Is there anything more classic than a vintage Suburban? Not in the world of SUVs, there isn’t, as this was the model that paved the way for the legions of three-row behemoths we see on the road every day. The beauty of the Suburban is that it’s the real McCoy, a genuine SUV that was light on fluff and frills and deep on utility and durability. The fact you can still find a decent number of them in good shape speaks to the loyalty owners feel to these overbuilt rigs, and this 1989 Suburban here on eBay has been on one-family ownership since new.
Bidding sits at just over $10,000 with no reserve. Unlike today’s SUV lineup, the Suburban was a pretty straightforward affair in the late 1980s, and GM considered it a station wagon with truck underpinnings. This is an interesting designation, as the term “SUV” hadn’t become particularly widespread and applied to everything under the sun with 4WD and some additional ride height. Gas and diesel engines were on the menu, with this truck coming equipped with the former. As you can see, it rides on some aftermarket wheels with tires deemed to be in “good” condition.
The listing describes this Suburban as being one-family owned, which would make sense given how useful these were as rigs for transporting multiple generations of the same clan. The interior is actually where this Suburban presents the best for its many years on the road, and if the listing mileage of 66,000 is to be believed, this truck actually hasn’t seen that much over the years. The cloth upholstery certainly looks like it belongs in a low-mileage rig, as does the woodgrain trim sent into the dash cluster and the door panels. Of course, the seller notes that the air conditioning needs to be “updated.”
It looks like in this photo that the insulating hood pad has been disintegrating, so that’s another detail that will require some attention if you want to freshen up the truck’s cosmetics. The listing notes this is a 3/4 ton example, so it should make for a more than capable tow rig, and the 350 under the hood makes in then neighborhood of 200 to 210 b.h.p. with 300 lb.-ft. of twist. That’s not a crazy amount of power but it’s not bad, and a set of ceramic-coated long-tube headers along with a K&N air filter should help to wake it up nicely. For a rig this clean, a no reserve auction represents a great opportunity to get into a classic square body.
Bought on new almost identical and was an awesome vehicle. Tow capacity no the greatest as the transmission did need to be rebuilt at about 100.000 miles. Would not hesitate to buy another if in great shape. This price is ok only if it has been checked all through, but most stuff is fixable in a home garage. Nice unit.
is it me or is there a giant crack in the windshield?
Don’t get the 1500 series if you’re towing heavy stuff. Our ‘89, 350 , burnt out the transmission, and small rear-end. Otherwise, was a fine wagon.
The nice interior is in stark contrast to the “Government Fleet Vehicle” exterior. The one-family owner history is a reflection of this ‘Burb’s condition. The only thing missing is a 454; as a 3/4 ton rig I’m surprised it has only a 350. Otherwise a nice example that will probably bring $20K because of that small block.
I bought a new 1990 1500 suburban and had it for 10 years and used it for work and pleasure! A strong vehicle with all the bells and whistles and it had towing option and evan though I never towed, the rear end needed rebuild at 80,000 miles and the tranny was starting to go at 86,000 miles. I wish I had it today as it was great in snow and great loading capacity and none of the pcm or ecm issues like modern cars have!
The heavy chasis makes these.
Half tons just too wimpy.