Why aren't classic Suburbans "popular"??

[FLYNAVY30]

For sure....I have easily twice in my '72 what I could get for it...and that's knowing I already have a local buyer. Same guy has been randomly stopping by my garage for years now asking if Im ready to sell. For me, it comes down to the fact that theres nothing I would rather have to replace it. Sure there's still things Id like to do to the truck, but even if someone offered a straight up trade for a Bronco or FJ40 in equal condition, I dont think I'd do it....I like the room that the Suburban affords with the same vintage style as the other makes and models.

[71meangreenc10]

Originally Posted by smokehouse

well when you got kids and a big dog it makes more since to have a burb that's why i bought one. i really wanted a 3 door that someone didn't put modern seats in it or speaker holes in the doors and wasn't yellow but i couldn't find one so i had to settle for a 78 burb. i think they are catching on to because your whole family can ride together. It's hard to put a whole family in a 3 seater truck. when the magazines starts putting more burbs in them and more pics of really kool burbs online it will start to catch on that's what happened to the vw buses. you can't hardly touch one now. i think we are on the up swing to see the prices going up until then i'm going to enjoy driving my burb with my family.

My kids love riding in the 68. It is way more user friendly than the truck....

Smitty

[HO455]

I wonder if some of the lack of appreciation comes from the lack of badging by GM. Twice this week I got the " That's cool! What is it?". Followed by " They made Suburbans back then?".
If you see something you like, but don't know what it is certainly it makes it harder to get one.

[CG]

Because I cant seem to hang on to anything vehicle related years ago I let my 72 C10 Burb go, must seen something shinier (or rustier?) I needed more. A couple of weeks ago the fella that has it now decided to let it go, I was on it! But then he changed his mind lol ... gahhh!

I do have another 72 Burb K20 turned K10 project that I let go several months ago and it came back to me because I felt sorry for the way deals went down (long story). My plan was to just get rid of it. No drive train, no front clip, a couple of seats, kind of a nearly stripped shell. I don't think it even has a steering column. But after reading this post I might just hang on to it. Man Im weird haha!

[smokehouse]

What i have learned in vw. you can dump all the money you want but don't go to far from stock it appeals to more people. you can lower them or raise them. you can put different motors and trannies in them update the brakes change the wheels and tire combos. leave the stock seats in them and cover them in og patterns. you can paint the cars but keep it og colors don't paint them purple and pink and put scallops on them. Don't cut speakers in the doors or in the trunk. you can put all the og accessories you want on but must be og. this way if someone wants and og car or truck they can easily put it back to stock. that's how you get your money back out of them at least in the vw community. It use to be called the resto-custom look. If you paint it some funky color or do some crazy interior inside that only you like then you are going to have a hard time selling it. patina is best or og paint you can't hide bad bodywork that way. There's to many chicken wire and bondo guys out there.

[mcmlxix]

I lucked out and got a descent 1972 K5 CTS a few years ago. I drove it for a couple years before I started a frame off rest-mod with a modern drive train. I will probably have over $35k in the Blazer before I'm done...

I have started looking for a K20 Suburban. The 4x4s are harder to find than 2WD with the 3/4 ton K20 ever harder then K10. Most seem to be rusted or overpriced for the condition. I missed a couple opportunities because I didn't have cash available, mainly a fairly solid 71 K20 Suburban with a few nice options for $6k.

[52napco]

The vast majority of folks are clueless. I get someone daily asking how much i want for my
Bronco but i have turned down 40k

[HO455]

It looks like the new Burban will have to get painted green to fit in.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by HO455

" They made Suburbans back then?".

That's funny.

K

[Indychus]

It's a matter of practicality for me. I love the way a burb looks, and the functionality can't be beat. I would love to have one. However, I can't afford $30k+ for a nice one and there's no way in hell I can get the body off of one in my 2 car garage to do a proper restoration. I've done more than a few trucks, and I can pull the cab and bed off by myself with an engine hoist. Even if I could figure out a way to get the body off of a burb, I couldn't roll it over to repair the bottom or store it easily while I did chassis work.

A lot of hot rodders and restorers migrated to trucks from muscle cars and rods because they were easier to work on because the cab and bed come off separately and are relatively light weight. I'd be willing to bet that there are plenty of guys like me who would kill to have a bad ass burb but are at a loss on how to manage building one.

[FLYNAVY30]

Originally Posted by Indychus

It's a matter of practicality for me. I love the way a burb looks, and the functionality can't be beat. I would love to have one. However, I can't afford $30k+ for a nice one and there's no way in hell I can get the body off of one in my 2 car garage to do a proper restoration. I've done more than a few trucks, and I can pull the cab and bed off by myself with an engine hoist. Even if I could figure out a way to get the body off of a burb, I couldn't roll it over to repair the bottom or store it easily while I did chassis work.

