1971 Chevrolet Suburban

SUV

350 V8

Automatic

KE161Z626250

Clear

Gasoline

1971 Chevy Suburban 4x4 KE161Z626250 143,500 miles About a year ago I decided I wanted to buy an old Chevy; I’ve always been a fan of Suburbans (I still own a 2013), so I thought an old 68-72 4x4 would be perfect. A small-town dealer in Oregon was selling this one; he gave me the original owner’s name and phone number, and I researched out the truck before buying it. The original owner was a gravel company owner who used this truck to bang around town – in 2001, he did a restoration. THE TRUCK HAD NO RUST TO REPAIR – the underbody, floorpans, rockers, etc. are all original to the truck and still are rust-free. After realizing this was a good truck to buy, I had it shipped down here to Texas. That was July 2012. Since then, I wanted to make a real good looker/driver out of it. So the following was done: 08/07/2012 – New starter, new flywheel, new radiator, new hoses, new fuel lines for the tank (they smelled), and new sending unit 08/08/2012 – New lenses all around, new emblems, new side mirrors 10/18/2012 – New plugs and wires 11/04/2012 – New grill from LMC 11/26/2012 – Reseal transmission and transfer case, replace ALL fluids, new shocks 11/28/2012 – New drag links and sleeves 02/14/2013 – New front rotors, front pads, rear drums, rear shoes, wheel cylinders, front wheel seal, front wheel u-joints, brake hoses (all), calipers, ball joints (up/low), tie rods (all), and an alignment 06/20/2013 – New QuadraJet from National Carburetor installed, new AC compressor, drier, expansion valve All work (except the grill and lenses) was done by professional mechanics – not by me. I have the receipts. EXTERIOR: The paint is really nice, but certainly not perfect. There is some clearcoat peeling off the top (see pics). You can’t really see it in the pictures, but there is a ‘ghost’ two-tone paint effect along the body; no one ever notices it on first glance and it looks very cool. Behind the rear passenger wheel well, there is paint bubbling (see pics). The driver’s side, however, does not have this issue and there are no other body-rust issues. All the chrome looks good, the lenses all around are brand new. I installed a new 1972 grill from LMC (I liked the way it looked better). Tires are BFG TA/KOs and are brand new from Discount Tire. All lights work. INTERIOR: The interior is very good. The dash paint is very good, as is the dash pad. The seats are firm and in great shape. The first two rows are green, and the third row is black – the original owner told me he tried and tried but couldn’t find a green third row. The AC works (seriously!), but the air vents are loose. The floors are rubber and easy to keep clean – no rust under the rubber. The wood rear floor is solid. MECHANICAL: With all the money I’ve spent, the truck runs and drives very well. It tracks straight, stops well (I used ceramic pads), and does not wander – even at 75 mph. Some steering pieces were replaced so that the steering would be as tight as possible. The engine starts on the first try (which is why I had the horrible Edelbrock carb replaced with the QuadraJet with electric choke), it idles smoothly, and moves quickly when you give it the gas. The engine does not even come close to overheating, even in Houston in July with the AC on. It does not smoke – previous owner said the engine has about 11,000 miles on it. The truck has a custom 44-gallon fuel tank with new sending unit and hoses. The timing cover gasket leaks a bit, otherwise no leaks on the engine or drivetrain (better not be – the transfer case and tranny were professionally removed and resealed). Upsides: · Runs great, drives better. I’ve driven this truck around Houston and on a few highway runs to work (140 miles), and the best thing about this truck is how it drives. Straight at all speeds, even at 80. The engine doesn’t scream at high rpms. All new ceramic brakes means that it stops firmly and straight. New shocks means that it rides firm but not jarring. All the parts I used were the highest quality parts from NAPA Auto Parts. · Looks great and most people had no idea that there ever was a three-door Suburban. Lots of thumbs up. · Interior is very good – paint is very good on dash, doors, etc. The benches are not squishy and weak. Downsides: · Well, the bubbling behind the passenger rear wheel bothers me, but at least the truck is rust-free otherwise. And yes, I bought it that way – it’s not progressing out-of-control. · The top should be repainted if you’re a stickler for perfection– I was going to do white for the 70’s two-tone effect. The rest of the paint looks very good. · The AC works well, but there is no rear AC. · The timing cover seal has a little leak. Any upgrades would be up to the new owner, but it’d be mostly cosmetic and interior changes. Like I said, mechanically it’s very well-sorted – it runs and drives very well. I’m selling because I already own a 2013 and a 2011 Suburban used as family daily drivers, and I just bought a 1991 Suburban 4x4 with only 35k miles on it – I’m a bit crazy for toys, but four Suburbans in the family is one too many. I have all the receipts for the work done. The Texas title is clear and in my name. The truck is on the west side of Houston. I’ve driven it a few thousand miles since owning it – it’s never left me stranded. Always garaged: Here is the ghost two-tone paint job: AC works and is cold: Bubbles behind passenger’s rear wheel: No bubbles behind driver’s rear wheel: