Incredible 1965 Chevy K10 Suburban Is One of Just 444 With Barn Doors
This 1965 Chevy K10 Suburban is rare and gorgeous thanks to a comprehensive, eight-year restoration.
These days, Suburbans are everywhere, a common sight on our highways for a very good reason – this is a large vehicle that can haul large families, not to mention big loads when called upon. There aren’t many vehicles that occupy this elongated full-size SUV space, though there are plenty of people that there that need such a thing. However, decades ago, gigantic SUVs weren’t nearly as common, particularly ones that were made in the same configuration as this amazing 1965 Chevy K10 Suburban set to hit Mecum’s auction block in Indianapolis.
Though it’s quite the special vehicle for a number of reasons, this 1965 Chevy K10 Suburban is one of just 444 produced with barn doors, making it extremely rare, to boot. On top of that, it has just 47k miles on the clock, though it has been treated to a comprehensive restoration that has the big-bodied SUV looking better than new – a process that repeatedly took eight years to complete, in fact, though the end result certainly seems worth the effort.
This particular K10 Suburban started life as a school bus in Montana, interestingly enough, but now, it looks just like it did from the factory. That includes the original light blue paint color, and the OEM 15-inch six-lug wheels with factory hub caps, which are wrapped with newer 33×10.5-inch General Grabber tires. if nothing else, it’s certainly a looker, and it’s even equipped with a rather rare Braden PTO-driven winch.
The same goes for the gorgeous interior, which is finished in Medium Fawn and fitted with vacuum gauges and the optional tachometer, deluxe seat covers across front jump seats and dual middle row seating, and four slider windows. It’s a cool and unique layout in the rear, in particular, and it’s pretty easy to see why someone thought it was a good idea to use this vintage Suburban as a school bus.
Mechanically speaking, the old K10 is powered by GM’s 283 V8, which has been rebuilt and is mated to a four-speed manual transmission and a 3.73-geared Positraction rear end. With the original Spicer hubs in place and fresh Delco shocks at all four corners, it’s ready to go just about anywhere, though let’s be honest – this gorgeous piece of rare, polished jewelry deserves the royal treatment from here on out, and we imagine that will be the case once it changes owners soon.
Photos: Mecum Auctions
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