Saving a $350 Suburban From Certain Death? ‘Priceless’
One simple fix prevented this classic one-owner GMC Suburban from going to the junkyard, and now it’s running the streets like it’s 1999.
I have a problem. I love the old Suburban. Additionally, I am in love with car shopping. Facebook Marketplace drags me in regularly. Obviously, I do not have an unlimited budget. However, I do run across a deal here and there that I absolutely can not pass up. This is the tale of one of those scenarios.
Having grown up in the back seat of a 1992 GMC Suburban, I have a soft spot for the GMT400 chassis. Naturally, when I saw this one listed for $500, I took action. From the pictures, it didn’t look like much. That being said, what my partner-in-crime Ross and I found when we got there was nothing short of amazing.
While this Suburban certainly has seen better days, it hasn’t lost its spirit. The interior, while a bit dirty, has no major rips, tears, scratches, or cracks. All the glass is intact, and the tires still have a decent amount of life in them. Perhaps the most astonishing part, though, is that this Suburban was even with its original owner. For longer than I have been alive, this Suburban was in possession of the very person who drove it off the lot brand new some twenty-six years ago.
The catch? A crank-no-start scenario. While the owner was aware that a fuel pump would take care of that scenario, he was willing to let it go. A local junker offered him $300 to come pick it up and take it away. Naturally, we had to beat it. So we showed up with a trailer and $350. After well over two decades, this Suburban finally has its second owner. Obviously, we had to treat it right.
Rejuvenating the Great White Whale of a Suburban
Naturally, the first step was to drop the tank and pop a new fuel pump in it. The process is not so complicated, but it is a bit dirty. For those curious, we outlined the process in a video on my youtube channel. The pump, it seems, was fine. However, the root of the issue was a rodent of some variety chewing through one of the wires on the fuel pump harness. No biggie, I worked a little wiring magic, and off we went. Since the tank was already out, we proceeded to replace the pump and the two EVAP valves on top of the tank.
Once we got it running, the next step finds us prettying her up a bit. A meticulous shining of all the glass and profuse vacuuming was in order. To follow it all up, we hit the real high traffic areas with some Turtlewax carpet shampoo. Finally, we cleaned up all the factory plastics and floor mats with a bit of Simple Green solution. Just like that, we dug our diamond out of the rough.
To match the interior, we took to wet sanding and polishing every light housing lens front to back. It is remarkable what a little elbow grease will do to some old, hazy headlights.
Remarkably, this Suburban had an R134a conversion done some time in its previous owner’s history. While it wasn’t working at the time we got it; a simple DIY recharge kit found us with AC that most 90s truck owners can only dream of. It’s just like it came from the factory. We assume, anyway. Neither of us existed when this thing rolled off the assembly line. Let’s not get caught up on little details.
One final touch that you don’t often find in a vehicle of this vintage is Bluetooth. With how cheap single DIN head units are these days, though, just about anything will have it. We were lucky enough the previous owner gave us a stereo head unit with Bluetooth, USB, and all the modern fixings. Between that and the AC, this is an old Chevy you could daily drive without thinking twice.
You wouldn’t doubt a good old small block, would you? The way this thing starts without hesitation and cruises around is genuinely mesmerizing. I would not hesitate to drive this thing across the country.
If you Love it, Let it Go.
I must admit, though we planned to bring this thing back to life and move it on to someone who is going to truly appreciate and use it from the get-go, I love it. The very second we fired it up, and I took it for a drive, I knew I wanted it. Unfortunately, if it stays with me, it would only live a life of sitting like it was before. Only to be used to tote my track car to various events. This Suburban deserves more adventure than one weekend a month at best. It’s ready to take you wherever you want to go. For that reason, it’s time to let it go.
I have a strong feeling, though, that this is not going to be my last GMT400 Suburban purchase. While I would prefer to pick up a slightly newer one with an LS-based engine under the hood, what’s to stop me from putting a junkyard 5.3 in this iconic body style? Really makes you think, doesn’t it?
Photos for Chevrolet Forum by Braden Carlson