While we can’t see what the future holds, we can only hope that General Motors will still be peddling Suburbans; after all, they’ve been a staple of American highways and beyond for the last 90 years. These days, it’s hard to drive one off the lot for under a hundred grand, but that wasn’t always the case; they weren’t always luxury cars on a truck frame. For example, this 1966 GMC Custom Suburban only has two doors, for crying out loud—it’s a pickup truck that just happens to carry the whole family. This neat SUV was the last of GM’s successful 1960-66 bodystyle, and it’s for sale here on eBay in Loomis, California. It’s had some modifications from stock for the sake of driveability, but the seller says that you can “jump in and drive.” The high bid currently sits at $4,050 (and has not met the reserve).
Here’s the lowdown on the truck as it was produced. We know from the fender badges and this tag that it was originally powered by GMC’s 305E V6, which made 170 gross horsepower (157 net). More on that in a minute. According to the body tag, this is what we know:
- 1001: 1/2 ton truck with a 115-inch wheelbase
- Z: Assembled in Fremont, California
- F: 1964-66 model years
- 13998: The production number (unique to the vehicle)
- A: GVWR of 6,000 pounds or less (5,200 in this case)
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your viewpoint), the V6 is no longer putting away under the hood, which might be a good thing when one considers the dwindling parts availability of that neat 60-degree workhorse. The good old Chevy 350 small-block is now providing ample power, with an aluminum intake manifold an Edelbrock carburetor providing the air/fuel mixture. The seller says that the 350 has a 1969 date code, doesn’t burn any oil, and is backed by a reliable Turbo 400: The Suburban “runs and drives great.” The rear axle has 3.08:1 gears with limited slip, so highway driving should be about as good as it gets in such a big, bluff SUV from 1966. You can see that the truck has power steering and power brakes for easier driving.
The interior is in pretty good shape, but the front seats need to be rebuilt, springs and all. Luckily, everything electrical works, and you even have a functional heater. The steering column is obviously from a newer GM truck, and the seller mentions that the tilt mechanism “needs to be tightened up.” I don’t have experience with that, but it sounds like it will be harder than one would think; that might, however, be my skepticism talking, based on my having worked on cars my whole life.
The rear seat still has its original fabric and is in great shape. One more thing the truck will need is the driver’s door glass, which has a “small crack in the corner.” Aside from figuring out the front seat and the tilt wheel, it’s not too bad in here. I’d drive it to the local hardware store.
There is a little bit of rust to deal with, including the lower fenders (a spare set will come with the truck), rocker panels, and some surface rust around the drip rails, which the seller emphatically claims is not structural. I recommend clicking on the eBay link and looking at the pictures and reading the seller’s text; they’ve done a really thorough job explaining what’s been done and what needs to be done with the Suburban. Classic trucks aren’t cheap like they used to be, so if you can drive this Suburban home for something not too far from the current high bid, you’ll be getting a great deal.
One of the first vehicles my old man used to pull our campers, was a GMC like this. I was just knee high to a lug nut, but remember he complained it didn’t have enough power to pull the trailers. The V6 was probably the best V6 made, had some steel in it, but the V8 won out. There was always confusion about the name. The old man called it a “GMC Carryall”, some a Chevy Suburban Carryall, but mostly, just Suburban.
It should be noted, Don Garlits had a GMC like this as a push truck/hauler, in fact, I think I read somewhere, he almost got killed in it, when he fell asleep on the way home and ended up in a Georgia swamp. Anyone?
All the upgrades, but still running single circuit brakes?!
Yeah, you’re right; I was too busy missing the original engine to notice that…
Nothing like a good old Burb to brighten your day. Only thing better was if it was on MY driveway. I always loved these trucks but I hated them not having at least one rear passenger door. Some said it was a safety issue but if that was the case, why were there 4-door sedans and station wagons in the cars? And what about those airport shuttles that had six or eight doors?
Anyways, I’m just a trifle disappointed that they discarded the old boat anchor and dropped in a 350 (the TH400 is acceptable).
A loose tilt wheel? Well if I’m thinking correctly, you’re going to be pulling everything down to the hinge to fix it. And you might be replacing some stuff if not MOST of it.
Overall, a good project. I’d prefer an older one with the “Eye Brows” but this would work…
As a youngster you must’ve voiced that opinion around that time geomechs since they started including a rear passenger door a year or two later IIRC. These are unique and appreciated beasts for what they were designed to be, long before front and rear heated/cooled cupholders became an expected feature.