“There is no substitute for cubic inches” was a phrase that my grandfather often repeated when it came to trucks in general and tow vehicles in particular. He was correct for the time. In the seventies and early eighties, emissions standards had snuffed out the high horsepower big blocks in cars. What was left in the car world was the few vehicles that soldiered on with neutered big blocks that slowly fell off the options list as time wore on. Trucks, however, were given a far more lenient set of rules to follow when it came to emissions. This allowed the big block V-8s to roam the Earth a bit longer. If you were looking for the ultimate tow vehicle built during that time, then you were probably poking around a Chevrolet or GMC dealer looking for something like this 1986 GMC Suburban. Packing a 454 V-8, an automatic transmission, and seating for a full symphony orchestra, a truck like the one seen here can still make towing heavy objects easy.
Today, we use miracles of technology such as turbochargers, computer-controlled multi-speed transmissions, and other tricks to extract gobs of horsepower and torque from smaller displacement engines. My grandfather would be amazed by something like a Ford Eco Boost V-6. Yet, when you think of the big block engines built by Ford and Chevrolet in the seventies and eighties, you have to wonder what they would be like today if the manufacturers applied today’s technology to a big block engine. What would a modern Ford 460 V-8 or a GM 454 V-8 have regarding horsepower and torque if you added twin turbochargers, computer-controlled engine management systems, and a 10-speed high-technology transmission?
Just look at this 1986 GMC Suburban and speculate what a new Suburban would be like if modern technological development had been applied to the 454 V-8. As this truck sits, it is still quite an impressive beast. The seller tells us that it was purchased from a family that drove it off the lot when it was new. It was garage-kept during that time and always maintained.
To give you an example of how well-cared for this Suburban is, the seller claims that the third row of seats was never used. That is a shame. Having sat in the back of one of these, I can tell you the journey back there isn’t a cakewalk. Yet once you are in place, the seat is comfortable and there is plenty of legroom. If you look closely at the pictures below, you will see that the rear area benefits from an air conditioning setup in the rear part of the ceiling.
The seller claims that the rest of the interior is as new. Looking at the pictures shows that the grandiose statement is quite accurate. Other than a spot where it appears that someone put a big strip of adhesive tape or velcro across the passenger side of the dash, you can’t find one problem. Even the driver’s seat, which always receives the most abuse, is in fantastic shape.
The wonderful photograph above is a great display of just how big these trucks were inside. Both seats could fold down to allow for a tremendous amount of cargo. While I do not believe that the seats were easily detached to clear out the rear area for cargo, hopefully, a reader will chime in on the difficulty of removing them. Regardless, we hear claims all the time about how certain vehicles can carry seven passengers in comfort. This Suburban is fully capable of carrying seven NFL defensive linemen in comfort. While pulling a trailer like a locomotive. With the air conditioning blasting.
Above is a picture of the 454 cubic inch V-8 mentioned previously. It was capable of putting out 230 horsepower and 385 ft.-lb of torque. GM built these engines to unleash all that torque at lower RPMs when you need to get a heavy trailer moving. The only issue with the 1986 model was that it was the last year using a carburetor to meter fuel. 1987 saw the entrance of fuel injection and better fuel mileage. Well, kinda better. Later editions also benefitted from four-speed automatic transmissions instead of the three-speed this truck is equipped with.
To get the truck ready for sale, a new radiator and water pump were installed. Also, the braking system was completely gone through with new calipers, pads, and brake lines, and a new master cylinder with a booster was installed. To quiet everything down, a new exhaust was installed.
If you would like to add to your collection one of the finest tow vehicles ever to grace American highways, then this 1986 GMC Suburban for sale on Craigslist in the beautiful San Fernando Valley of California is calling to you. With just two owners and 62,000 miles showing on the odometer, this well-cared-for California hauler can be yours for a very reasonable $9,800. Thanks to Numskal for the neat tip!
Wasn’t it “There’s no replacement for displacement”?
Nice rig though.
Especially if fuel economy aint important nothing has more underhood style than a 454/THM400 combo. Love the h/d style high rise air cleaner and oddly enough an older frigidaire style a/c compressor rather than the smaller Harrison units of the era. Just by curiosity than 40 gallon tank empty would nail me 250 bucks at our present 1.67 per liter of regular in my neck of the woods and 290 if i filled with premium. It deserves a nice home
A detail I always found interesting about these Suburbans is the rear callout badge kept the 1975-80 style all through the ’80s, it was never updated to the font and layout used on the fender badges starting in 1981. Same way for Chevys.
I have to wonder just why it is priced so low. If this was on a lot in my neck of the woods it would easily command $25k or more. Just look at what the pickups of this era are bringing. Very nice example here.
Too bad it’s 2wd
These were amazingly capable even in 2WD form. The added weight of the roof and any cargo meant they could access reasonable terrain. Not too many people would buy a K2500 Suburban for severe off road service due to their size when HD trailering on the highway is their true purpose.
The only way I’d buy one is if it was a 2wd. When would you need 4wd with one of these?
Well if you’re in the market for a family hauler tow pig that will pass everything except a gas station for under $10k here’s your chance. But unless the seller can back up the mileage claim you kinda have to take their word for it with the 5 digit odometer
Not that I’m in the market but if I were I’d prefer to see the diesel. With barn doors.
My wife uses a later model Tahoe to tow a 16 ft cargo trailer to the rodeos and fairs that she’s a vendor at. I hate the later Tahoes because of that independent rear suspension. If you’re towing a trailer you can’t beat a straight rear axle and a set of parallel leaf springs. I’d like to find a 3/4 ton like this. The 454/THM 400 transmission will roll for many miles.
This truck hasn’t done much more than scorch the paint on the exhaust manifolds. It’ll haul a major load for 200K miles before it’ll need much of anything. We sold a pile of Burbs just like this one. If you rolled around the western plains you’ll likely still see lots of them still on the road. I might add that my wife runs a booth at a major barrel-racing event in Great Falls each year and there’s lots of trucks like this still pulling some good-sized horse trailers. Not bad for 40 years down the road…
Back in the day, my high school friend’s father was a dentist. They had many vehicles, one identical to this.
His usual ride was a Mini, one day the throttle cable broke, so we used the fast idle adjustment (usually for cold weather) and limped it to his home.
We got in the Suburban and he said watch this. He floored it in first and didn’t up shift out of first gear, as the engine revved ever higher suddenly it (the transmission), harshly banged automatically into second gear.
I go what the wha, being a Dodge guy, I never saw or heard such a thing. Torqueflights in the old days didn’t do that, they would blow your engine.
I remember the rear tires squeal as we shifted, it hauled a** pretty good.
I got a healthy respect for the old 454Rat and the Turbo400 HD transmission. I later learned that the transmission was designed that way for heavy hauling. I guess that’s why they used to have Heavy Hauler trucks too. If I am not mistaken.
Yes, the THM-400 was designed not to over rev the engine. Pretty cool feature.
Here’s the one to have. Carbureted 454 and 2wd will do almost anything asked of it. All it does is run. Effortlessly. We used to test some with the big block no catalyst and dual exhaust running on Indolene for export to Saudi Arabia.