you can always change the color, of course.

It will be an interesting vehicle, especially in Europe.

Craig

[Noxnabaker]

Well I doubt I'm gonna get it Craig; if I was going fo that it would mean that I would have to let Josephine go due to costs & I'm not yet convinced I would like that...

These used to be all over in the 60's; many official companies had them such as TV & radio, fire brigade, ambulances & mining companies & even music groups & as paper deliveries & such if there were needs to keeping cargo dry, otherwise it would be pick ups & then there were Fords & Dodges too to chose from.

My had bees owned by the swedish TV & radio company.

The one that started it for me was owned by a music group; it was for sale, I was under age yet but whent to look at it & fell in love, whent home & told my parents about it & dad said "you aint buing that one as long as you live here cuz then you'll be out roaming the roads with it!" so in the evening I started to collect boxes & fill them with my stuff & thought "I might as well live in the Apache"... Next morning before going to work my dad asked me "are you cleaning up bigtime?" & I said "no, but you said I couldn't buy the Apache while I lived under your roof so I'm moving out!" but when I came home in the afternoon he said "you can buy it"...
But I didn't because I couldn't afford to pay cash, so that meant I would pay off a bit every month & I found that depressing.

In the 70's they came out on the second hand market & they were every where, suddenly even small pop bands could go touring in style.
Thou in the 80's-90's they were considerd worthless & scrapped out, I got mine in -91 but I had to advertise to find one & since then you hardly se them at all anymore here.

[Noxnabaker]

I got so exited about the nostalgia in this so I had to get my old photoalbums out & take photos of the photos...

Someone before us had thought about start to fix it up & had cut a slit above the wheel & left it at that:
(shows better if you click on the picture)

In some places they had gas-welded:
(rear wheelopenings on both sides)

[1inxs]

The mid 60s Suburbans were cool, but I’m partial to my full fender 1953!

[Lark Hunter]

Yes, but out of that model year range, I like the 1963 the best, and the 1964-66 as a close second. 1962? Ehh... not so much. That grille treatment looks like they decided to go from 4 headlights to 2 about 15 minutes before the first one came off the line

[345 DeSoto]

NOX - I have an '08 Volvo C70 which I wouldn't let go for ANYthing. Absolutely WONDERFUL car that fits me like a glove...