This 1985 Chevrolet Suburban is a bone-stock example that remains in tidy condition with just over 66,000 original miles. The two-tone color scheme was a calling card for GM trucks in the 1980s, and this Suburban stands out with its red-over-white paintjob. Hailing from Utah, the full-size SUV appears to remain in rot-free condition with the exception of a small spot the seller references behind the rear bumper. Overall, it looks like a true survivor that could be pressed back into daily driver duties without much effort. The market for older, full-sized trucks is always fairly hot, and bidding for this one is approaching $14,000. Find it here on eBay with no reserve.
The Suburban is powered by the 6.2L diesel V8 engine, which was actually a fairly respectable mill capable of delivering decent fuel economy. The shame of it is the engine was seemingly cast under the same critical lens of the previous diesel engines put forth by the General, which were absolutely dreadful. This engine was built by Detroit Diesel, which knew a thing or two about developing engines that were reliable and stingy while still delivering half-decent performance. Speed was never on the table for a truck like this, but it did at least make usable power and can motor along just fine with modern traffic – provided there aren’t too many hills involved.
The interior of this Suburban is in excellent condition, with bench seating showing no signs of major sun fading or rips or tears. The door panels look just as good, and as long as you’re OK with maroon, it should serve you well for some time. To me, this Suburban looks like it’s been garaged since new, as there’s zero sign of sun fade or dash cracking. The seller notes it comes with full power options and that the previous owners were non-smokers. These Suburbans are absolute beasts, but you wouldn’t know it sitting inside. Sure, it’s not as whisper-quiet as a new one, but for what it is, it’s certainly a decent way to travel. There’s no mention of whether the air conditioning works, however.
The paint on the front of the truck looks just as good as the rear, and the chrome front bumper is in excellent order. The diesel engine may not be your first choice as it really does require you not to be in a rush, but it’s a solid mill that will likely provide years of reliable service. The harmonic balancer is a must-do repair if it’s not already been done, but aside from that, this is the sort of vehicle you want to have parked next to your bomb shelter. The current bid price definitely indicates there’s a market for a clean Suburban no matter which engine it’s equipped with, and I have no doubt the gasoline-powered model would be even higher at this point.
The 6.2 was a decent diesel. When I worked for GM, we sold a lot of trucks with this engine in it. The most common problem on the early engines were injection pump failures. I don’t remember exactly how many pumps that I replaced, but it was definitely in the 100’s.
Around 1985, my dad bought a 1982 c10 suburban with the red detroit 6.2 diesel. I know the injector pump failed at least once, possibly twice before he found someone to fit a reliable pump. IIRC there was a flexible disc that connected to the impeller. This fellow fitted a solid brass disc in its place. My dad later passed the truck down to me. It had over 300k miles in it when I parted it out. Engine still ran well and didn’t use oil between changes! I only parted it because of an electrical gremlin. One time it started cranking in its own and before I could get the batteries disconnected, melted the side posts out of the batteries. I tried new relays, starter solenoid, ignition switches and controllers with no luck.
Great find, naturally I’m astounded by the price, but since I’ll never buy anything again, it’s entertaining. Shows how badly many are willing bid this stuff to the moon. It really is an exceptional find. I agree, I think the diesel got a bad rap, and I knew folks that had HUNDREDS of thousands of miles on them. Like anything, service was the key, and they didn’t like the cold, where many ended up. For sheer convenience, I’d go with a new gas motor. While diesel is now cheaper than gas, by almost .20/gal. here, gas jobs are just more civilized than these old “oil motors”,,,
When I was operating a computer store in Chicagoland, we did pickup and delivery in the city and suburbs. We factory ordered new Suburbans with the diesel engine and loved the great mileage and how well they performed. I only wish Chevy had offered a diesel in the Avalanche.
I’m very impressed with the money these squarebody suburbans are pulling when I’m nice condition… the fact this one has the dog of a Diesel engine and is still pulling big numbers on the bidding block is surprising.,
I had a 6.2 with 40k and a turbo, it was great got good mileage and my freind tried to sell me a 5 speed 94 cummins, he said once you go cummins you wont go back to the 6.2, he was right , that was 13 years ago
Boy, the number of times I had my hands working on one of these. Back when the paint was wet on these they either had a diesel or a 454 under the hood. Good either way. Diesel engines had very few problems. By the time this version was out they were running an “encapsulated” governor weight retainer, a stainless metering valve and a nickel plated advance piston. Mechanically, they ran a vastly improved timing chain but chintzed out with the rocker arms. Pretty minor though. I saw a lot of these pass 300K miles and still be ready for the next trip. The Square-Bodies were among the best trucks GM ever conjured up…
Ended: Aug 13, 2021 , 1:35PM
Winning bid:US $15,800.00
[ 73 bids ]
Located in:Kamas, Utah