So what do you do once you come across that barn find vehicle you’ve been seeking? One buyer’s idea is shown here; a mildly customized 1964 Chevrolet Suburban that spent its early career as a fire department vehicle. Now it’s listed for sale here on eBay where bidding has driven the price up to $15,700 as I write. The Suburban is now located in Eden, Maryland after spending its working career in Pennsylvania.

Here’s a picture of the Suburban when it was still in service with the Bryn Athyn Fire Company. The seller boasts that the vehicle has never spent a night outside, and if you look at the condition of the Company’s current fire-fighting equipment and the pride shown, I can believe it. Although there’s a detailed history of the fire engines on their website, they don’t spell out the history of the support vehicles such as this one. Interestingly enough, a GM product is still used as a support unit as seen in their website cover picture.

Love the front-end styling on this generation of GM pickup, and it’s obvious that a lot of care has gone into the condition of this truck! The seller tells us that the custom paint was applied over 20 years ago and that it’s not perfect up close; personally, I really like the color choice, and the later model truck wheels and raised white letter tires are a real cosmetic win for me. I’m sure there are many readers who would rather have the truck in its original configuration, but I for one find this type of early SUV as a useful tow and haul vehicle when equipped correctly–just the thing to show up at a vintage race with towing a suitably vintage racing car! However, as the seller notes, a brake upgrade may be in order as the original specification brakes (drums) are still on the car. Don’t view this as a slam on drums, but I would prefer some vented discs and a dual hydraulic system for towing.

Apart from a noted piece of carpet that needs regluing, the interior seems to be in nice shape. A glaring shortcoming for me purchasing the truck considering this is a custom vehicle is the lack of air conditioning–of course, it can be retrofitted quite easily considering the room available.

The drivetrain is no longer the original 283/Powerglide–it has been replaced with a 383-cubic-inch V-8 and a Turbohydro 350 automatic transmission. A lot of cool parts have been added to the engine, including an internally balanced crankshaft, Oliver rods, Ross pistons, ported and polished Dart Sportsman cylinder heads, Ferrera valves, a Competition Cams roller camshaft, a Victor Jr. intake, and an Edelbrock carburetor. The seller notes that some carburetor work may be necessary and I’d want to check into that further before purchasing the truck. However, if you are in the market for a stylish vintage SUV/tow vehicle, think about checking this Suburban out!