'89 GMC Suburban restoration/build up project.

[dieselfuel]

ive got a build thread over on CK5 but this section of expo seems to be heavy on suburbans so i figured i'd jump in too.

it's sat since 2005, ive gone through phases of wanting to build it up, chop it up into a buggy, and get rid of it. hell, i tried selling it twice, actually very glad it didnt go. for about a year now i've been in need of a project, i decided (after my wife told me to) to dig up the sub and start in on it.

we pulled it out of the corner of my dad's backyard where it's sat for 6 years. it was a good feeling climbing back into it and check it over to get reacquainted with it. it's sitting behind the house now, i got some plywood to put underneath it to have a solid floor to work on and yank the engine.

took about 5hrs to pull the engine, i forgot how damn simple these trucks were.

ugly old boat anchor

got rid of the old swampers and bought some 37" H1 hummer takeoffs from 100dollarman.com in So CA.

once it was rolling i could trailer it over to my house to start cleaning it up and working on getting it ready for a new engine, etc...

pulled it behind my best friend's new duramax, awesome truck!

got her home and gave her a bath, i think it might have looked better before haha!

i pulled the fuel tank, transmission, transfer case, radiator, sway bar, oil cooler, a/c condenser, a bunch of useless wiring, bumpers, etc...

pulled the seats and cleaned up the interior. ive got some small parts here and there coming for it but it doesn't need much.

the back seat makes a nice addition to the "redneck lounge" as my neighbor calls it.

 

[dieselfuel]

so as it sits, its on 4" springs and Hill 4WD shackles in the front, 4" blocks in the rear and a 2" body lift. plans are to add a zero rate to all 4 corners, pushing the front axle forward 1", ditch the blocks for a shackle flip and ditch the body lift all together. ill trim the fenders a little more and keep it as low as i can.

the old engine is junk, i'm replacing it with a 5.3L from BD Turnkey Engine Supply in Reno NV. http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1012735

the TH400 trans will get rebuilt with some goodies in it, maybe a reverse manual valve body and a deeper pan. i'd love to use something with OD but i dont want to get stuck in a never ending state of building my truck, so for now at least, i'm gonna run what ive got.

the NP241 will get an SYE kit, some new seals, and a clocking ring to set it up as flat as i can get it.

the rear axle is a 14 bolt full floater with a detroit locker in it, slightly shaved. it'll end up getting a set of disc brakes, 4.56s, a deeper shave and nice cover like this. http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1013016

the front axle is a 10 bolt, i'll repack the bearings and not spend any money on it as i plan to replace it with a Dana 60.

interior plans are a sleeping platform for storage underneath and never but the back seat back in. i'll hinge mount some tables on the back doors for kitchen use. mount up my CB and figure something out for spare tire locating.

eventually it'll get new bumpers, a winch, sliders, and a roof rack with some lights.

 

[dieselfuel]

Here she is as of right now.

 

[DoMiNiC1]

Wow great start! Tuned in.

 

[hillbillyjake]

i think that you'll really like the 5.3. i've got that motor in my tahoe and love it. smooth consistant power. from about 2500 rpmand up the 5.3 really pulls. still impresses me at 149k.

 

[xpndbl3]

I like it, I'm about done with my 5.3L swap, can't wait to drive it.

 

[sylgeist]

Fun build - love the old burbs! Can't wait to see the 5.3 install!

 

[dieselfuel]

thanks guys! while i'm waiting on the engine i've started drawing up my roof rack and sliders. my best friend is a fabricator and offered to build anything i want for it, i'm gonna help and learn as much as i can along the way. for the roof rack i'm thinking 4'x8'x6" hard mounted to the roof the way GM did back in the 80s. ive been looking around at racks on here collecting ideas, hopefully i'll be able to start building something soon.

i drained both differentials today, the last fluids left in the truck. the rear was pretty damn clean, it's only got maybe 10k miles on it, i swapped it in about a year before i parked the truck. the front however, not so much. the front axle had some water in it, for at least 6yrs. when you turn the pinion you get a nice crunching sound. i didnt want to spend any money on this axle as i plan on swapping for a dana 60. this just backed up that decision.
pics to come soon.

 

[dieselfuel]

Front diff. Nasty.

 

[bfdiesel]

It'll buff out.

 

[AA1PR]

sweet looking burb you have going on there. I am sure it will be a beast when everything is said and done

 

[zukrider]

great start! did you say those were hummer take offs? and they fit that well without spacers? thats good to know!

 

[poriggity]

Loving it so far! Wish I had the $$ and time to do that!
Scott

 

[Larry]

These old square body style Suburbans are staring to multiply around here! I joined the 1989 Suburban club today also. Picked up a white with tan interior 1989 K2500 with a TBI 5.7L, SM465 (stick shift, whoohoo!), rear barns and every option except cruise control, which is odd unless it was N/A with the manual trans. The ole girl only has only 132,000 miles on it. Not bad for 22 years old. Out of a scale of 1 to 10 it is about a 7.5 due to needing a clutch and the radio is missing. Best $1500 I ever spent! I love Craigslist! I’ll have pictures up shortly.

 

[dieselfuel]

great start! did you say those were hummer take offs? and they fit that well without spacers? thats good to know!

the tires are H1 takeoffs, not the wheels. the wheels would need a big spacer if not recentered. i'm planning on some weld on diy4x beadlocks for my existing wheels. it'll be cheaper and lighter than recentered H1 wheels.

These old square body style Suburbans are staring to multiply around here! I joined the 1989 Suburban club today also. Picked up a white with tan interior 1989 K2500 with a TBI 5.7L, SM465 (stick shift, whoohoo!), rear barns and every option except cruise control, which is odd unless it was N/A with the manual trans. The ole girl only has only 132,000 miles on it. Not bad for 22 years old. Out of a scale of 1 to 10 it is about a 7.5 due to needing a clutch and the radio is missing. Best $1500 I ever spent! I love Craigslist! I’ll have pictures up shortly.

nice! looking forward to photos! these old suburbans are pretty common on this site.