Watch a ’57 Chevy Suburban Transform into a Showstopper

What started off as an old rolling chassis was given a restoration that turned the tired Suburban into a gorgeous SUV.

Crossovers and large SUVs may be the craze at the moment, but demand for classic SUVs has increased exponentially. Unfortunately, finding a classic SUV that’s worth restoring is a difficult task. In the video below, YouTube channel Titanium AM walks us through the entire restoration process on a 1957 Chevrolet Suburban. The classic SUV starts out has a rolling chassis in pretty rough shape, but is transformed into a show car in just eight minutes.

Hot Rod Network has the full lowdown on the unique build, including the plans the owner made with the Roadster Shop, a workshop located in Mundelein, Ill., which included turning the ’57 Suburban into a true four-door machine. The shop, as the video below reveals, completely went over the entire machine with a fine-toothed comb.

The Roadster Shop created a one-off frame for the machine and attached a Pro Touring IFS from Detroit Speed, Wilwood 14-inch, six-piston brakes, Afco springs and shocks, and much more onto the SUV. And when the time came to choose an engine, the owner told the shop that he wanted something that would fill the entire bay, resulting in a 427 cu. in. LS7 from Turnkey Engine Supply being stuffed into the Suburban.

But that wasn’t enough for the owner, who requested that a supercharger be placed onto the engine, which boosted power to 780 horsepower. And to ensure that the transmission could handle that kind of immense power, the team put a 4L85E gearbox from Bowler Performance Transmissions into the SUV.

After sorting the mechanical aspects of the vehicle out, the team turned towards dealing with the exterior. The rust had to be repaired, two new doors had to be cut out, a custom grille was fabricated, and the bumpers were reshaped, narrowed, and tucked, says Hot Rod Network. The custom interior work followed once everything on the exterior was accounted for, including bucket seats, a custom center console, power windows, an audio head unit from Kenwood, and headrest-mounted DVD screen.

After seeing all of the work that went into the vehicle, it’s not a surprise to hear that it took the Roadster Shop nearly two years to complete. But having a classic SUV with a modern powertrain and conveniences is surely worth the wait.