Would you buy low mile burb with np203?

[mrtoni]

I am negotiating on a 50,000 mile 1979 suburban 4x4. All documentation. Fully loaded. Got pics and saw it doesn't have front manual hubs. It's a np203 full timer. It has the 400 small block. It will be a third car so not completely against full time 4x4 but I wouldn't want to modify this truck as it's so nice and original. Will I be unhappy with the 203? In Reno we get a few inches of snow, a few times a year. Matt

[tobiahr]

It is easy and relatively cheap to add locking hubs. I did this and kept the originals in case the next owner wanted all original. It helped a lot with tire wear and a little with mileage.

[jjzepplin]

If it's really 50,000 then I say what the heck. 203's aren't that bad if your not serious about 4 wheeling. Should be in pretty good shape with only 50 on the ticker. Alot easier to just replace the chain in it than to go and put a 205 in it. If it bothers you then drive it and start looking for the 205 conversion parts.Then you will be ready when and if it breaks. Gonna tow with it?

[mrtoni]

I didn't think about towing with it but possibly. I hate the thought of altering something so original. Will post pics. Think I will buy it. Matt

[68Timber]

That wouldn't bother me at all, and really it's an upgrade to swap out the original hubs for some Warn premium hubs. It's an easy job and for about $100 and less than an hour you're done.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

I have a 203 in my K20, and when I was shopping around for a 205. A neighbor of mine told me to keep the 203, and add in a part time kit. While not quite as strong as a 205, but it is not failure prone. Just needs a chain like all modern cases, and they last in heavier trucks with more HP.

[SilverMiner]

I wouldn't hesitate for a second to buy an all-original 70's square with an NP203.

In my opinion, the poor 203 got a bad reputation due to some bad timing with the 73 oil embargo. Everyone was scrambling for any kind of improvement in their mileage, and the aftermarket was happy to feed into those fears and sell the public what they thought they wanted. Some early ads claimed as much as a 25% increase in fuel mileage, which was proven wrong almost immediately. Later advertisements scaled back their claims to only 10%, but when you are starting at 10mpg going to 11 is well within the statistical variance. So the advertiser were safe, and the buying public was generally happy with their purchase.

I work in the mining industry, and back in the 70's our exploration groups bought vast numbers of Suburbans and Blazers because nobody else was making anything comparable. As a result of low metals prices until the mid to late 80's, most of those fleets were in use for a decade or more. The 203's survived just fine (for the most part) well into the upper 100K range. The biggest complaint wasn't about the chain failing, it was about an inability to shift into either 4H or 4L lock, which in reality a failure of the linkage (which no doubt had never been re-adjusted over the years and miles).

Those poor trucks saw incredible abuse and poor maintenance, as do most fleet vehicles driven by multiple drivers, but the 203 was rarely if ever the weak link. Long before a 203 chain needed to be replaced the engine, transmission, or other major component gave up the ghost. That's assuming the rig hadn't melted into a pile of rust by that point.

So go for it, buy that survivor and give it a good home. BUT YOU HAVE TO POST LOTS OF PICTURES!

[swissarmychainsaw]

Originally Posted by SilverMiner

I wouldn't hesitate for a second to buy an

So go for it, buy that survivor and give it a good home. BUT YOU HAVE TO POST LOTS OF PICTURES!

Seriously! We support you but we need pictures!

[Ski-me]

Originally Posted by swissarmychainsaw

Seriously! We support you but we need pictures!

Yes!...

[motornut]

yes i have two 203s now.
the 78 has a part time kit (manual hubs still need the kit in it)
the other 79 abused off road and plowing....still full time,still rollin.
I've had the 78 lock in 4X4,undo the front hubs and still drive it home.

[Zane M]

We had a '78 K20 that was used daily in our lawncare business, pulling a mowing trailer for over 5 years.
Other than crappy gas milage(and part time really wouldn't have made that much of a difference, now would it?), we had no issues whatsoever with that truck.