A lot of hot rodders and restorers migrated to trucks from muscle cars and rods because they were easier to work on because the cab and bed come off separately and are relatively light weight. I'd be willing to bet that there are plenty of guys like me who would kill to have a bad ass burb but are at a loss on how to manage building one.

I hear ya. When the time comes, my plan is to unbolt the body from the frame, and use my quick jack on each side to lift the body just high enough to roll the chasis out and roll a dolly back under it. Then Ill trailer the body to someone who knows what they're doing (Austin Speed Shop) for rust repair and paint while I blow the chasis apart and restore that. Then do the same thing in reverse for reassembly.

[fourspeedwagon]

Originally Posted by WyattTX

It's like that with square bodies too. I know one custom shop that has gutted clean Suburbans to put thier parts on pickups that are in terrible condition. It's kind of sad, really. I love Suburbans, but most people in my area see an old burb as either a ghetto cruiser or a parts donor for a pickup. To most people, Suburbans just aren't "cool" and "iconic" like the pickups, and Blazers are. I myself would take nice 4x4 burb over a Blazer/Jimmy any day. However I also prefer lwb over swb on pickups, so my opinion definitely represents a minority.

Sounds like how station wagons were viewed when I was younger. “Good parts car for a 2 door hardtop version of the same model” Now station wagons are up in value compared to what they used to be. The old wagon price structure was either “how much does it weigh (scrap)” or “worth the price of the used parts”

[Beach-Burban]

Met some friends for coffee at our hometown beach early the other morning and had a flock of people asking questions...and one surfer girl who politely asked permission to take photos! I laughed and said, of course, then she whipped out this professional 35mm camera and spent the next 20 minutes taking shots at every angle possible!

Woody

[FLYNAVY30]

very cool!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Beach-Burban

Met some friends for coffee at our hometown beach early the other morning and had a flock of people asking questions...and one surfer girl who politely asked permission to take photos! I laughed and said, of course, then she whipped out this professional 35mm camera and spent the next 20 minutes taking shots at every angle possible!

Woody

I can see why. It looks great on the beach. Why didn't you take a picture of her with the truck....

LockDoc

[Killer Bee]

well I've been longhorny lately so the burbs are sitting quietly in the back waiting their turn..

when they were up front, I was getting offers and inquiries constantly, even in their old rusty glory..

so I would say still very popular, just not a huge number of them out there still running..



very popular with my kids



drove the k20 to work, someone left a note

[Beach-Burban]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

I can see why. It looks great on the beach. Why didn't you take a picture of her with the truck....

LockDoc

Well thank you, Leon...but us old guys have to be careful to NOT look too "interested" or else the girls stop talking to us!

Woody

[72c20customcamper]

I get just as many compliments on my burban as I do my other vehicles. I do love it but storing it is another issue. Like that I can pack it up with everything I need for long weekend show and not worrying about it getting wet or stolen out of the bed. I know it square body but I'll post anyway. It's a shame that if this was a pickup it would be worth a lot more . Not that I'm thinking about selling it anyway.

[FLYNAVY30]

I honestly think that Suburban prices (both 67-72 and square bodies) will pick up in the next 5 years or so. There are a couple big name builders with high end Suburbans in the works....namely Jonathan Ward at Icon. All it takes is a few big names to pay them attention and prices can jump drastically....especially with limited supply, and the rest of the vintage SUV market already hugely inflated.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Beach-Burban

Well thank you, Leon...but us old guys have to be careful to NOT look too "interested" or else the girls stop talking to us!

Woody

Well crap, I wondered why all the young chicks wandered off when I started telling them they looked REALLY good...... I thought I heard one of them mention something about a pervert but I figured I misunderstood with my bad hearing and all.

Anyways, to keep on topic I had a guy stop by and ask if my '69 Suburban was for sale not too long after I finished it and I said yep, bring cash, and he did....

LockDoc

[Beach-Burban]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

Well crap, I wondered why all the young chicks wandered off when I started telling them they looked REALLY good...... I thought I heard one of them mention something about a pervert but I figured I misunderstood with my bad hearing and all.

Anyways, to keep on topic I had a guy stop by and ask if my '69 Suburban was for sale not too long after I finished it and I said yep, bring cash, and he did....

LockDoc

Too funny, LockDoc...California girls are the worst when it comes to that attitude! Hard to think that you sold that beautiful Burb so soon after finishing it!!! '69 with '71/'72 front grille and bumper...did you do any other surprises?

Woody

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Beach-Burban

Too funny, LockDoc...California girls are the worst when it comes to that attitude! Hard to think that you sold that beautiful Burb so soon after finishing it!!! '69 with '71/'72 front grille and bumper...did you do any other surprises?

Woody

Just a 350 crate engine and a 2004r overdrive auto transmission. It ran really good and I miss it....

LockDoc